TOKOMA NONKA RAINY APARTMENT

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! Actually, that's all over and done with now isn't it? I guess it is. But, if you were thinking in terms of the "12 Days of Christmas" then it's actually not over till 12 days after Christmas. I think we do it the other way round now. Christmas starts mid-November and finishes on Boxing Day, at least it does here in the UK. I kinda wish it did stick around for 12 days afterwards. Maybe it does. But anyway, we have New Year's Eve to look forward to now. But how are we going to look sexy in our spangly new outfits with the sudden weight that's come from the insane food gorging over the last few days? I don't know.

Anyway, I thought I'd post something today. Just because, well, it's been too long. It's been over a week since I posted something. It's felt like forever, though. So maybe I just miss it. You know what? I probably do. But I— eugh. Who cares! It's the New Year soon! So here is something pretty and reflective just for you that I hope will make you sit there and have a nice little introspective moment about 2013. It's by a Japanese guy called Tokoma Nonka who is part of the electronic group Leaseka, describing themselves as "dreamy / darkness / deep sea / cosmic / fantasy" – a lovely mix.

Now, I'm not sure if this song is supposed to be called 'Rainy Apartment' or '101102201202' – as it says on SoundCloud – but I'm gonna go for the former because, well, it sounds better. So if it's not the real name, I'm sorry.

Featuring as its eternal backdrop, the sound of an evening (I assume) downpour of rain, the song reflects the icy and sometimes isolating atmosphere of this sort of precipitation with all of its elements; yep, from the synth lead parts, which drip with glassy percussion and that also sound a little like the beautiful melody from Ryuichi Sakamoto's 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence', to the beat itself – whose snares are like pinging missiles of rain into deep plopping puddles – it's the very embodiment of an actual rainy apartment. Glowing sounds ache from one emanating note to another behind the plinking melody and distorted vocal samples mix with shuddering noises and ambient grumbles to form a decorative representation of the rain's distorted barrier to the outside world; everything is grey and piled with the grainy footage of rain.

It's a simplistic concept that has a lot of sounds at work at the same time, taking you off and away from where you're sitting to a cosmic, fantasy world where everything is seemingly the same yet slightly changed. I would actually love to listen to this whilst watching the rain – I think it would be the perfect soundtrack. There is also a remix of this by Tom Bombadil, which features heavier drums that you should check out as well.

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Listen to Tokoma Nonka on SoundCloud
Follow Tokoma Nonka on Twitter

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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