Penguins and Pandas
Music of Japan #6
A mid-week mix of punk, dance and neo-psych đĄ
Hey everyone!
Over the past few days, Iâve been diving into Spotifyâs smart shuffle feature, Apple Musicâs fantastic new music radio stations and of course, many YouTube ârabbit holesâ to fetch some fresh tracks for what I want to be a relatively diverse issue of the newsletter.
My search has been fruitful, to say the least. The selection below stretches from bright pop rock to loud post-punk to thick house music to bassy and weird psychedelia!
I hope you enjoy it. Donât forget to follow my Spotify and Apple Music playlists to never miss a new track.
éłă大ăăăăŚ! Turn up the volume!
âSilent Journey in Tokyoâ by back number
đś rock, pop rockđgunma đď¸ released on 17th january 2023
Gunma prefectureâs beloved power trio returned to the top of Japanâs Oricon Albums Chart in January with the release of their 7th album, âHumourâ. Since 2011, they have been no strangers to the top end of the national albums chart and have released a handful of number one singles too, including the very famous âChristmas Songâ (2016). Formed in 2004, back number consists of members Iyori Shimizu (vocals, guitar), Kazuya Kojima (bass, backing vocals) and Hisashi Kurihara (drums).
âSilent Journey in Tokyoâ is an upbeat pop-rock number with some excellent syncopated guitar riffs, smooth electric piano tones and a thick bass line. Shimizuâs resonant vocals glide beautifully over the top as his abstract lyrics use a smartphone analogy to describe love - â ah, the ultimate passwordâ.
Check out back numberâs website here, follow the band on Instagram here and explore their music catalogue on YouTube here.
P.S. - back number are releasing their new single âsize of a gunâ on Friday, 4th August. Might be one to watch out for. Just take a look at the promo:
âZETTONâ by pandagolff
đś post-punk đtokyo đď¸ released on 26th april 2023
Underground post-punk band pandagolff have released this flammable new single as part of their latest album, âITâS NOT FOOD!â (a title which brings back some haunting memories).
On their website, the Tokyo trio describe their unique sound as âindustrial and techno punkâ and the result of hundreds of repeated sound tests to discover the ideal âsynthesiser, sampling improvement, novel sweetness and tasteâ.
âZETTONâ is heavily charged from the start with its aggressive bass riff and a punk/techno hybrid drum beat. Punky vocals from lead singer Machiko then guide through vibrant verses coated with bubbling synthesisers and into several harmonious and atmospheric breakdowns. The energy of this track is enhanced by its low-fidelity yet stylish music video.
Follow pandagolff on Instagram here and discover more of their music via their YouTube channel here.
âKazunokoâ (Herring Roe) by foodman
đś dance, house đnagoya đď¸ released on 18th february 2020
Meet Takahide Higuchi, AKA Foodman. Born in Nagoya and now based in Yokohama, Foodman is an electronic producer, DJ and painter. A leading name of Japanâs âfootworkâ and âjukeâ house music scenes, Foodmanâs house-driven music often blends several genres, including elements of ambient, noise and techno music.
âKazunokoâ is a track I remember first hearing and replaying whilst working from home during the pandemic. It was within the first batch of Japanese house music I had ever heard. Released on Foodmanâs 2020 EP âDOKUTSUâ, the piece is trippy, atmospheric and beautifully muddled.
Tuned congas, a soothing keys sample and chopped vocal samples join forces with a driving house beat and added percussion to form a fascinating, collage-like track.
Explore Foodmanâs Instagram here and check out his latest album âYasuragi Landâ right here.
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âbubblesâ by South Penguin ft. NTsKi
đś neo-psych, indie rock đtokyo (South Penguin) + kyoto (NTsKi) đď¸ released on 17th june 2020
Next up is a weird and wonderful psychedelic indie jam from 2020, brought to you by South Penguin. Currently consisting of Akatsuka (vocals, guitar), Kodai Inaba (bass), Takumi Isobe (drums), Genya Ishizaki (percussion), Taisuke Miyata (guitar) and Yoshio Nikaho (keys), the band released only their 2nd album âRâ, last March.
âBubblesâ, is the bandâs 2nd stand-alone single, released in the summer of 2020. It served as a major development in the bandâs sound, which pre-2020, was much slower and sleepier/dreamier in tone. The exceptionally funky bass riff that opens the track lays down the foundations for the rest of the instrumentation, like the songâs trippy guitars and the ominous piano. Akatsukaâs breathy falsetto vocals glide wonderfully over the psychedelic backdrop facilitated by the solid backbeat.
Joining South Penguin on this song is NTsKi, a Kyoto-based singer whose equally breathy and somewhat eerie vocals add additional character to the track.
Follow South Penguin on Instagram here and find out more about them via their Tumblr site here. Also, check out featured singer NTsKiâs Instagram here.
P.S. - Like many others online Iâm sure, I was initially drawn into the music of South Penguin on streaming platforms by their eye-catching album art. Just feast your eyes on some of their album and singles artwork below:
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âippoâ (One Step) by monje
đś indie pop, neo-city pop đtokyo đď¸ released on 29th june 2023
Creative team monje are a group of talented students at Tokyo University of the Arts, the most prestigious art school in Japan. The group formed in the midst of the pandemic, making music together after their classes went online, having realised they could turn in assignments online.
The team mainly create and record music but also create artwork, music videos, stage design, costumes and performances. The musical aspect of monje consists of Kanan Komaki (vocals, lyrics) and Shun Moriyama (musical composition).
âIppoâ is monjeâs latest release and has blown up across the popular playlists of Spotify and Apple Music already. Driven by Komakiâs encouraging lyrics about moving forward in life and coated with gorgeous melodic guitar and bass riffs throughout, âippoâ is an uplifting and happy pop song that oozes sunshine.
Check out monjeâs exceptionally cool Instagram page here and explore more of their music on YouTube here.
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.