Plus-Tech Squeeze Box is technically one of the j-pop types called picopop, practically it is a crazy mix of electronic, more traditional j-pop, jazz, lounge and even some indie rock. And it is hell of a positive band. My favorite album Fakebox is the mood of Tokio, Japanese school girls, crazy arcades and sushi dinners. It is a ride from busy business mornings to space exploration and retro games.

First time when I heard them it seemed to me so fast that I wasn’t able even to get the idea of this music. It is this like incredibly fast japan that is written to a CD. It’s not a music it is a neon poster of a happy life. Some people prefer alcohol, some prefer energy drinks, my recipe is at least 3 songs of Plus-Tech Squeeze Box and you will have good mood for hours!

The best description for YMCK is 8-bit-jazz.

They make music that is generally called chiptune or 8-bit, as instruments they use mostly analog sounds from old console games. But when most of their colleagues use these sounds in more electronic way, YMCK use it a jazz instruments. You can clearly get the bass line, jazzy drums and various arrangement instruments like keyboards or probably brass. The whole music reminds of the 50^th smooth jazz especially the childish female vocals.

They have released two albums so far “Family Music” (2003) and “Family Racing” (2005) made few world tours and participated in some major electronic festivals. As for me their best success is a swing-styled song from the “Family Racing” album.

You definitely want to ask: “And that’s it?” Yeah! Cause I just don’t now words that are beautiful enough to describe this music. But I’ll try.

So two guitars/mandolins, keyboards, bass, viola and drums, not standard set, but noting extraordinary. In their 2006 release “Remmings” these dudes are mixing together post-rock, ambient and neo classical music. As a result, gentle melodies combined with completely different understanding of music. Yeah Anoice haven’t invented anything new, sometimes it reminds of Arvo Parts “Alina”, sometimes of The Ascent of Everest, sometimes of Ben Frost. But no direct quotes everything is mixed with gentle Japanese flavor and a bit of Japanese folk.

Well actually I think I failed trying to describe their music. But it’s always hard to describe such masterpieces.

The band that will “headline” this post is called Despairs Ray. They play something called j-rock (j-metal sometimes) and belong to the visual key movement. J-rock is generally based on European music like nu metal, industrial and punk but with incredible J flavor. The result is a combination of vocals raging from harsh screams to melodic singing, no to melodic Japanese singing because this is what really differs from all the others, and highly energetic and melodic music.

Despairs Ray as for me are one of the best representatives of these music. They toured the world only twice and I managed to catch them live in 2006. They were just incredible; I came for like “watch the j-dudes for 5 minutes” and stayed for the whole show.

If you are interested you can easily get their albums “Coll Set” (2005) and “Mirror” (2007) on Amazon.