- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
- The Skull Defekts "Dances In Dreams Of The Known Unknown" 2014 (Sweden)
This week I finally got my hands on the new album from my favorite Japanese idols, and it's another classic collection of densely-crafted, all-over-the-map "dempa" music (with more funk and ballads than usual). Here's a very enlightening interview (translated into English) with the two newest members and their managers where they discuss the new album and the context behind it (Nemu's retirement and Mirin's marriage) - they even address the issue of Perorin's "tone deaf" singing! Unfortunately the timing of this album couldn't have been worse, as "The Family Tour 2020" of Japan has been cancelled and Dempagumi.inc is a band whose fandom centers around their concerts. So, like a lot of acts have been doing lately, they have put videos of entire concerts online (I had the links here, but they were only for a limited time and no longer available - too bad, the Spring 2019 concert was particularly terrific.) And, in order to keep busy and stay in touch with the fans, all six members have launched new Youtube channels and are vlogging away from their homes. These aren't terrribly interesting unless you understand Japanese, but since you probably have time on your hands these days you could eat "tapioca pizza" with Mirin, take a virtual tour of Japan with Eimi, or learn the secrets behind Ayane's immaculate fringe (literally: those bangs hide the birthmark on her forehead!)
Also, I came across a new "weird pop girl" of note - Rina Sawayama was born in Japan but raised in London where her music career is based. She just released her debut album which is getting a lot of attention, though from what I've heard it's mostly midtempo R&B ballads. However, the single "STFU!" is another classic of the "girly pop goes metal" trend being popularized by BABYMETAL and Poppy.