It is surprising to hear Katsuhiko Maeda say one of the unifying traits found on his Virgin Babylon Records releases is "pop." The artists putting out music through the imprint touch on many sounds, from dramatic metal to macabre spoken-word electronica — not exactly radio-friendly fare.
"On the surface level, it can be anything — idol music, J-pop, noise," says Maeda, explaining his definition of pop, "but it has to have something that represents the artist's core in the music, something that will shake people's emotions."
Since starting in 2010, Virgin Babylon has been home to some of the most intriguing and off-kilter performers in Japan, acts who have explored their artistic cores in ways few other labels would encourage. The imprint has just released two of the year's indie highlights: "Osanasa no Shishi," a jittery and intimate electronic set from bedroom producer Metoronori, and "Dystopia Romance 2.0," a selection of shout-along songs from the band Have A Nice Day!