Funky beats and electric ticks…that’s the first thought that comes to mind when describing my latest discovery, Capsule. Made up of vocalist Toshiko Koshijima and programmer Yasutaka Nakata, the group falls under a form of Shibuya-kei (music hailing from Shibuya, Tokyo).Their back catalog proves consistent if nothing else; with at least one album release per year. Though, that’s often the case with Japanese artists. Capsule’s latest release is a hard hitting mess of eclectic electronica. It moves from full-on amplified trance as in the title song, “FLASH BACK” to more familiar vocoded dance efforts with “Eternity” and “You Are The Reason,” evoking memories early Daft Punk releases such as “One More Time.” By “Do You Love Me?” the album turns from straight trance beats to a much more focused, dark electronic pop found in bands like Ladytron and Cat5. “I’m Feeling You”‘s backing track is “Love At First Sight,” I recognized it immediately upon hearing it. But, it’s a classic track, and serves to enhance this one. “MUSIXXX” marks a return to the overdriven trance, only this time with vocal samples. The middle is SO reminiscent of Ladytron’s older tracks from 604 (“Paco!”) and Light & Magic. It’s a lot of fun, and could evoke a fair bit of posing and singing along. “Get Down” is really cute, and reminds me a lot of Britney’s “Brave New Girl.” Another sing-a-long, mid-tempo dancer. The final track seems a bit misplaced. It’s electronic R&B, though it’s a provides a nice, lush come-down.
Play to listen to Capsule’s “You Are The Reason.”
Overall, this album seems like a lot of fun. I’ll be checking into their back catalog soon. It’s an enjoyable mash-up of darker pop and straight up trance, which is a delight.