This month, the Make Believe Mix shuts the curtains and stays under the covers as we feature mostly bedroom artists from all over Japan…and beyond. The ability to make, record and distribute music by yourself has been great for artists who would otherwise never get exposure, and this scene has taken off in Japan in recent years. This month’s mix opens with Occult You (who you might also know as Taquwami) and their lovely “Cassette Girl (Minami),” before heading out west to Kansai to check in on Day Tripper Records mastermind Seiho and his mind-scrambling new song “Evening.” We stay in the region to meet up with Cat Statues, a project made by Benjamin Landau as a means to document his time in Osaka, and listen to the song “Trappers/Palace.” Then we jet to England, because Kero Kero Bonito live there. “But wait, they aren’t Japanese!” Astute, but their track “Ms. World” features Mayu Tanaka on vocals. Rounding things out, producer OMEGABOY and lo-fi pop architects Super VHS.

All artists featured gave me permission to include their music in this mix.



Make Believe Mix February 2012

March ended up being a bit of a strange month, at least by the looks of the mix.  There are moments of straight-forward pop, like on TalkingCity1994's "Long Hot Summer Remembered" and The Mari On The Beach's "AM Boy/FM Girl."  Yet even those otherwise pleasurable cuts go through filters that turn them into stranger things.  Elsewhere, Madegg acts like Madegg, while Tokyo's DUB-Russel offer up a cacophonous number that is far more than just noise.  Finishing the mix is Rapunzel8083's constantly morphing "月光," a journey all its own.

Make Believe Mix March 2012

Indie-pop ended up being the flavor of the April, from the C86 tape Moscow Club <a href="http://www.internationaltapes.com/mixtapes/c86-compilation/" target="_blank">presented to the world</a> to an endless parade of twee-leaning bands popping up on SoundCloud.  This month's Make Believe Mix represents this trend and, like the Moscow Club mix, attempts to expand the definition of indie-pop beyond jangly guitars.  Which we've got plenty of, don't worry - BOYISH, Wallflower and Lilacs give us traditional indie-pop from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya respectively.  Yet Cloudy Busey takes the spirit of indie-pop and embeds it into a dance track, one more influenced by Stardust than Sea Urchins.  Shortcake Collage Tape turn twee inwards on "Polaroid Full Of Kisses" while White Scooper...OK, White Scooper isn't indie-pop, their "Winter Hawk" closing the mix out with some angular dance-rock.  

Make Believe Mix April 2012

Lot of great stuff in the mix this month - it starts with Canopies And Drapes' sparse "The Door Into Summer," warm but hiding a mysterious side.  More outright joyful is Post Modern Team's "Never Let You Down," blessed with the sort of chorus that makes good weather even better.  Tokyo's LLLL and their warped take on J-Pop follows, and then it's nothing but good vibes on Soleil Soleil's "To Night."  Then a bit coming down with Lera Rae, before closing out with Osaka outfit The Paellas gorgeous "Lights."  

All artists featured gave me permission to include their music in this mix.


Make Believe Mix May 2012

This might be the most Kansai-centric edition of the Make Believe Mix, a nice sampler of sounds from all around Japan just in time for the summer.  It starts with Tokyo's LLLL before shifting to Osaka's Post Modern Team.  From there, we stick around in the city to listen to the recently formed Foodie and Les Glass Glace.  Our stay in the region ends with Stuck In Summer's "You," and then it is a short train ride to Nagoya to check in on House Of Tapes.  Last, we jet all the way to the western edge of the country, to check out Fukuoka's Breezesquad and his remix of a Little Boots song.  

Make Believe Mix June 2012

Special interview from England: Augustus KKB (of Kero Kero Bonito) and translator Ken Kobayashi interview the Salyu X Salyu band in advance of the group's recent European dates.

Interview: Salyu X Salyu (Salyu, Cornelius, Yumiko Ohno And Asa-Chang)

Featuring, in order of appearance:

1. Taquwami "Romantic Gaze"

2. Elen Never Sleeps "Slow (Neu)"

3. BOYISH "The Hidden Secrets"

4. The Paellas "Following"

5. Rapunzel8083 "Dalí Jazz"

Make Believe Mix July 2012

August is now over, and this month's Make Believe Mix highlights some of our favorite songs from the past month.  This installment goes from indie-pop to dance, featuring the likes of Fancy Books, Moscow Club and Night Vision.  Also includes Jolie Joli, Lilacs and YYSHIDD.  Listen or download above.

All artists featured gave me permission to include their music in this mix.


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