About the only thing further outside my realm of experience than Japanese shoegaze music is Japanese anime, so it’s difficult to even write about this and impossible to describe. I’m at a loss for a way to even explain why I’m enjoying this EP so much. So about the best way to start and finish describing TATUKI SEKSU is that a guitarist and producer, KENSEI OGATA well known to the scene created a musical vehicle for anime voiceover actress KANA HANAZAWA and this is the result. It shows how big the world is that both of them have millions of fans worldwide to this day and many, including myself, had no idea they existed. The music itself isn’t so far beyond my tastes and under most circumstances the sexy chipmunk vocals would put me off, but… but… I don’t know, man. I fucking love this album. It’s a portal to another dimension. That reads back so melodramatic, but it is what it is. This is a blast.

The whole thing above reads back as stupid. I shouldn’t be writing about the music itself. It’s such a stretch for me and lacking any real knowledge of the background it just comes out worse. It doesn’t really matter though. The music stands on its own. It is clearly not going to be for everyone, but what really is?

The world of anime is so foreign to me. In the last year or so I’ve gone pretty deeply into a lot of Japanese and Korean film and TV that is live action but based on anime and manga. I can’t even begin to name the best of the lot but the entire HIGH & LOW franchise from Japan is a blast and it’s chockful of killer music, from pop metal to hip hop to.. well… it’s a broad range. Then from Korea there’s Sweet Home, The K2 and my personal favorite, UNCANNY COUNTER. The writing seems better in a lot of the K-Dramas and Uncanny Counter is no exception. It’s not kids’ stuff thrown out for the teen audience. It’s actually all pretty sophisticated, with martial arts. I think Netflix in the last two years has done for Asian entertainment what MTV did for British pop music in the 80s. It’s brought a level of exposure never before seen. It’s pretty welcome too. It may be formulaic in its own right but it’s not the same formula that turned me off American television long ago. It’s still fresh and has really been a godsend during this “quarantine.” The Zombie Apocalypse genre got me through the first couple months but it would have been dire after that if not for Asian TV. And to be fair, even that started with Train to Busan from Korea and a couple zombie flicks from Kuala Lumpur. Who would have thought?

Anyway… this is a new turn for a bit. A lot less dark than what’s been spinning in my place for ages. Maybe it was time to let the light in.