Gutevolk

I've developed an obsession for Japanese underground music scene lately. Japan is quite a land of diversity, isn't it? All the Ayumis, Utadas, and Namies can battle for the number one spot on the national charts, and still there are plenty of undiscovered fields for those avant-garde, experimental artist to conquer.
Gutevolk is the moniker of Hirono Nishiyama, whose latest album entitled 'Tiny People Singing Over The Rainbow' (kawaii!) was just released in February this year. Her music is a blend of so many different genres that it becomes unclassifiable. It's folk-tinged, it's dream-pop, it's shoegaze, it's ambient, it's electronica, all mixed up together. It's navel-gazing yet never monotomous, it's pretty but engaging enough, it's drifting but sonically sparkling to hold your interest. More wonderfully, she sings mostly in Japanese so I don't have to worry about what the lyrics are about. Without the internet, outsiders like me could never have access to such unique music like this. 3.5/5 stars. For now, it's pretty hard to get a copy since it's only available over there, so sample a couple of tracks below. Tell me what you think, if you like it, there's much more to blog about from the land of rising sun.


Gutevolk - Dream Walker
Gutevolk - The Door To Everywhere













Official Website/Buy (at Japanese label site)