Capsule Playlist: Summer Week One
this was intended to be a full-blown playlist, but that felt a bit too mixtape-y.
let’s try something in between. a capsule playlist. something a bit more compact. something with a bit more detailed to focus on each individual track. that way we can explore music in a more meaningful manner, rather than just spewing it for the sake of it. there’s a lot of really great stuff here. check it out!
lets start here, to support the environment of a growing summer morning.
Ikinokori Bokura (いきのこり●ぼくら) by Ichiko Aoba
a terrific song to open the day. my favorite Ichiko Aoba song. i think it fits summer or winter, morning or night. i believe this was the first song to show me that a genre can be consistent and survive cultural changes. “Ikinokori Bokura” sounds like something you’d find on an American classic folk singer-songwriter album. beautiful to hear it expressed in Japanese. the little whistle at 3:40 is my favorite part.
Kitsutsuki (啄木鳥) by Yorushika
as discussed in the album review of Nininshou, “Kitsusuki” means woodpecker and seems to epitomize everything i enjoyed about the album. earthy, real, present. i’m unsure if i want to drink my coffee to DJ Alice “Better Off Alone". i’d rather enjoy something a bit more grounded.
Umi ni Iru (海にいる) by Giga Moeka
a bit of a darkhorse entry and a last minute addition. i think the song ties a finality over the coffee-shop sort of aspect of week one. a bit playful, a bit wistful, Giga Moeru adds a bridge from a yawn to a more alert state of morning.
Anata (あなた) by Hikaru Utada
“Anata” has got to be a top 5, if not top 3, song of mine from Utada. i think it gets lost in a diverse and substantial discography, but unjustly so. the song feels the appropriate combination of raw and beautiful, like it exists without makeup. kind of an odd description, but i think it makes sense. Utada really puts it all into her performance and it strikes true, rounded out by a strong ensemble of percussion and trumpet, the song gains a powerful momentum by its end. her album Hatsukoi was a very personal and mature expression founded on her struggle of becoming a mother. whether struggling to brush my teeth in the morning, or starting a run, “Anata” nails a vitality necessary for a strong day.
Take a Nap by Airman
i have once been awake in the early morning. one that one day, i found myself in a coffee shop in the Tokyo metro area. this one played over the speaker as i ordered a coffee. good enough for me… joking aside, i find morning a great time for mellow pop music. it feels both familiar enough to ease into, and energizing enough to wake up with. “Take a Nap” is a pretty singular experience, even still i find myself hitting replay many many months after the fact. this is also our first Korean feature!
Luv (sic) pt2 Accoustica by Nujabes
i wanted to drive the list in a more energetic direction but it needed a good bridge to accomplish this. i’ve praised 2000’s hip-hop many times on this site, and i find this acoustic version of “luv (sic) pt2” both lovely and often forgotten. i wanted to give it a better podium to stand on, before it gets lost in time for another length of time.
Kuroi Tsuki no Yoru (黒い月の夜) by SOUL SCREAM
some of my best days start with a little bit of hip-hop. coming to you from 1996, SOUL SCREAM has the right beat and attitude get productive with. “Kuroi Tsuki no Yoru” feels both endearingly old school and even remarkably fresh to this day. i find it’s lofi existence easy to underestimate, but by the time the group has had their chance to rap it out, individually, the whole things sounds so so sweet. that guy laying it down at 1:48 just captures my attention every single time. i’ve put this song in the junk drawer over and over again and i’m tired of it. this one kills, give it the spotlight of the morning.
written by
Marcus Landeros
— see the full list here —
