Bad Mode
Music of Japan #5
A beautiful new ballad, an RnB veteran and some hidden gems from 2005 🎤
Hi everyone!
This week, I’ve been discovering some excellent new releases, exploring some past favourites, and hearing some fantastic tracks from the mid-2000s.
This issue includes recent songs from Kanagawa’s RADWIMPS and pop superstar Lilas Ikuta, along with my personal favourite from RnB legend Hikaru Utada’s last album, a quaint new age track from the late Susumu Yokata and a gem from the versatile pop/jazz fusion outfit, Sukima Switch.
In case you missed the last issue, I want to highlight again that Music of Japan now has up-to-date Spotify and Apple Music playlists - these will collect all of the songs featured in every newsletter/blog issue to ensure you never miss a featured track!
Check out my playlist on Spotify here and Apple Music here.
Enjoy the music and please let me know your thoughts!
始めましょう! Let’s Start!
“大団円” (Large Circle) by RADWIMPS ft. ZORN
🎶 rock, rap rock, funk rock📍kanagawa (RADWIMPS), tokyo (ZORN) 🗓️ released on 28th june 2023 ⭐️NEW
RADWIMPS have become a household name in much of the Japanese music scene over the past few decades.
Since first achieving widespread commercial success in 2006 with their 4th album, they have captivated a large audience most recently with 2016’s “Zenzenzense” (used in the soundtrack that the band composed for the anime film, “Your Name”), and 2022’s “Suzume” (used in the collaborative soundtrack that the band co-composed for the anime film of the same name).
Led by lead vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Yojiro Noda, who is said to have first become interested in music after hearing Oasis, the band’s music style generally spans across alternative rock, post-punk, funk-rock, with sprinklings of emo and rap rock.
Collaborating with RADWIMPS on their fresh new single “大団円” is ZORN, a Tokyo-born rapper who has been releasing music since 2004. Alongside his 9 albums, he has engaged in a series of powerful features on a number of tracks.
“大団円” (Large Circle) is a lively and passionate rock song loaded with lyrics from Noda about the emergence of self-doubt in one’s ability to change and the pain that comes with the perseverance of it. ZORN’s verses later in the song serve as a beam of reassurance and encouragement to fight this. The lyrics of the final chorus bring everything full circle, with Noda admitting that whilst he is emotionally broken (presumably by a lover), he will not give up.
Instrumentally, the main guitar riff that echoes throughout the 5+ minute song is uplifting and insanely catchy. The charging drum beat and pounding bass drums launch this song into a heavy rock trance.
Check out RADWIMPS website here, follow them on Instagram here and, listen to more songs on their YouTube here.
For more information on ZORN, visit his website here, and follow him on Instagram here.
“BADモード” (Bad Mode) by Hikaru Utada
🎶 rnb, dance pop 📍new york city 🗓️ released 19th january 2022
Japanese-American pop star Hikaru Utada is no stranger to success. As one of the most influential and best-selling artists that the country has seen, Utada has produced 13 singles that have charted at number 1 in Japan since 1999. Her soulful blend of dance-pop, RnB, and electronica has shone across her numerous Japanese and English language albums throughout her long career.
Whilst there are many hits within Utada’s extensive catalogue, “BAD MODE” has been on rotation for me since its release in 2022 as the first track of her album of the same name. This reassuring and positive track is about Utada expressing her reassurance and support for her lover/partner who is going through a difficult period and often in “Bad Mode”. Utada asks her partner what he needs, states that her love for him remains the same no matter what state he is in, offers him a Diazepam to share, and suggests they ignore texts, watch Netflix, stay in pajamas, and order UberEats. Sounds like a good day to me!
The song builds and develops beautifully, with the backing of a rich horn section, gorgeous Rhodes piano chords, and a gloriously complex Jazz drum beat. “BAD MODE”s rich instrumental and blissful RnB tones make it one of my firm favourites of Hikaru’s in recent years.
Keep up with the latest updates from Hikaru Utada on her website here and her Instagram page here.
“フィクション” (Fiction) by スキマスイッチ (Sukima Switch)
🎶 pop, jazz fusion, rock 📍tokyo 🗓️ released on 20th july 2005
Sukima Switch are a pop duo that are equally as comfortable belting heartfelt epic ballads as they are producing loud and lively, jazz-infused rock songs. Formed in 1999 by core members Takuya Ohashi (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Shintaro Tokita (keyboards, piano, production), the Tokyo-based band have released a plethora of diverse and influential music throughout the 2000s and 2010s, up until the present day.
I first discovered the band through the internationally renowned anime “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood”. The theme song for the anime’s second season was “Golden Time Lover”, a fantastic song with the energy of a Red Hot Chilli Peppers track that captured the nostalgic pop-rock sound of the mid-2000s. Following that, I was shown some of Sukima’s slower songs, including their 2004 single “Kanade” and I realised just how versatile this band was.
“Fiction” is an album track I recently picked up on when listening to the band’s 2005 sophomore album, “空創クリップ” (Kūsō Clip). Ohashi’s clear and clean vocals cut above the melodic acoustic rock instrumental. As with many of Sukima Switch’s songs, I enjoy the way the guitar and bass melodies interact with each other.
The song’s lyrics address an office worker at a bank, highlighting how mundane his working life is and how much more exciting his life could be if he dared to leave it and choose to pursue a more fulfilling passion/occupation.
To learn more about Sukima Switch and what they’re up to now, visit their official website here, follow them on Instagram, and hear more of their music on YouTube here.
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“P.S” by Lilas Ikuta
🎶 pop 📍tokyo 🗓️ released on 7th july 2023 ⭐️NEW
Talented singer-songwriter Lilas Ikuta has made a name for herself in recent years as the vocalist of pop duo Yoasobi, a now globally appreciated group who take much of their inspiration for their chart-topping songs from novels/stories written by aspiring writers.
After frequenting the charts and becoming a viral sensation with Yoasobi’s driving pop songs like “Yoru ni Kakeru” (Racing Through The Night), “Tabun” (Maybe), and Gunjo (Ultramarine), Ikuta released her first solo EP, “Sketch”, back in March 2023. This is one of the first singles released since and likely a candidate for what would be her first solo album.
Ikuta’s gentle vocals deliver poignant descriptions of love and life via the vehicle of an angelic voice. Her new single “P.S” is a fine example of this. Ikuta’s glide pitch perfectly over an epically arranged pop/orchestral instrumental (perfectly timed finger clicks included). The song, as hinted by its title, centres around Ikuta writing a love letter to a seemingly unattainable love interest. This pleasant song is complimented by an endearing music video, released in tangent with the upcoming Japanese movie, “Byō Saki no Kare”.
I find the notes that Ikuta hits just before the pre-chorus beautiful and her voice is a pleasure to listen to. Without taking anything away from Yoasobi’s fantastically frantic and driving hits, it’s refreshing to be able to enjoy Ikuta’s voice at a slightly slower tempo.
Visit Lilas Ikuta’s website here, follow her on Instagram here, and listen to more of her songs on her YouTube channel here.
“Blue Sky and Yellow Sunflower” by Susumu Yokata
🎶 ambient, new age 📍toyama 🗓️ 2nd may 2005
Susumu Yokata, known well in the English-speaking indie music scene for his ambient and experimental music releases, worked as an Economist before becoming a DJ and music producer. Alongside his ambient releases, he also enjoyed a long career as a house music DJ throughout the 90s and 2000s. Sadly, in 2015 at the age of 54, Yokata passed away after a long period of illness.
“Blue Sky and Yellow Sunflower” is a magical piece of music. It collages sound in a way that evokes feelings of nostalgia, visualisation of a beautiful/dreamy place (perhaps a Sunflower growing), and above all, relaxation. Combining samples from Steve Reich’s “Six Marimbas” (1987) and excerpts of Claude Debussy’s “Clair De Lune” (1903), this piece positively overwhelms your senses.
Listen to more of Yokata’s extensive catalogue of great music on Spotify or Apple Music.
Thank you for reading! I hope you discovered some music you may have liked in this edition.
If you have any thoughts on how I can improve this newsletter and your experience with it, please get in touch at themusicofjapan@gmail.com.