Kpop: Luna (루나)

SM Town is really giving Luna from f(x) a real boost for her solo career, first with her participation in the polished EDM co-op track "Wave", and now with her first real solo "Free Somebody" that feels like a dance hit, just perfect as it works both perfectly for the dance floor as a dreamy disco at home, if I didn't hear the korean singing I would place it on some british dance floor. Maybe the best kpop song these last few months.

• Luna - Free Somebody

Austrian pop: Supermax

Supermax was the pet project of Austrian musician Kurt Hauenstein, and his "Love Machine" really is such a great piece of dreamy rock.

• Supermax - Love Machine
• Supermax - It Ain't Easy

Mandopop: Da Mouth - Loser & What The... (魯蛇 & 有事嗎?)

After Da Mouth's glorious piece of retro disco last month, "Funky Girl", the next release was "What The...". It was greally nice too (those bitpop sounds...), but the shadow from even better Funky Girl made me hesitate as it felt like a "weaker" follow up/copy. Now "Loser" is here, and suddenly the persective changes - the retro looks is the central theme - and the three tracks creates a whole that's just superb and heaven! "Loser" is also almost on par with "Funky Girl", so this a perfect friday blog post. Dance, dance, dance. ;-) ;-) (PS This week's episode May 19th of Xiaoyan Night has Da Mouth visiting DS)

• Da Mouth - Loser (魯蛇 )
• Da Mouth - What The... (有事嗎?)

Jpop: Mr Ramen

Mr Ramen is just this japanese bitpop (synth music based on video games) artist I found, which suits just into my playlist for asian synth music as I like those retro game sounds.

• Mr Ramen - Kung Fu Disco
• Mr Ramen - Kimono Disco
• Mr Ramen - Chinese Restuarant

Jpop: Especia - Kurukana (くるかな)

To be honest, when I first saw Especia's videos, I thought it was 80s retro, but if you read this excellent Japan Times article on them and their new album Gusto, it is the early 90s that is their and their producer Yokoyama's inspiration. With Especia he has gotten the chance to create the sounds fully he could only touch on with famous anti-idols BiS. I just love the laid back style of Especia and can't wait for each new song. It is a welcome pays from the usual high speed type of idol songs you mostly hear from that scene.

• Especia - Kurukana (くるかな)

Jpop: Nona Reeves (ノーナ・リーヴス)

The band Nona Reeves was created back in 1995, and plays what I would call "nostalgic 70s retro" music. The name comes from Marvin Gave's daughter ("Nona") and Motown singer Marthe Reeves, and gives you a good implication of the sound they are aiming for. Even though (or because of) they sound a little more "modern", Gagarin and POPTRAIN is some of the best songs from Nona Reeves.

• Nona Reeves - Gagarin (ガガーリン)
• Nona Reeves - P-O-P-T-R-A-I-N
• Nona Reeves - Mr Melody Maker (Only Audio)
• Nona Reeves - Enjoyee! Your Lifetime
• Nona Reeves - Forever Forever (a mix of songs from the new album)
• Nona Reeves - Love Together
• Nona Reeves - Bad Girl
• Nona Reeves - Hey Everybody!

Jpop: C-ute - Love take it all

Disco, disco, it is all disco, in C-ute's "Love take it all", with a jpop touch of course. Especially the visuals has a more flow and less cutesy than normal for the group and it works very well for them, and a love the synth *and* guitar solo. ;-)

• C-ute - Love take it all

Kpop/Indie: Lady Cube (레이디큐브)

Lady Code is a korean indie duo consisting of Kayle and Maddie that does electronic music, here shown through their excellent debut "I'm singin' for you".

• Lady Cube - I'm singin' for you (레이디큐브 파티 스케치 영상)

Kpop: 9Muses - Glue(글루)

If I was to mention one kpop group that I would say delivers the highest percentage of good songs and videos, not the best but never failing or being boring, then I would give you 9Muses. Their concept is to do uptempo and uncomplicated videos with they 9 memebers showing of their looks. They usually have some kind of loose visual theme, with the last one for Gun being maybe the best one, but its really just an excuse to do almost pin-up style photoshoots of the girls. It's objectification, of course, like most of the other kpop, but somehow 9Muses does their thing consistently and with a smile without going to the extreme (again, Gun is a prime example, do watch it). The new song "Glue" is somewhat simpler than Gun, the theme here being kind of Friday at the disco. It does make me think they have tried to copy AOA's latest "Confused", which is better both visually and musically, but that is the point - 9Muses may not rock the show or place in the top spot, but they always deliver.

• 9Muses - Glue (글루)