Monthly Listening: October 2023
This month's round-up of great new Japanese releases from as a sketch pad, Lamp and more
Hi! This is October’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.
Are any of my readers watching the TV drama adaptation of Paripi Koumei? I did not watch the anime when it ran last year, but I was still puzzled on how a live-action version of this story of “Kongming from China’s Three Kingdoms period is reincarnated into modern Japanese society and becomes an A&R and manager” would even turn out, first with the whole reincarnation thing. But it’s been a fun comedy so far, definitely one of the year’s favorites that I recommend.
A great component, too, has been the music side with the show releasing original songs to go with the drama and its musician-characters. Ikuta Lilas for one wrote the song sung by Moka Kamishiraishi’s singer-songwriter protagonist EIKO, and there’s the dance-pop single called “No Future But Go to Future” (A+ title) by an idol group whose mysterious members resemble Wednesday Campanella’s Utaha wearing futuristic shades. (Sadly, the show has yet to incorporate the anime’s theme song or its Eurobeat vibe somewhere.) If I wasn’t so deeply occupied by work—including finishing the newsletter’s year-end lists!—I would’ve dedicated a small column ranking and blurbing the show’s songs.
Work’s been getting in the way of me catching up with new music, but I did manage to check out new releases. Here are my favorites from October. And here’s a Spotify playlist of the month’s favorite singles.
as a sketch pad by as a sketch pad
indie rock / emo | ► “vault it”
Rain Dreams by Fake Creators ft. Misi Ke
indie rock / dream pop | ► “Rain Candy”
It follows me around by good luck with your fun
indie rock / emo | ► “Rings”
Dusk to Dawn by Lamp
indie rock | ► “Around the Corner”
HORA by Metome
house | ► “Weather Vane”
Romance and Soft Blue City by Moon in June
indie rock / dream pop | ► “Electric Shoes”
Camellia by RAY
dream pop / idol | ► “kayoubi no ame”
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