Mandopop: Yen-j (Yan Jue / 嚴爵)

The Taiwanese singer Yen-j has mostly done softer pop songs so far, nice for sure, but ultimately slightly to boring for my taste. The new "Contemporary Art" is therefore (hopefully) a much appreciated re-boot of his msuical vocabulary, as it is both visually and musically more lively. He doesn't come close to what for example A Mei, but it is still a refreshing.

• Yen-j - Contemporary Art (現代藝術)
• Yen-j - As Usual (照樣)
• Yen-j - π
• Yen-j - Something

Kpop: Wagakki Band - Hangekino Yaiba & Akatsukino Ito

The two new tracks in August from japanese Wagakki Band shows of their usual penchant for fantasy/historical settings and drama, where Akatsukino Ito is the typical example of their style. On the other hand, Hangekino Yaiba, shows signs of a possible change towards a slightly lower tempo music. Time will tell.

• Wagakki Band - Hangekino Yaiba (反撃の刃)
• Wagakki Band - Akatsukino Ito (暁ノ糸)

Mandopop/rock: 831 (八三夭)

Five man rock band 831 from Taiwan is often hailed as the "new" Mayday in the mandarin speaking hemispere, and they have a couple of hits that make me accept that epithet, with the newest being Yoleh Yoleh.

• 831 - Yoleh Yoleh (搖勒搖勒)
• 831 - Eastern Eastern (東區東區, refers to the fashionable eastern parts of Taipei)
• 831 - The Runaway (大逃殺)
• 831 - Not a man (不是男人)

Kpop: Kim So Jung (김소정)

Lovely retro music from Kim So Jung who is a rather unusual kpop artist as she has actually stood outside the usuall trainee system and instead finished her computer studies after debuting, to now retrun with "Dance Music".

• Kim So Jung - Dance Music

Kpop: 2Eyes - Pippi

2Eyes debuted two years ago with moderately successful "Don't mess with me" but after that they have been invisible, until now. The new song is quite average but has one feature making it interesting, and that is its Pippi (Longstocking) theme, which for me as a Swede is noticable. This has already been tried quite recently, last Christmas by The Queen B'z, and the song doesn't do 2Eyes much good either, I am sad to say.

• 2Eyes - Pippi

Jpop: Ringo Shiina - God, nor Buddha (神様、仏様)

Possibly the woman with most swagger and raspy coolness in Japan, Ringo Shiina, has collaborated several times before with the jazz sextet Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, but this time around it is in a video that is a complete wet dream for anyone interested in (modern) Japanese pop culture, or indeed pop art in general. It is four minutes of eyegasm and it doesn't matter that I personally wouldn't listen to her songs audio only because her charisma is such a high level that her performances excuses her musical idiosyncrasies. This is pure music video perfection.
PS She co-released the equally interesting "No Verão, as Noites (長く短い祭)" which sadly is ultimately spoiled by the wholly unnecessary and excessive (I would almost say vulgar) use of auto-tune. DS

• Ringo Shiina - God, nor Buddha (神様、仏様)
• Ringo Shiina - No Verão, as Noites (長く短い祭)