REVIEW: 963 (KURUMI) – tick tock

Fukuoka-based idol duo 963 (pronounced “kurumi“) has just released a second album! Music contributors include Miura Kōshi, Kenichirō Nishihara, Shinjō Kenichi, ikkubaru and more.

On 963’s sophomore release, the idol/rap duo build on their foundations in striking new ways. tick tock is a much more elaborate and well thought out release than their debut, 963, and that comes from the string of producers throughout. Despite the amount of people behind the scenes, the overall album all works together and is a great piece to just sit back and vibe to- and ascends its appeal beyond that of those into idol and hip hop alone.

963’s downtempo sound is inoffensive and instantly appealing. Fans of lo-fi hip hop are bound to find this familiar territory, and will dig it immediately. But even listeners from a more casual background who are just looking for a sweet idol record are going to find something to melt into, with its inviting nature.

It does however, have some flaws that get in the way of it being a fully enjoyable listen. For one, it’s quite muddy throughout the entire runtime. And while some might argue that adds to its charm, I feel it takes from the overall quality of the work. Secondly, the vocal recordings have an inconsistent quality to them at times, due to being mixed at differentiating volumes at various moments. It’s nothing listening destroying, but it is definitely noticeable when playing the album as a whole.

While there are no songs that really strike as outstandingly good or bad, the first half of the album certainly feels the most interesting, with songs like “SEED” and “lumen” helping to set the tone for the deep atmosphere the album as a whole has. It’s unfortunate then, that the ending of the album tapers off a little, and feels a little anticlimactic. It’s not an album killer, but unfortunately dampens the strong impression that the album had at it’s beginning.

6.5/10 . Overall, while it has it flaws, tick tock fits fairly well alongside the likes of 4s4ki’s ‘Omae no Dreamland’ and Daoko’s ‘anima’ as one of the most intriguing entries of Japanese hip hop for 2020.

REVIEW: 4S4KI- OMAE NO DREAMLAND

4s4ki (pronounced Asaki) is a fairly new face to the Japanese pop scene, and is currently sitting on a few EPs and singles that have cause a little bit of buzz in the hip-hop scene. Here she finally brings her debut album, ‘Omae no Dreamland‘, which has gathered a a plethora of guests and producers to make her sound come to life. Whilst the album mainly feels like an electronic pop album, the moments of hip hop here are never distracting. More importantly, they don’t feel like they are ripping off dated American trends and feel a lot more current than the majority of the competition. 4s4ki obviously keeps a worldly eye on the scene, and incorporates current sounds whilst still keeping it undeniably Japanese.

Opening with the single and title track, ‘Omae no Dreamland’ is an absolutely sweet, catchy electronic driven earworm that really sets the scene on what to expect for the rest of the album. It’s then followed by the harder hitting ‘Platonic’ featuring gu^2, the beat rapturous and engrossing, one of the best since the good days of Charisma.com. (as a side note, it may interest you that 4s4ki previously has worked with Itsuka on a single)

There are four songs featuring rapper Maeshima Soshi throughout the album, who actually adds rather than distracts from the tracks- definitely a much younger rapper than the usual features seen on Jpop albums, the delivery is very trap inspired, and relaxed. Asaki and him do seem to make quite the formidable duo, and work off each other really well. It’s truly refreshing to hear this kind of chemistry on a newcomer’s album. It adds another layer to the music that quite engaging and enjoyable. However, it is  ‘NEXUS’ featuring rinahamu that is the standout track on the album, it sounds as sweet as a CY8ER track, yet hides barbs underneath the surface. This goes for quite a lot of the album, and ultimately keeps the listener engaged a lot more than the usual J-pop record.

There are some issues with the album overall though, and one is 4s4ki’s need to work on strengthening her individuality. She’s very competent, matches her music fine enough, but nothing vocally really makes her stand out above and beyond (though this also means she never is grating either). There’s a couple of weaker songs on it too, but none that really are standout enough to skip. They’re just like small stops at the gas station on the way to the destination rather than bumps on the road. Overall though, the main experience the listener will have is a sense of fun during its short 31 minute run time.

7/10 Omae no Dreamland, despite it’s flaws is still a very competent and pleasant debut record, that outlines the future potential that 4sk4ki has, and is definitely one to check out and watch in the future.