Towa Tei has a new album coming out this summer, in a sense. It’s actually a collaborative effort between him, fellow Metafive member Yoshinori Sunahara and someone who goes by the name Bakarhythm (“baka” is Japanese for “stupid” FYI). The project is using the name of an old Towa pseudonym, Sweet Robots Against The Machine.
I have high hopes for this one, despite the fact that the original SRATM album a rather forgettable affair. I’m much more of a fan of Towa’s current sound than his older stuff, and anything he’s done with anyone from his Metafive crew has just been fabulous. His albums Sunny, Lucky, Cute and Emo are all top-notch dance-pop bangers so here’s hope the streak continues with what he has coming up next.
In the meantime, let’s check out some of the stuff he put out in the past, which I coincidentally bought last week.
Towa Tei
Let Me Know (TT Remix)
Let Me Know (Mighty Bop Remix)
Let Me Know (Mighty Bop Remix Instrumental)
This is a track from Towa’s 1999 album, Last Century Modern, featuring Chara on vocals. This is very 90s Towa, with a heavy emphasis on that ever-so-hard-to-define “lounge” sound that he typified at the time. I really dig this stuff, but only in really small doses. It’s very much a singles genre for me. A whole album of it tires rather quickly. It’s just not uptempo enough for me. I need some more beats. I guess that’s why I prefer his newer stuff, it finds a happy middle-ground between his low-key lounge act stuff and the hyperactive techno that’s still relatively popular here in Japan. These remixes came from a 10″ single that, in addition to being green, has the cutest damn cover ever.
Deee-Lite
Pussycat Meow (The Meow Mix)
Pussycat Meow (Murk Boys Miami Mix)
Pussycat Meow (The Pussy Power Remix)
Pussycat Meow (Infinity Extended Mix)
Pussycat Meow (Murk Bonus Dub)
I’ve listened to this track about 10 times now and have gone from kinda liking it to kinda outright hating it. It’s such a non-song. Man, Deee-lite is fucking tragic. I’m including this for all your remix completists out there and for no other reason at all. I can see why I disliked a lot of early Towa Tei now, he had to get stuff like this out of his system.
Also, if you like this song, HEY THAT’S COOL MAYBE DON’T LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT HOW I’M STUPID FOR NOT LIKING IT.
Oh my glob! I haven’t checked your blog (or ANY music blogs) for a while (cuz… you know… work, family etc.) but all your latest posts are RAD! I was just scrolling through another blog and I DO like jingle jangle twee indie and shoe gaze and the fellow who does it seems very nice but… you know… there’re only SO many white people with guitars I can listen to. Being here was like falling over into a sweet shop.
I LOVE that you’ve posted drum and bass, game music and that claudio simonetti record…?!? Yowza. That was something.
I decided to post a comment here, though, cuz no one else had. And I want to THANK YOU for posting these Deee-Lite remixes… because, man, I LOVED Deee-Lite! I had all their albums at the time and I tried to collect up the singles subsequently etc. But I didn’t have Pussycat Meow. And OOOWEEE! You are right! It IS bad! Although it DID remind me why I sometimes say, “Kiss me you fool!” to my boyfriend. But I DID like some songs off Infinity Within. I Won’t Give Up is a summer mix tape staple for me and I remember feeling righteous dancing to Rubber Lover at the time…
Anyway. Just wanted to check in from crappy, grey Northern England and say thanks for the sugar rush and technicolour trip!
Very nice of you to say, thank you.