#teamtragictalks

Suiyoubi Campanella was introduced to me by my dear friend after he ended up seeing her at a shady live in Shinjuku (?) at year or so ago. All I knew was the she was eccentric, the fans otaku, and music good.

Actually, and I often forget, Suiyoubi Campanella is a trio, which the face/vocalist being the woman you see on everything, KOM_I. However, the team definitely relies on each other. The retro and contemporary sound would be nothing with the passionate and sporadic faux-rapping of KOM_I, and vice versa.

They’re beginning to gain some traction in the Japanese scene a bit more these days, but they still remain relatively unknown to the general public.

The Good

“ジャンヌダルク” speaks to me because it’s basically a bunch of transportation announcements as you go on a tour. Oh those horrible long bus trips to Tokyo, I shall never forget you.

Shoutout to the last third of “チャイコフスキー <Interlude -ラモス->” and it’s demonic vocal arrangement. Chaotic, yet amazing. Seems they ended up going in more of an experimental direction like this after 私を鬼ヶ島に連れてって.

“インカ” is a Suiyoubi ballad. Trust me. The tribal beats and Indian (?) influences are strong, but subdued at the same time. A nice balance of keeping things busy, but mellow at the same time. Not something easily accomplished.

The Bad

Nothing is bad. Suiyoubi doesn’t know bad.

The Tragic

“桃太郎” is tragic because it’s a telling of the classic tale of Momotaro. Except weirdly current, gritty, and a lot harder than you remember as a child. All you need to do is watch the amazing PV to understand (Google is your friend, as I’m too lazy to link it).

The song is amazing though! The chorus ridiculously catchy and KOM_I’s vocal delivery like that of a melodic storytelling. Never have I wanted a kibidango more in my life than after discovering this gem.

×××

This might be the last month that TTT continues to exist! As the other two are still catching up… well at least one of them… and I’m currently packing up five years of my life and moving back to the States to start anew.

Hopefully our two readers aren’t disappointed and who knows, we may live on!

As the well known Tetsuya Komuro stan of Team Tragic, I was never a big fan of Ami Suzuki despite being already familiarized with her early stuff. The one exception being her sole dance single from her early days, the ever-tragtastic “All night long”. For the most part her first three albums are full of the 90s TK filler trash that made his career as a producer nearly stall in the 00s. It wasn’t until her 2005 comeback AROUND THE WORLD where she reinvented herself as a dance pop diva that I became a fan. However her many single releases in the following years would prove to be more of the lackluster of old.

After a string of many “joins” singles where Ami collaborated with many well known artists and producers she finally struck gold by working with Nakata Yasutaka who has a penchant for bringing the best out of personality-less starlets (see Perfume, capsule, why it didn’t work with MEG). She would go on to record a full album with him and the ridiculously fabulous Supreme Show was born!

The good -  The second I played this album for the first time and my ears were graced with the joy of “TEN” I couldn’t stop screaming YAAAASSSSS and z snapping for a good minute. This track gets the party started immediately with its 80s-synths-by-way-of-the-00s, galloping house beat and Ami’s vocals extremely processed as they should be. And then we hit the chorus which is peppered with the Stock Aitken Waterman signature wood block and clappers percussion which instantly makes me envision Kylie Minogue and Pete Burns dancing poorly to it. Even friends I have who aren’t into Jpop get instantly drawn into this track and furthermore into the album as a whole thanks to its catchiness. Definitely my fav of the bunch. An added bonus is all the positive English one word phrases littered through out as basically none of them apply to Ami’s career!

“can't stop the DISCO” won me over the moment I saw the title but it’s actually a fantastic 80s high energy disco moment. Which is funny because the vocals are actually quite laid back and cool. The Moroder arpeggiator and rocking beat cemented my standom for Yasutaka Nakata and he hasn’t let me down much over the years since this album. The song holds true to its title by pulling a Confessions on a Dancefloor and seguing seemlessly into the follwing two tracks. It’s amazing and adds to the appeal of the album but it’s actually just the entire “can't stop the DISCO” single and b-sides pasted on to the album after the opening track lol. Well if it ain’t broke...

Though I do tend to forget it as it’s tacked on as the album closer, I do have a fondness for “ONE” as it was the last Ami song for a while that actually sounded like Ami as most of the Supreme Show tracks sound like Nakata + any singer he’s used ever. It does serve well as the last track though as it brings back the high energy and hard beat of the earlier tracks and closes the album on a positive note. If only Ami’s career would have been so lucky post this release.

Also must add an honorable mention to “LOVE MAIL” as one of my favorite album tracks which very well could have been a single. It’s got that great summery, 00s Euro-disco vibe that channels Kylie’s “Love at First Sight” without sounding exactly like it. We’ll leave that to Nana Katase. Of course we all know the tragedy that was Ami covering “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” years later. :D

The bad - While I do consider this album pretty flawless from beginning to end (did I actually just say that about an Ami album?!) if it came to a case of “if I had to pick one” as it generally does on TTT, I’d have to choose “flower” with its b-side realness. It serves well calming the energy down before its bombastic closer and Ami’s vocals actually do sound beautiful and serene despite the vocal distortion. However the first few times I listened to the album I thought it was a countdown from “TEN” to “ONE” (which actually would have been quite clever) until I realized there were eleven tracks! Maybe that’s why poor little “flower” gets targeted by me.

The tragic -  From the second it begins in the “can't stop the DISCO” trio you can just tell “climb up to the top” is going to be uber-trag. From its trashy hard synths and tacky percussion samples to Ami’s chipmunk Vocaloid realness, it’s all just a fabulous shitfest. And of course the joke at the time was that Ami was indeed desperately trying to climb up to the top with this album which she clearly did not. Still this track is a great club-thumping addition which again segues seamlessly into the one and only...

“SUPER MUSIC MAKER”!!! This song has always been a TTT favorite because of its instant catchiness and super singalong ability. Plus we all clearly love and respect Ami. Right from the “Baba O’Riley”-esque arpeggiator opening I was hooked. Though I do like the original single version from her previous album Dolce, when this remix was added to the “can't stop the DISCO” single I hoped it would be included in the album and it eventually was. Of course some people saw this as a desperate move but it was a Nakata single after all and the original was overshadowed by its main A-side “FREE FREE”. Eduardo and I were disappointed that it wasn’t re-recorded as the theme for Super Mario Maker when it was released, missed opportunity! However I do still catch myself singing it even now that I’ve got back into playing it thanks to the Hello Kitty/My Melody pack.

I also love how tragique the segue from “A token of love” into “TRUE” is! We go from vogue worthy synth rhythms and melancholic robot vocals into soft, melodic Jpop dance within a matter of seconds and again, it’s all so effortless and perfect.

My one stipulation in choosing the inevitable Yasutaka Nakata month for TTT was that someone had to nominate Supreme Show since I was obvs choosing Perfume or Kyary. Thankfully Edu obliged (I blame “SUPER MUSIC MAKER”) and here we are reveling in all its tragicness. Though we will forever clown Ami for being the Dannii Minogue of Jpop (who’s that? Exactly...) we all do have a soft spot for her so it’s nice we got to discuss one of her releases that wasn’t total shit. In fact I’d even go so far as to say it’s my favorite Nakata-produced album and one of my favorite Jpop albums ever. I wouldn’t change a note of it, not even “flower”. 

I think this review is finished? I don’t know, but I’m just going to post it.

Oh Perfume. I’ve never understood your success completely having been a casual fan all these years, but people seem to love them unconditionally. Although their popularity has waned in Japan since I’ve been here.

Always a bit hit or miss, I guess what we’re talking about here more than anything is Yasutaka Nakata (again). The girls are the image and personality, but we’re digesting the album, not their overall aesthetic.

The Good

“1mm”

There’s something very chill about “1mm”. I can’t quite explain it. Maybe it’s the minimalistic intro that sets up the mood. Actually, this song gets quite busy and loud, but in the same way that MEG’s BEAUTIFUL did. You end up loving it.

“Party Maker”

Typical Nakata club banger that must be on every album, but I’m not complaining. Slightly biased here as I attended the Christmas Eve dome live when this album was released and I got my life to the girls voguing it up on scaffolding while lights flashed.

“Spring of Life (Album-mix)”

The tame “Party Marker”. Also, a fine example of how essentially an extended mix with a bit of a harder sound can rework a rather generic song. This went from forgettable single to guilty pleasure anthem.

“Handy Man”

The Middle Eastern strings or whatever they are make this song amazing! “Handy Man” was definitely the first thing that stood out to me when I gave LEVEL3 its first spin. Something a fresh from Nakata.

The Bad

“Spending all my time (Album-mix)”

Irritating. I seem to remember this single getting quite a bit of backlash from the fans too, but I could be mistaken. Or maybe that was “Spring of Life”?

The Tragic

“だいじょばない”

Irritating, but in a good way. The difference between this and “Spending all my time” is that the arrangement makes up for the repetitive, ear bleeding vocals. This is catchy, the former is not.

“未来のミュージアム”

Someone mistagged this Kyary track, right? I mean, I get it girls. She’s young, fresh, and was still semi-relevant in 2013, but let’s not try to imitate. It’s sad when you’re supposed to be the OG. I mean, look at Madonna’s latest releases.

×××

LEVEL 3 is the type of album where you go, “Okay, thanks for that.” It’s not bad, but certainly not memorable. Things seem to be going downhill for the group from here though as Nakata runs low on steam and, although experimenting more with his other acts, falls short on trends and doesn’t create ones like he used to.

It’ll be interesting to see where Perfume’s career goes and if the girl start branching off into other sectors. Kyary has already been doing that since she’s well aware her career has a stop watching hovering over it.

I’m far too lazy to look up any information about Karly, so I’m sure Eduardo will tell me that so and so producers her and my review is invalid, etc. However, DANCE MUSIC reminds me of something Pizzicato Five would have put out back when Shibuya-kei was relevant and not horrible EDM.

Okay, I actually like some EDM, but yeah...

The Good

Things are off to a good start with “BOOMBASTIC HIP HOUSE BAND”. The English adlib and hot mess sampling pretty much set up the entire album.

Although “G.T.O.” is basically just 女の子たち repeated over and over, it’s the instrumental and mixing that makes it really stand apart from a lot of the other tracks. The guitar (?) is annoying and overdone, but to the point where it sounds good. The vocal delay later on too is a nice touch. A simple track that becomes more complex by reusing a few elements.

“GIRLS IN LOVE” is fun and also a bit of a standout. It’s high energy, but the soft vocals repeating the title as somewhat soothing. My body doesn’t know if it wants to bounce around the room or take a sip a tea. Maybe both?

The Bad

Don’t hate me, but I really don’t like the faux Donna Summer sample in “FMSB”. It sounds half assed and uninspired. Also, a song called “Funky Monkey Sexy Baby” is more suited for Karie, not Karly.

The Tragic

I listened to this album for the first time while doing other things around my place, but when “東京は夜の七時” came on I couldn’t help but find it familiar for some reason. Then the iconic chorus came in and I melted. This is a great cover of the Pizzicato Five anthem, with enough variety to make it stand apart from the original, at least in terms of production. The vocals are similar to Maki’s, but that’s not an issue.

Why is this under tacky Patrick?

Well, if you’re doing a Shibuya-kei album that’s already heavily similar to Pizzicato Five a good part of the time, do you really need a cover of their most recognizable track?

×××

To my surprise, I really enjoyed this album. I guess I went into it not really knowing what to expect, but even so, DANCE MUSIC ended up being rather refreshing.

DANCE MUSIC isn’t something you come back to in spurts. You need to listen to the album in its entirety. It’s an experience from beginning to end.

FFA! What have we dug up from the depths of our libraries to make each other’s ears bleed this time?

野本かりあ DANCE MUSIC 2007

Perfume LEVEL3 2013

What do I know about this duo? Absolutely nothing!

I think the female rapper/vocalist is from TOKYO GIRL’S STYLE, one of the only recent idol groups I can tolerate for some reason. That’s all!

Don’t remember how I came across them or anything.

The Good

The album starts off a bit fun with “よっしゃっしゃっすREMIX”, with Cypress Ueno’s more serious rapping pleasantly contrasting obvious lighthearted newcomer Yuri Nakae’s parts. Plus the song is super catchy without being annoying.

“SO.RE.NA” and the SWG REMIX are solid tracks. “SO.RE.NA” is a fresh, poppier rap number that does the whole retro thing without sounding like it was from the late 90s. Yes, Japan’s rap game was a bit behind those days.

The remix brings something a bit different to the mix too, giving the listener a choppier, electronic experience. A nice way to close the album, on a different, but still cohesive note.

“WE GOTTA GO” is my chill jam! Reminds me of something from Sweet Vacation’s final proper album before they disappeared, except with rap.

The Bad

“HGB” is trying a bit too hard to be a credible rap battle song or something along those lines, but I’m not buying it. Maybe there’s a video to accompany this, but until I see it, “HGB” just seems like a poser.

Then again, I guess the whole album is doing that, right?

The Tragic

“Too Shy Boy” is basically a TGS track. At first, with a title like that, I thought it was going to be a TRF cover or something, but I don’t believe it is. However, it could definitely pass off as one!

×××

I think a certain someone may have misunderstood what was meant by rap month. Namie’s speaking-singing and a bunch of rent-a-rappers doesn’t count. Alas, there’s nothing that can be done at this point...

When I was a Namie fan for a hot minute years ago, I listened to WHEN POP HITS THE FAN. However, I never got into it and ignored it ever since. Now it’s back to haunt me.

The album isn’t bad (I saw with the longest groan in my head), but it’s painfully generic. The production one point most of the time, as Avex has always poured money into Namie, but she brings nothing to the project and could have been replaced with anyone. Give me Yamada Yu on vocals and I’d be happier. At least she can dance. #shade

Also, WHEN POP HITS THE FAN has not aged well at all, much like a lot of Namie’s older material. That’s what happens when you jump on trends though.

***

The more I listen to this crap, the more I love it because it’s so basic. Ugh, this is why I hate Namie...

The Good

“What's on your mind feat. XBS” is a decent opener. Namie aside, XBS’ bit go good with the harder beats. There’s a nice balance between Namie’s whisper-singing and his rapping, making the track listenable.

I’m going to be petty and say that I love “segway”! Too bad it didn’t really segway into “DAMN FIGHT” at all.

“WHAT IF feat. VERBAL (m-flo)” is again, generic, my favorite thing to say this review, but it’s still more interesting than some of the other tracks. The faux Middle Eastern thing going on stands out and VERBAL’s raps more like he used to back in the day. Less Kanye West and more speedy Twista. I approve.

Oh yeah, Namie was on backing vocals too, wasn’t she?

Now onto the single “"Uh Uh,,,,,," feat. AI”. Even Namie is rapping in this one! Praise be.

Okay, so I legit like this track and I’m not a big fan of AI. This could have shown up on STYLE, which is a very good thing. Besides the groans here and there, the song doesn’t sound as dated as others and the middle 8 (right?) during AI’s main rap is warmly welcomed. She could lose the sexy moans though. They come off as forced.

The Bad

“We got time”... to record a million backing tracks of Namie humming to cover up the lack of singing and generic lyrics! This barely counts as a rap track too with VERBAL’s minimal appearance. For whatever reason, he’s not even given a featuring credit when he is on a later track.

If Parallel was asked to do a track for Namie and then told his intern to do it instead, you’d get “DAMN FIGHT”. It’s basically a lazy “FUNKY TOWN” to some extent. The attempting to be funky beat wants to trick the listener into caring, but one still can’t be bothered.

The Tragic

“ain’t yours” sounds like a TK R&B number. That “ain’t” a good thing. This song can’t figure out if it’s fake rap, R&B, country, or some sort of 60s flute mess.

×××

As a whole album, WHEN POP HITS THE FAN is relatively well thought out, despite what my critique of some of the tracks might imply. However, it’s still rather bland. The tracks don’t stand out on their own and the album drags on after a while.

Have we reviewed Namie before? I can’t remember, but our 2.4 readers should know by now that I’m pretty biased against her, so take my “review” for what you may.

Is this really rap? That’s what I found myself asking pretty early, but to be fair, I guess a majority of it is. I guess when I think of the genre, something more upbeat like the tracks found on HALCALI’s 音樂ノススメ don’t necessarily come to mind.

I’ve dabbled in HALCALI’s work a bit here and there in the past, but nothing ever stuck. So I was a bit skeptical going into this month, but knew anything would be better than WHEN POP HITS THE FAN.

Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed this release. I think it was the perfect time to listen to it with the weather warming up a bit. Overall, the album is pleasantly cohesive, with a nice summer vibe. I’d take a long drive down the highway to nowhere listening to this.

The Good

“フワフワ・ブランニュー” is basically city pop with a rap thrown over it. Since I’ve been feeling hitomitoi’s material in the last few years, it was no surprise I gravitated toward this track. However, whereas hitomitoi is 100% chill, HALCALI liven things up a bit here, making for a good opening track.

“ストロベリーチップス” reminds me of folk, or maybe even Japanese shoegaze (who knows, I don’t listen to the stuff) music. Oddly though, I really like it. The song is light and fun, with a catchy melody and chorus. I found myself humming along pretty quickly.

The same can be said for “晴れ時ドキ”. Maybe I’ve been living in the inaka too long, but there’s something uplifting about a lot of these songs. They give me hope. What for, I have no idea. Also, I can’t get enough of the guitar used in the song, especially near the end.

After an odd two tracks (see below), things go back to what I had grown use to with “芝生”. Sure, it’s a bit more of the same, but at the same time not. I get more of a dream pop vibe from the track.

Okay, I’m going to harp on a few oddball tracks later on, but “BABY BLUE!” is my jam! Somehow it works with the album. It doesn’t try to be as out there as “OBOROGE COPY VIEW” nor as cliché as “若草DANCE”.

The Bad

Hmmm… I really don’t think “OBOROGE COPY VIEW” and “HISTORY” are bad, but I have two issues with them. First, they totally out of place. As I mentioned before, there’s a sort of countryside quality to 音樂ノススメ  that I really enjoy. These two songs disturb the flow.

Also, I would have liked it better if they were flipped, when “HISTORY” leading into “OBOROGE COPY VIEW” instead of the other way around. Maybe they would have been better at the end of the album now that I think about it.

I’m not crazy about “伝説の2人”. Whereas the rest of the album goes for this casual laid back vibe that I could see the farmers listening to as they till their rice field, “伝説の2人” get too country on us, going all the way to the American Midwest. Slow down HALCALI, we aren’t finished with our harvest. Save it for another time.

The Tragic

Disco track on an otherwise mellow album? Sure, come on in “若草DANCE”. The disco influence should be enough explanation for the track’s placement here. Was the guest rap too embarrassed to have his name featured on the track? It would surprise me…

All that aside, of course I enjoy “若草DANCE”, but like with “OBOROGE COPY VIEW” and friend, it doesn’t belong here.

×××

Is it odd that 音樂ノススメ  makes me want to listen to Katamari Damacy soundtracks? I feel like they follow a similar vibe, only with HALCALI bringing a heavier rap element as opposed to strictly singing.

I really thought I was going to hate this album since I never gave this duo a chance before, but I found myself putting the album on repeat for a couple of spins daily before writing this. 音樂ノススメ makes good background music, but is also good if you’re paying attention.