EDM

Let’s Discover Some Idols: situasion

/ DAEMON

situasion have been an issue since just over a year ago when the six-member unit introduced themselves to the world via their debut album, debutante, with the delightfully named lead-off track, “What the fuck is this situasion”.  After holding at least one performance per week in 2021, this group that prides itself on creating a uniquely new live experience for its audience just dropped a new digital single on the morning of yesterday’s first one-man live of 2022. That show kicked off a three-gig series of free one-man lives to start the new year dubbed, “Event Horizon”, just like their new English language song:

https://twitter.com/situasion_info/status/1485554429940355072?s=20

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This Week’s Entry in the “Only in 2020” Sweepstakes Is from BURST GIRL

/ Homicidol Maniac

Did I make that up? I made that up. The year that is 2020 is a lot of things, and one of them definitely is a month-to-month competition to see how much worse the world can get (current trend: holding!), but what I refer to here is simply a narrative device, not an actual contest, unless your take on idol this year as well can be viewed through the same kind of lens. The real bloodbath of graduations was last year, of course, though we’ve had our share. ANYWAY, the point is, title only, not actual thing.

With which I now segue to this weekend’s entry from BURST GIRL from their “story” record, which is … look, I took a few months off, came back, and nothing made sense anymore. I’m not sure of the chronology because at least some of it pre-dates my de-cocooning myself, but if I were only to have heard the “Against the drain” track, I’d be like, oh how neat and cool that BURST GIRL has graduated to melodic easycore or, I dare say, lifting verse material straight from NOFX. HOWEVER, whether it’s because BOSS idol-retired or because Waka’s back and has clothing to sell or even just because it’s 2020, the punk rockin’est of all punk rockin’ idol units has taken on a different character for this release. And Saturday morning has us all seeing this for the first time:

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Let’s Get to Know Night Owl

/ Homicidol Maniac

So remember back in 2017 Year in Review in Review*, when I said that I was making it a new year’s resolution to do more for idol debuts in 2018? And then I did and 2018 was like the best debut year since … 2014? 2012? It was amazing. So much good stuff, though not all of it panned out. Well, I’m making something of the same commitment for this year; I have a tough time keeping up with news these days, but maybe I can keep up with cool debuts as they happen? Sure.

Which brings us to Night Owl (Twitter)! Who … did not debut anytime near now, but in fact back in August, during the period that we shall always refer to in hushed tones as “Maniac’s Interregnum.” And then I had them on my official radar since, golly, at least November if my tab history is to be believed. But more on that. This is what they got:

Oh that’s interesting! What are they about? Continue reading →

If the World Gives Us Nothing Else, May It Keep Giving Us DEVIL NO ID

/ Homicidol Maniac / 2 Comments

We very literally don’t hear enough about DEVIL NO ID, Okinawa’s loudest answer to the modern idol equation, and it’s quite a shame because, as what you’re about to experience will attest, they’re … well, they’re really good. Combined with the kind of backing that makes big-time collaborations possible, they’re an act that should be making more noise, figuratively as well as literally, than they do.

All of that to preface:

That disarmingly put-together number is spiritually right in line with how DEVIL NO ID does their business, which is to say lovingly striking nasty beats like hammer blows into otherwise highly danceable music that much better aligns with their idol-plus-EDM presentation. It also just so happens to be delivered on a silver platter by the same Ueda Takeshi who penned “STUPiG” and “Gimme Chocolate!!” and is/was the driving force behind the sublime AA=, among other projects that find cool ways to be loud. Continue reading →

Shut It Down, DAIDAIDAI Just Gave Me Everything I Ever Wanted

/ Homicidol Maniac / 3 Comments

Jesus.

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While We’re at IT, Let’s Also Meet 99%LOVER

/ Homicidol Maniac

The best idol discoveries are the ones that happen because somebody you’ve been following for a while happens to suddenly appear in another project that they tweet about like it’s going out of style (and also are probably obligated so to do). I refer in this case to this young lady, who was out of nowhere tweeting about something called 99%LOVER (Twitter) about a month back, which led to a follow, which led to … well, like, you know how most of the time the big lure in idol music is either the music itself or the ability of said idols to actually sing said music? What about the times when it’s that, plus really cool and intense dance routines?

Just look at this stuff:

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This Woltanative Release Deserves More Attention

/ Homicidol Maniac

I see that I’m not the only person to be celebrating the new MV release from MAPLEZ sister group Woltanative, which is fantastic, because while this isn’t a group that I’m normally going out of my way to celebrate, a few recent disappointments have me feeling more expansive about idols to feature and good stuff to talk up.

And this is pretty good! Or, more appropriately, Woltanative is pretty good, and this is a double-plus-good track with a really cool MV:

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DAIDAIDAI Defies Their Own Name with This Sweet Live Video

/ Homicidol Maniac

Man, I think DEMON TAPES must have heard me saying nice things about the ex PSYBOU KANOJO, because I felt like I’d been waiting almost forever for the best-named idols in the business to give us something fresh.

I think this lyric video for “SOTTO MO ZUTTO JI” qualifies.

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You Guys Should Check out Marbles

/ Homicidol Maniac / 6 Comments

Here’s another one of those recent debuts that’s worth noting; your friend and mine Pure Idol Heart as usual the referrer. Check out Marbles (Twitter):


True story: I’ve listened to this like 30 times

I approve. Continue reading →

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me There Was a New MAPLEZ MV?

/ Homicidol Maniac

Jeez Louise, you guys, you’re supposed to tell me when Hiroshima’s own loudols (I love that word) release something new. This is their seventh(!) single, due for release on Tuesday.

Honestly, I’d love to know who wrote this, because it sounds so much like a heavied-up version of a down-catalog Sakura Gakuin song that I’m surprised that it isn’t a down-catalog Sakura Gakuin song. Continue reading →