Those of you have followed this blog with any regularity over the years (thanks, you three !), will know that I have something of a passion for all that fuzzes, jangles and gazes within the South East Asia region.

One particular favourite, especially since his truly special, self released, Milk Floe album of 2019, being the Happypills project of Japan’s Yuki Kondo, who has finally received the patronage of a label in the guise of the always exceptional Miles Apart Records cassette label (grab a copy here).

In comparison to all that he has released before, this could well be described as his most tuneful, melodic and sanguine release, with the fuzz, reverb and gaze still omnipresent, but produced with a subjugation that enables every beautiful note and Kondo’s sweet vocals, to simper to the surface and exact dominance over the  sumptuous noise.

As such the EP is bookended by Monsoon and Lightning tracks, that are quite possibly the most stunning tracks from the Happypills back catalogue so far. These tracks are the furthest away from the fuzz and gaze sensibilities that pervaded his previous work and benefit from a fragility that reveal the stunning jangled riffs he is always capable of, without the unease of reverb and distortion distraction. This new found lucidity culminates in the simply stunning instrumental, Intro, which is an electro meets jangle-pop track that my mouse just keeps gravitating too !

The ‘reduction’ that typifies this release, is also seen in Half Asleep and Flowerr. Here the jangled riffs, transform into a chime that feels like it is squeezed through a lo-fi / bedroom-pop filter, to be released at the other end with a sense of musical introspection, that enables every note to take on new, crisper meaning within the holistic vibe.

Whilst I suspect that this is an artist that does not necessarily court or desire critical acclaim, I am hopeful that this will be the album that gets his music into as many ears as possible !

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