10/02/2024
this past month i've started getting into techno-kayō, a japanese synth-pop style that gained popularity in the 80's and lasted into the late 2010's (though im sure there are still some bands/artists creating songs with this style). it has a lot of techno elements while also maintaining a strong pop melody, avoiding being too experimental. it does remind me a lot of the japanese city-pop style, but with the strong emphasis on techno sounds, there definitely is a stark difference between these two.
i first came across the album 'Epoque de Techno' by Miharu Koshi (2009) completely by chance. me and a couple of my college friends play music leagues from time to time. a game which every person submits a song based on a prespecified theme, then vote for which songs fit the theme (or songs you like) the best. there was one round where i had to find something that was 'tylercore'. for context, tyler is super into maximalistic types of music. our styles are pretty similar, but my taste tends to lean on the funk side of maximalism, while his, more electronic/dj mix maximalism. i've listened to some of his favorites and they're almost like collages of music and they're super stimulating and one-of-a-kind type tracks you won't find anywhere else. i really dug through my whole listening history trying to find something at least half decent, but realized i would have to try to find something new via the spotify algorithm (which is actually pretty good if you know how to work it). eventually i found the song 'Scandal Night' from that album, and i knew i struck gold. not 100% tylercore, but it was at least something i knew everyone would find super cool. it's just super funky, and with the retro ringtones, it brings me back to a time where everyone had their personal indie websites, flip phones, and chunky box computers. funnily enough, its the era i'm finding myself yearn for more and more. part of the reason this personal website exists in the first place. this album definitely found me in the right time.
after this initial techno-kayō find, i discovered 'Neuromantic' by Yukihiro Takahashi (1981), which in my opinion, leans into the techno aspects even more. i first heard the track 'Glass' and was super into the syncopated beat from the get go. whenever i hear super unique beats like this, it just really highlights how boring UMG pop hits are nowadays... but i digress... throughout this album, Takahashi uses techno bites that are reminisent of those old 80's arcade games. and in a way it preserves the sound of this album like a time capsule. its really cool looking back on it from this modern era and instantly being able to tell that it's from the 80's and being able to get that imagery from that era in your minds eye.
now it's time for me to share the song in this album ('Neuromantic' by Yukihiro Takahashi) that convinced me to make this post in the first place...'Curtains'. 'Curtains' is such a well made techno-kayō hit and the lyrics are so strong that they stand alone very well even as a poem. maybe it's just the vibe of the song, but i just love the dichotomy of this sweet sounding song with this tension throughout it that somehow works super well.
Curtains - Yukihiro Takahashi
People tell me there's no way out
They think I'm slightly out of my mind
You were all I wanted to see
But I was just a hint colour blind
Rose tinted eyes
Made a fool of me
I know it's curtains
Maybe next time, I'll see
I must have walked a million times
Up and down the same cul-de-sac
Every time it looks very fine
But in the end I come crawling back
(Open your eyes)
(Open your eyes)
These heavy blinds
Just won't let me see
I know it's curtains
Curtains for you and me
(Open your eyes)
(Open your eyes)
(Open your eyes)
(Open your eyes)
i'll be honest, at first i really didn't know what this song was about. it was confusing hearing both seemingly negative and positive feelings about the same situation at the same time in the lyrics. but then i found the classic interpretation of a toxic relationship seemingly fit the mold. but i wasn't satisfied, there had to be more. i began listening to this song on repeat and thinking of different themes each time. it could be about a failed relationship/marriage, substance abuse, loss of a loved one, crime, possibly even murder? however, i landed at infidelity for the theme that made the most sense to me. from the initial lyric "people tell me there's no way out" to "rose tinted eyes, made a fool of me", it seems our character in this understands the situation they're in and regrets the action. furthermore, "up and down the same cul-de-sac , every time it looks very fine" to me feels like our character is content with their current life, possibly with a partner and family, but "in the end (they) come crawling back" to this person, possibly hiding behind these "curtains" while simultaneously being blinded ("heavy blinds") by the stable life they have in front of them. the lyrics are so vauge that it could really be anything that you can have mixed feelings about, and im still not even sure if my interpretation is the one that Takahashi was thinking up as he wrote this song, but i truely believe thats the beauty of this song. you can easily put your own interpretation to it and relate to this dichotomy of love and loss with any personal memory you have, making it super addicting...