kukatachii - SYN/CHRONIZATION
SYN and CHRONIZATION represent the first two full albums by kukatachii, and compile most of the tracks from their various EPs and smaller releases over the past 7 or so years since formation, plus a few new tracks and remixes. Packed with future disco vibes and body shaking grooves, it ends up being the ultimate introduction to an awesome band that definitely deserves your attention.
Riding the wave of interest in the sounds of the 80's, kukatachii go for the synth-dance pop route with an exquisite balance between classic funk/soul and today's EDM/electro/dance. They fall into neither camp, not a homage to the past nor a soulless generator of highs. Better than that, kukatachii's sound is a progressive version of all the best parts of the past propelled by current beats/digital technology. Where many artists tend to sample the past to borrow credibility and musical value, kukatachii doesn't rely on them at all, the grooves, basslines and keys are all produced organically. This foundation is why all their songs are so good for dancing (vogueing optional but preferred). You don't just jump up and down like with electro or EDM, you actually "dance" to this music, you feel the grooves. But the pacing is still influenced by EDM, so you'll still enjoy builds and drops. It's just much more enjoyable on a musical level, and should have much more lastability than a typical disco house song that might just loop a classic riff over and over for a quick hit.
As a pop dance band, it's not heavy stuff. There aren't deep philosophical messages or political claims. It's mostly about feeling good and moving your body, kind of like disco. But it's not as romantic as the past, there's a bit more edge here. kukatachii aren't playing it cute, their style and lyrical content are more confronting and bold, they sing about having affairs, desire, realities. Interestingly the lyrics feature a lot of English, and not just as hooks or easy phrases that Japanese people know, you would practically have to be bilingual to understand the whole picture. Since most listeners will only be fluent in one language, for most people you'll end up not knowing part of the song or story, perhaps an intentional creation of mystery/intrigue between two parties. That being said, lead vocalist and main lyricist Yudai does a great job of blending the two languages, smoothly rhyming English with Japanese without writing too many clunky lines.
It seems that SYN represents the main core of the band, the most danceable tracks from their repertoire. There's a very unified sound, that digital evolution of classic elements that sounds futuristic, what everyone from Pet Shop Boys and Duran Duran to Daft Punk and Perfume aspire to create. But there's plenty of variety in there, thanks to Yui's snyth leads, KAJ's dynamic bass and Yudai's high toned voice (and he's not vocoded either). It's really shiny and polished, yet has an edge, or hints at an other side so it feels more real. It really does sound like a vision of the future, or at least on point for 2020 (presumably it's intentional that the Japanese way to read SYN is the Japanese word representing "new"). Meanwhile CHRONIZATION features seperate collaborations with SOULHEAD members Yoshika and Tsugumi, as well as remixes by T-Groove, Steve Wu, ALBNOTE, Seikou Nagaoka, Kyle Kim and Snow Crystal. Some of the songs here are bit slower and probably would have been out of place on SYN, so here they are.
Taken together, it's quite an offering - at 17 tracks each (!) you’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth if you buy the CDs. If you're new to the band, start with SYN. If you love them, or want the complete experience, listen to both (you should listen to both anyway, all the way from Introduction to Outro), and if you're a long time fan who already owns some of their music, you can jump to CHRONIZATION. One minor quibble is that because it's a collection of material, the music wasn't written specifically for a single album, it's more of an overall introduction to the world of kukatachii. So now that they have our attention, I look forward to kukatachii choosing distinct concepts or themes for future albums and seeing what they do with it. Until then, we all better start taking vogueing lessons so we can dance properly to the music. You know you can do it.