This is my favorite album. I am incapable of being normal or unbiased about it.
Song Notes
- “Pump Up the Love” - What a bombastic start to the album. It sets the tone so strongly. It’s kinetic and layered and dense. It makes me want to jump up and go nuts. It has elements of almost every upcoming song, short of some light rapping.
- “Here I Go” - The alert on the radio goes out, and then we start very simply with mouth percussion and a piano. And then it builds. We listen to the sounds of the city, and then we’re out in it. Here we go.
- “Say Somethin’” - Playing a show, and an introduction to 2 Mello here. It’s so smooth, and the raps are so good. Please, just say something!
- “Midnight in Tokyo-To” - The city as she relaxes at night. It’s such a vibe with the heartbeat drums and that smooth sax solo, but we’ve still got the samples (if quieter) and effects (less dramatic) and a sound somewhat like a siren (in the distance).
- “Old to the New” - Bouncy and fun! The horns have a somewhat concerning undercurrent to them, a nice bit of foreshadowing that doesn’t really ruin the vibe of the song.
- “Reach Out” - A song of love and joy. Of being welcome. That magnificent usage of the “UNDERSTAND” sample that has its own long meaning, and was popularized by one Hideki Naganuma.
- “Jet Set Classic” - Dancy and playful, a nice little interlude.
- “24 Hour Party People” - A song about being great and chill.
- “Diggin It Baby” - I dig it. There’s some rising tension here that feeds into the next song.
- “Getaway” - Runnin’ from the cops, a tradition as old (if not older than) cops themselves. The sirens playing, the running pace, the interrupts all speak of a good chase. The synth solo into the bombastic horn hits towards the end that speak to some slick moves.
- “Benten-cho Boogie” - Feels like we’re able to decompress after “Getaway” - this is a safe place.
- “Rock the Beat!!” - There is no song like this one to really kick me in the ass. If “Getaway” is chase, this one is pursuit. The hard percussion at the front as the low bass synth build and builds really pushes the feeling. It’s kinetic, and as the music gets more crowded, it feels faster, despite a lack of tempo change. The floaty, slower guitar solo has this moment of flight, that kicks right back into speed, and then the rap kicks in. The vocals get louder and more intense as the music keeps building and building and building the beat. The problem is here, and we must do something. The song is not yet triumphant, but it is active and it is looking for a solution.
- “Poison Jam” - This just fucks. Goth Jet Set rules. Ominous and dramatic.
- “You Like That? (Interlude)” - This feels like preparation, especially with the way it rolls directly into…
- “Tag Walls, Punch Fascists” - Which is a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with. It’s bombastic, and it’s time for war, so let’s do it. A call to action. We sing to bring others, and together run against the status quo.
- “BIG BEAST” - This is some bossfight shit. The repeating siren sound, the density of the soundscape, the frenetic sounds… It all comes to a head here. The bass running throughout has such tone to it that it proclaims the realness. The bridge feels tired, taking a breath, but optimistic before the darkness starts back up. And the repeating “Be calm…” fades away and detunes, broken.
- “Ba-da-Ba” - The credits roll. We’re celebrating - it’s a new day.
General Thoughts
- I am incapable of being normal about this album.
- This is the album that gave me my concept of sour music and that introduced me to 2 Mello. I don’t remember how I found it.
- It’s another album that feels attainably perfect.
- This album is cinematic and draws such a clear picture of what’s going on, the core aesthetics and story of Jet Set Radio.
- The soundscape of this album is very full, and very dense. It makes the negative space more pronounced.