KOIKE TAMAO – October in the Mirror
(1) High vocals – bouncy keyboards, MV 4/5 K 8/10 HNT 10/13. Let’s think about this. It’s markedly more eccentric than we might expect and, as we’re getting used to, has no obvious influences at all. (2) More electro-chanson in a style that follows the previous song with no effort. The characteristic here is that the music is lyrical and not the other way around (the vocals are percussive) HNT 10/13 MV 0/10 K 7/10 (3) Absolutely loopy and gorgeous, this one. Say whatever you like about City Pop, but it really can come up with oddities; Reverb vox….almost bits of Cocteau Twins, MV 0/5 HNT 12/13 K 4/10. (4) The vauguely Carribean one; super-complicated rhythym; Once again, not identifiable by-artist influences at all. MV 4/5 HNT 11/13 K 3/10. Steel Drums. Wow! (5) The silly one. Peach Funk with lotd of samples of the word ‘tamago, because, you know, eggs. MV 3/5 HNT 1/13 K 0/10. Annoying/Charming. (6) This one has basically what are proto-cell-phone sounds on it. My old KDDI/TuKa phone used to make noises like this. You know, about Influences: not so much influences *from* as influences *on*. There’s a ton of protro-Shibuya-kei on here. HNT 9/13 MV 0/5 K 5/10. (7) Proper cute synth-pop; as fluffy and perky as you could wish for, HNT 6/10 K 6/10 MV 0/10. Less Kissaten, more ice-cream parlour (8) This is….an instrumental? If so, it’s very nice. MV 3/5 HNT 10/13 K 7/10. WHAT an unexpected little gem of an album. Lovely.