Monthly Listening: February 2023
This month's round-up of great new Japanese releases from Le Makeup, mekakushe, Qumali Depart and more
Hi! This is February’s Monthly Listening list, a quick rundown of new Japanese albums I checked out this month that I enjoyed. You can browse past Monthly Listenings in the archives.
This month, I also watched the anime Bocchi the Rock! after seeing many parts from it appear all the place in my corners of the internet, be it as GIFs, videos explaining all of the ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION references, or my fellow writer Patrick St. Michel taking us on a tour to all of the real-life locations in Shimokitazawa that also appear on the show. And I loved the series! A teen seishun anime centered around building a band is just catnip for me (so yeah, I also love K-On!), but it was also simply hilarious, especially the many renderings of Bocchi’s mental panic. Funny enough, I checked out all of the songs from it before I watched the show, and now I love the Kessoku Band album even more.
A few more rock music made it to my listening this month as well as bunch of idol albums, some loud synths go brrrr records, and a few quiet, intimate pop releases and a bit more. Here’s what I checked out in February.
Here is also a Spotify playlist of my 40 favorite singles from February.
CHO CLIMAX by BAILEFUNK KAKEKO
electronic / dance | ► “VOLCANIC EMOTION” ft. valknee
FLOWER by CUBELIC
electropop / idol | ► “Super full flat”
DIALOGUE+2 by DIALOGUE+
pop | ► “Mahoroba-Deli”
Watashi No Nocturne by Kaneyorimasaru
alt rock | ► “Sakurairo”
Doko Ni Mo Ikenai Door by LADY FLASH
indie rock | ► “Heart Ni Teen”
Odorata by Le Makeup
alt pop | ► “Play” ft. Tohji & gummyboy
MAMEQUEST by Mameshiba No Taigun
pop / idol | ► “MUST GO”
Akogare by mekakushe
pop | ► “Grapefruit”
“While the liveliness behind some of the album’s different stylistic detours complicates the image of mekakushe as a solitary, homebound singer-songwriter, the songs of Akogare continues to speak as if it’s a piece from her internal monologue. The singer-songwriter once again admire from afar with her lyrical perspective taking a step back in position, though the record is no creative regression and rather the opposite: she returns to her familiar place as a distant observer with a better grasp on how to express herself.” —Read more on issue #63
MEME TOKYO. by meme tokyo.
electropop / idol | ► “Anemoa”
LOVE1 by ONE LOVE ONE HEART
pop / idol | ► “Honjitsu Wa Seiten Nari”
Cosmo Depart by Qumali Depart
electropop / idol | ► “2060Nen Cherry Blossom No Tabi”
BLOOD DEBUG by TORIENA
EDM | ► “Drip too hard”
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