CD Reviews - July, 2008

By JP DuQuette

Perfume
Game
Tokuma  Japan

And so the strange and ultimately annoying saga of producer Nakata Yasutaka takes it’s most significant turn yet. Seems like not too long ago, Nakata was aping Pizzicato Five’s Konishi Yasuharu, in a vain attempt to keep the ‘vintage’ Shibuya-Kei sound alive with his Capsule project. Then, an inexplicable change in direction as Capsule turned from kitch to nu-electro Daft Punkisms on the infectiously catchy FRUITS CLiPPER. But as Nakata’s production pace grew yet faster and faster, his weakness for cheesy pop became more and more obvious. Apparently, though, Hiroshima-based second-rate idols Perfume didn’t see this penchant as a negative, and a collaboration was born, one that has since shot both parties into the brightest of J-pop spotlights. But does Game really warrant a listen? Well, unless you‘ve been under a rock for the past few months, you’ve already been subjected to the masterfully catchy “Polyrhythm” via AC’s recycling campaign, and the full version on the album actually takes a few glitchy risks. Game’s title track is a winner too - throbbing synth bass and a hook that would do Kylie Minogue proud, and the vacuous pico-pop mini-masterpiece “Chocolate Disco” wallows in its own nonsensical lyrics. Sure, the rest is J-pap crap, but for electro-pop fans, it’s a decent rental.

Hidari
Hidari No Shippo
Bad News Records

If you (like me) have spent countless nights pining the death of dreamy alt-electronica act Supercar, you’ve probably been looking for the next big thing in the genre. Look no further, cause Kobe’s Hidari is here. After several listens to the shoe-gazer guitars, nerdy but on-key vocals and goofy keyboard accoutrements of Hidari No Shippo, the truth slowly dawns; these guys aren’t channeling Koji Nakamura and company, they’ve got early Cornelius on the brain, or more accurately, the C-man’s late 80’s collaborations with seminal popsters Flippers Guitar. And, if anything, Hidari surpass F.G. in pure listenability and relentless optimism, a non-stop ride through indie-J-rock heaven that never takes a wrong turn and never turns annoying. And things only get better as the album progresses, the CD being end-loaded with ridiculously infectious tunes like “Shojo B” and “Time Travel wa Tanoshii”. The only downside is the accessibility factor; though the album consistently rocks, there are few truly unpredictable moments, and the precedings in general might do with a little more…edge.  But maybe that’s just one cranky old music critic’s complaining;  the real question is, with an album this polished and Space Shower-friendly, why aren’t these guys on top of Japan by now?

Akihiro Yokotani
Moon Surface+
(self-released)

Wow, yet another burgeoning artist from Kobe, this time on the ‘serious’ electronic side of things. Yokotani is master at Otoya, a live house known as the place to go for a slightly more eccentric take on electro in all its guises (from IDM to EBM). He’s also the head of newly formed Bias Records, a label dedicated to said scene. As for  Moon Surface+, its a pleasant excursion through the early 90’s Warp records sound, an era that I would certainly love to see resurrected. “From Moon Surface” sounds a bit like a glitchier Plaid, while “Man Machine Blues” is Public Energy No. 1 era Speedy J all the way. “Lost in Space” is dark ambient for the first half of its 10 minute ride, but then mutates into scary droning and Boom Boom Satellites-esque breaks until some scattered piano at the end. Finally, “Leo” comes across like a slightly scarier Clock DVA (sans vocals), and two 10 minute live mixes wrap things up nicely, an EP with a full hour’s music. Occasionally, things can come off a little sterile, and there really could be more down with sound design and dynamics overall, but for a first release (and a self-release, at that), I think that can be easily forgiven. Best contact the man himself at his MySpace, as you’re unlikely to find this cyber-vampire soundtrack anywhere outside of Sannomiya.

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