Emamouse: Unmasking an experimental cult favorite
It's surprising to see emamouse without their signature mask. The Tokyo artist never plays live or appears in photos on Twitter without the handmade felt headwear, which features green hair with a single blue fish. Yet here it is, in emamouse's hands inside a ...
The Future Eve gets experimental with prog rock pioneer Robert Wyatt
Progressive rock and experimental music personality Robert Wyatt said goodbye to the music world in 2014 when he announced his retirement with the cryptic statement, "there is a pride in (stopping), I don't want (the music) to go off." That didn't mean that something ...
When Ami Yamasaki begins to sing, brooks, birds and barks emerge
I first heard Ami Yamasaki's voice in 2016 at a studio where I hosted a radio show in New York. She popped by to promote an upcoming performance at the Japan Society with composer Mamoru Fujieda, koto player Kayoko Nakagawa and shō (free ...
Toyomu reimagines Kanye West's 'Life of Pablo' in a creatively fun way
Toyomu — "Imagining 'The Life Of Pablo'" (Self-released) Up until the first week of April, U.S. rapper Kanye West's latest full-length, "The Life of Pablo," could only be heard on the streaming service Tidal — a platform unavailable in Japan. Kyoto electronic producer Toyomu decided ...
Punk survivor Phew changes direction on 'A New World'
Even as a child, Phew realized she was a bit different. "When I was at school, if the teacher told a joke and everyone else in the class laughed, I was always the one who couldn't see what was funny," she says. "I've always ...
Dark sounds for dark times from avant-garde group Goat
It's at a showcase for Berlin's Pan record label, where I first stumble on Osaka band Goat. As I walk down the concrete steps of Shinsaibashi venue Conpass, I can already hear the music. The gradually increasing reverberations of sound grow ever more tight ...
