Japan’s Takuji Shibata, aka KOSMO KAT, has crash-landed from the nether regions of the solar system with his new track ‘Pterosaur’.
For four and a half minutes we are taken on a hurtling space trip; it’s a bit of an onslaught but is carefully constructed to maintain a focused yet centrifugal-like force, reminiscent of the het up techno of Rex the Dog.
Kosmo Kat grew up in Japan, later moving to LA – his sound is clearly informed by the canvas of neon lights and kawaii culture of his native homeland and also the hip hop beats of Flying Lotus and the Gaslamp Killer, who were LA’s premier beat makers at the time of Shibata’s residency on the West Coast.
‘Pterosaur’ comes from Kosmo Kat’s EP, Square, and is the stand out track. It’s a dreamy, heady barrage of arpeggio synths and hip hop inspired beats with welcome hushed vocals courtesy of Brooklyn-based guest vocalist Trust In Love.
It’s loud and it thumps, but J-pop this is not. It’s got the elements that one might associate with J-pop (hectic, cute and a bit overwhelming), but Shibata is channeling a much more finely constructed and admittedly Westernised style in the beats, the poppy flairs and English vocals. The rest of the EP is sung in Japanese by Shibata himself, which adds an authenticity and energy – ‘Pterosaur’ remains the track most likely to translate well to dancefloors.
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
This is a full on pop track, a kaleidsoscope of colours and bright electronics – a synthaseasia sufferer’s wetdream. It showcases Kosmo Kat’s ability to avoid duplicating gimmicky J-pop or simplistic hip hop, and instead amalgamate a multiplicity of sonic references into a boundary-blurring sound of his own.
Words by Katie Rowley
SEE ALSO
