The Burning Deadwoods - T.B.D

Hello, today we will be introducing a new band from Japan.

A band of two trackmakers based in Tokyo, The Burning Deadwoods, is a band without a vocalist. From composing, arrangement, and performing, to engineering, the two are in charge of everything but singing.

The division of roles is not clear between the two. The two give out ideas and unite them to create new sounds.

Although they feature different vocalists for each song, with their originality and their sound and music, their album has a unique sense of unity.

...this is The Burning Deadwoods.

So goes the “Introduction” to The Burning Deadwoods' debut album T.B.D., which is the culmination of a series of singles released throughout 2021. Note that the two trackmakers are not named, their identities are a mystery so far (unless the initials K and F mean anything to you), and they've never even appeared in public for live performances or media appearances yet. Keeping with the times, they're two producers who rely on a revolving door of singers in order to avoid being tied to any specific sound or genre. Drawing inspiration from dance and synthpop, UK and US R&B, soul, acid jazz and deep house, the Burning Deadwoods' sound can't easily be categorized - on T.B.D., you get anything from dance, city pop, lo-fi, jazz and alternative R&B.

That may have something to do with their choice of singers, which is quite inspiring. Most of the names on the roster are just outside the mainstream, or are known better for other projects. On T.B.D. they've got Rei (ex-Flower/E-girls), Akina (FAKY), kiki vivi lily, Matton and Inui (PEARL CENTER), haruno and Sincere, sala, and Kona Rose Jackson. The first couple of names are on major labels in some form while the latter three names in particular are on the verge of a breakthrough, so they definitely have an ear for talent.

While all the singers on the album have written the lyrics and sing, this is a Burning Deadwoods project, so the sound here defers to the producers, rather than the more conventional other way around (for example Chocoholic producing for Rei, or Sweet William/Hikaru Arata/Shin Sakiura etc. producing for kiki vivi lily). That means we get songs that are slightly different to what you might typically expect from these singers. Sure, you might claim you always knew that kiki vivi lily would sound awesome doing neo city pop, but this is a dream that may not have been realized under her name. Fittingly, that super catchy "Turn Me On" is the lead single (and the only one so far with a proper MV) with its killer bass line and synth stabs, a delightful bridge between the past and present of pop.

On the strength of that alone, The Burning Deadwoods could have just cranked out a whole album of that and called it a day, but their ambitions and interests are much broader. Witness the sublime afrobeat tinged "Labyrinth", the classy neo soul infused "Mystic" with its brilliant chorus work, or the modern romantic duet "Behind". In any of these songs, the arrangement and style definitely fit the singers well, but their personalities never dominate the music. As a result we have a thoroughly Burning Deadwoods experience, a tasteful and flexible combination of old school synths, digital beats and embellishment through flourishes on keyboards and guitars. The arrangements are always dynamic, there's always plenty of interesting things subtly going on with their careful choice of sounds, and it's much more inspiring than a lot of the cookie cutter pop on today's charts. These guys clearly have a wealth of experience and talent and one suspects this project represents their vision of what they think music ought to be in the 2020's and beyond.

At 9 songs including two instrumentals, T.B.D. is short for an album, but that's the nature of music in today's world. While T.B.D. is unified in sound and execution, it lacks a strong throughline and serves more as a showcase of the producers ideas. This may be the result of a tradeoff for flexibility by not having a single vocalist (and using a different vocalist for each track). Some day it would be nice to see them tackle a specific theme or concept, but the future is currently “T.B.D.” Or put another way, the future simply is The Burning Deadwoods.

Tokyo ON also recommends: kiki vivi lily - vivid , Snowk - Powder