ASHIBE MARIKO – Street Scandal
(1) I’ve been suckered by false starts a few too many times this week, but the first 1 minute of this is worth a whole album. I’m going to use the expression Superhuman Funk – the sequencers are used to play tighter and faster than humans can actually play. Or else, they hired Page Hamilton and Les Claypool. MV 3/5 HNT 11/13 K 8/10. (2) Fade-in, giving the impression of walking into the party-in-progress, just in time for the smoochies. Or, alternatively, going home. Very metacinematic. MV 4/5 HNT 11/13 K 8/10. (3) More upbeat, a bit cookie-cuttery but it supports the atmosphere of the album. There are lots of refeneces to the signifiers of disco on this album, and we’ll see how this pans out. MV 1/5 K 8/10 HNT 8/13. (4) Another fade-in: this time into something a bit like that Terashima Mayumi trach I love so much. With a bit of reveb on the vox. Love Summer Natsu no Kaze. It’s lovely and MV 1/5 HNT 8/13 K 8/10. (5) The Slow One. This is often the turning point for a city pop album, but this one is a bit perkier and I think is the Bayside Sunset one. MV 1/5 HNT 6/10 K 7/13. Seashore Noises to wrap the side up. (6) SIDE TWO for sure!! Goes the intro for this track, a charmingly reverbified Akinais thingy. It keeps wanting to be ‘Kita Wing’ and has an Inspirational(TM) Chorus. MV 2/5 HNT 11/13 K 8/10. (7) GREAT intro – sequenced arpeggios and atmospheric noises….the song is sort-of OK too, although it does have a great chorus. More Sequencers!! MV 2/5 HNT 9/10 K 8/10. (8) Awful HR Slow ballad. Leave Out.