TOKYOLITE COBA (HIROTO KUDO REMIX)

You're like almost always guaranteed some fun when it comes to the variegated artists that wade in the warm shade of Japanese netlabel Tanukineiri's umbrella. Taking a pun for a name ("feigning sleep" but also "sleeping tanuki" – hence the label's Tom Nook-esque mascot), they've slowly infiltrated the minds and hearts of many an underground artist and listener; not least this faceless entity of mine called YES/NO.

Moving on. Two artists affiliated with Tanukineiri have just collided in a rather spectacular fashion, or rather, many artists have collided with just this one in a remix extravaganza. Songs from the Hello EP by Indonesian band Tokyolite (I wrote about their song 'Yes! Dance!' last year) have been remixed every which way by 20 – yes TWENTY – artists, including 食品まつり a.k.a. foodman and mus.hiba to name a couple of those with whom I'm more familiar. One particular remix really stood out to me and it has been on a loop for about half-an-hour because it's one of those golden-sunlight tracks: you never want it to end.

Who's it by? Hiroto Kudo, that's who. I wrote about his song 'Magic Raincoat' at the height of last summer's heat and enjoyed his music very much. Now, confronted with this wholly awesome remix, I'm left gasping for breath as I watch the song tick away to its end before pressing play again. Taking the vocals from Tokyolite's 'Coba' (presumably named after the ruins of the Mayan city that go by the same name), Kudo twists them and squeezes them through his magical remix machine, giving them a multi-layered poignancy with their achingly delicious high-register and far-flung echoes above the spectral gusts of synth that whirl underneath.

The track cascades with sundrip bleeps the whole way through and is soon, which is set to a dubstep-flavoured beat swaying as if through a blustering torrent of pent-up appreciation for beauty. Explosions of fizzy white noise erupt around halfway through, giving the track an unprecedented rush of energy and an exciting booming dynamic: a surprise gift in a shower of presents. To create this different a song from the original – a Latin-like, funky number – is really impressive. Hiroto Kudo's knack for creating fresh music is nothing short of brilliant; so I'm, and you should be too, expecting even more great things from him in the future.

Grab the remix album Tanukineiri Sometuke Series Vol. 1 ~ TOKYOLITE ~ for basically free or pay what you want

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Listen to Hiroto Kudo on Soundcloud
Listen to Cajits on Soundcloud
Follow Hiroto Kudo on Twitter
Check Hiroto Kudo on Tumblr

Like Tokyolite on Facebook
Listen to Tokyolite on Soundcloud
Hear more Tokyolite on bandcamp
Follow Tokyolite on Twitter
Watch Tokyolite on YouTube

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HIROTO KUDO MAGIC RAINCOAT

Tour de force is quite strong, but actually I would say that it can apply to more than you'd imagine. I picture a tour de force as a kind of whirlwind. Is that fair to say? Well I've just said it so I'll stick to my guns. In any case, it's the word or phrase rather that I'd apply to Hiroto Kudo's lovely song 'Magic Raincoat'.

Who is Hiroto Kudo? Well he is a producer Sendai, Japan, and he makes really nice music sometimes under his own name, sometimes as Cajits (more of a techno side-project). It's very pretty stuff. As such it has been picked up by unique Japanese net label Tanukineiri, firstly in the form of one of HK's older song's 'Hear The Wind Sing' - the title of Haruki Murakami's first novel - and now in the form of 'Magic Raincoat'. What's more: this song actually does sound like what it may feel to wear a magic raincoat.

It's a glistening cascade of sounds, built up beautifully from nothing but the sound of rain falling outside to a genuinely lovely, almost comforting, sound. It's that delightful feeling you get from being completely prepared for rain - a magic raincoat, you could say - walking along in a heavy shower but not actually getting wet at all.

Fast kicks push the song along with glitch percussion fizzing and popping along the way - a cute beat. A piano plays soft, gentle chords, that perfect soundtrack to a rainy day, plinking and plonking gracefully to the drip-drops outside. I think there's even a bass in there that fades in and out almost like car tyres zooming on puddled roads. Synth beeps play frantic arpeggios as the beat receives additions from clipping hi-hats to urge it ever faster onward, and the piano chords are played ever quicker.

It's basically the feeling of being caught in the rain and wanting to get home quickly. But in a very cutesy way. There's a fun urgency in the atmosphere that all of these sounds create, whirling around, glitching together before the very abrupt finish. The door slams and you're home. Soaking. But you take off that magic raincoat and... all dry. Time to chill out and get warm (literal contradiction).

What a lovely song! I think it's the best rain-themed song I've ever heard.

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Listen to Hiroto Kudo on Soundcloud
Listen to Cajits on Soundcloud
Follow Hiroto Kudo on Twitter
Check Hiroto Kudo on Tumblr