few words for Shibuya-kei

[paralleljalebi]

I don't know how popular the term is within recent Internet music circles, but I want discuss the Shibuya-kei scene. If you haven't been aware of Shibuya-kei and the albums that define the genre, it's the culmination of retro & kitsch Western music into freshly-cut Japanese pop. I am only beginning my research dive, so I'm only broadly aware of the scene. This thread will be where I gush about albums, starting with . . .

Cornelius — Point

This record was the lone knowledge I had of Shibuya-kei before taking an interest recently. I liked 'Drop' and was recommended to check the rest of it out. I found Point mesmerising, deeply nostalgic, and creative to no end. Highlighting this album helps define what Shibuya-kei is to me. It's more than the glitching electronics in 'Bug', the jazzy arrangements in 'Smoke', the crisp slices of guitar in 'Drop', the stereophonic electronica of 'Tone Twilight Zone'. It's equal-parts appreciation, mockery, and study of vintage Western records, where their defining traits grew to be seen as kitsch. This record came far into the end of Shibuya-kei's peak, yet the childlike wonder of Point is what led me to find the genre to be so captivating.

Cornelius approaches these songs with a genre, style, or certain 'sound' in mind. The songwriting is only secondary. It's why these songs stand stronger as a collective album, as they don't offer anything particularly new beyond the record. Simple guitar strums, a mic'd-close-up acoustic kit, a C78 drum machine, and thick bass grooves tie Cornelius's viewpoint of music together into a cohesive sound palette. Listening to Point feels like hearing these styles for the first time all over. Alternative n' noisy rock, psychedelic ambient, contemplative folktronica, easy-listening lounge, tropical bossa nova. The album jerks back n' forth between it all without ever feeling out of place.

(ToT)/~~~

I'm getting sleepy, but I will talk about Lamp, Shuta Hasunuma, capsule, and more when I get the time. Love y'all!!

[paralleljalebi]

Bought a new book at Powell's, it's called Nipponpop by Steve McClure . . . a big magazine-style book that gives a bird's-eye view of Japanese pop history, including Shibuya's scene. I saw pages for Pizzicato Five and Cornelius, and I hope this book will be a launching point for my exploration of J-pop. Only nine bucks, too, so this is a good 'in' for this project.

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