a few good albums.
jun 30, 2026as the site builds i think it important to suggest music for those coming along here for the first time or the return. every now and then i’ll be using “spotlight” to recommend albums i find worth visiting, even if i can’t find the time to explicitly review them, i’m happy to use this feature to help shed an errant ray of light on music worth your time.
let’s get to it.
m-flo — Planet Shining (2000)
a conceptual captivating album. from intro you will be transported to a sort of airliner travel, where a woman on the PA will commence you for your intergalactic flight. personally i found the intro to be enough to pull me back to my trips to Japan, if not also a unique way to build atmosphere. in Planet Shining you are woven into the fabric of m-flo’s hip-hop/ R&B collection. while it’s not a flawless banger, some of my favorite songs form this year reside on this album. “Come Back to Me” and “L.O.T. (Love or Truth")” and “been so long” are some of the most refreshing and conceptually (still) modern tracks i’ve heard in a very long time. made back in the year 2000, Planet Shining remains fresh and strong in identity, even among m-flo’s other works. for all its faults, the concept and the shining gems of this album are worth the price of admission. expand your listening world, some prices are worth the efforts.
suneohair - skirt (スカート) (2007)
suneohair has gone unknown for long enough. a long long time favorite of mine, if there was ever a reason to make The Sagasu Review then the drive to do so is built on the back of artists like this. suneohair has shown up in a few anime credits but has largely fallen through the cracks over the years. unfortunately a portion of his work is not present on spotify, however skirt is a decent enough place to start. an uplifting and forward driven force is present in suneohair’s music. his eponymous and titular song “skirt (スカート)” shows that enough. however i enjoy his more contemplative and wistful style specifically shown in “aoi niji (青い虹)". to be frank it’s an all time favorite song of mine. something about the theremin-like instrument and the nostalgic feel make it a one-of-a-kind song. suneohair deserves recognition for making music that feels very personal and human while also striking an evocative and dreamy sort of feeling. his work is beautiful, please check him out.
Enjoy Music Club - FOREVER (2015)
Enjoy Music Club fills a niche i find rarely engaged with. just check out “EMC’s Rap Way (EMCのラップ道)”. something special is going on there. a bit too earnest and a bit too in your face, oh hell, might as well get in there yourself. there’s such a wonderfully playful and flippant attitude in their style that it makes the whole thing easy to get along with. you can be uptight, or you can join EMC’s fun. even the track titled “Taylor Swift” is enough to make you take a second look. some goofy group in japan decided to name their track after an american pop superstar, hilarious. "N・A・T・S・U" is another true banger showing off their playful side. the music is a little weird, its also a little great. last check out “night rendezvous (ナイトランデヴー)” for something a bit more spacey and some late-night good feels. Enjoy Music Club is definitely a unique add to your playlist. i love their vibe, i love their style.
written byMarcus Landeros