Despite the ease of access that streaming has brought to the distribution of music, the volume that's released can make it a daunting task to find unique new stuff every week. In this recurring weekly feature we put together a short list of new songs from the past week that stand out amongst all the noise and deserve a spot in your rotation.
All songs featured in this recurring series can be found in our scrmbl selection 2025 playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
HARETOKIDOKI — “Endless Destiny”
Since their 2019 EP, HARETOKIDOKI have dipped into the glossy synth-disco of the ’80s and the wintry synth-rock of the early ’90s. From the sound of their title track, the duo’s new album, Endless Destiny, seems to explore a period further into the J-pop timeline with the single’s shiny beat evoking the Eurobeat and trance pop of the late ’90s — think acts like TWO-MIX or m.o.v.e., whose vocalist motsu also appears in the new LP. If Avex Trax won’t commission a remix compilation out of the new songs, the duo surely will create their own as they have done in the past.
KUROMI — “Dolce Vita”
I suppose if someone from the Sanrio family would be nudged forward to become a vaguely “hyperpop” artist, ever-moody Kuromi fits these demands. In the past decade My Melody's more Hot-Topic-ready rival has connected with a generation drawn to her more cynical view on the world compared to classic kawaii-tinted glasses. So yeah...internet-damaged pop music works, and debut EP KUROMI IN MY HEAD is surprisingly solid for something that could be the equivalent of a gift shop novelty at Puroland. That's partially because of the personnel involved, highlighted here by producer Kenmochi Hidefumi laying down a whirlwind mix of drill wobble and acid, while Daoko gives it all structure and adds depth to the lyrics without losing the Kuromi-ness of it all. Listen above.
LIL SOFT TENNIS Featuring tofubeats — “Once Again”
The bittersweetness of aging is inevitable, and “Once Again” shows two perspectives on this melancholy from different times. LIL SOFT TENNIS takes the spotlight, and it's somewhat jarring to hear an artist so young already reminiscing on moments lost. Yet it's the guest verse from tofubeats — older, wiser, surely having seen way more at this point — who balances it out with thoughtful observations balancing pain with surprise, more accepting than TENNIS’ just-sinking-in realities. Connecting them both though is the way the music itself gives itself over to electronic release, nodding that however they see forward movement, it can be worth celebrating. Listen above.
ponderosa may bloom — “hana no ame”
The shoegaze guitars of ponderosa may bloom ring more fuzz-free than usual in their new song, yet it remains hot to the touch in tone, especially when it indulges in the song’s squealing hook. It’s the kind of searing riff that heightens the senses in a short spurt, like everything is moving a little too fast: “I had a feeling I was being left behind / by the spiraling spring, at other side of dreams,” the idols opens the song, and their anxieties only gets more intense from there. No more d’n’b breaks for ponderosa may bloom, but the idol group capture velocity and the fleeting nature of the seasons just as well.
SaToA — “Sangatsu No Uta”
The minutes go by at its own pace in SaToA’s new album as suggested by its title, Time Leap. But the trio’s soft indie-rock, like what’s heard in the album opener “Sangatsu No Uta,” is not all caught in a mad rush. They instead play without much care besides their own company, and the mood reflects back in the recording: chill and intimate like a light bedroom jam session. “Look at me,” they longingly sing the hook, though they also sound fine to just let the feelings linger.
yeti let you notice — “continue?”
A darty math-rock-indebted number from Tokyo's yeti let you notice, one heavy on the guitar twists. There's no shortage of bands in the capital alone who listened to American Football and thought “hey I could try that...” but separating these guys is vocalist Yukio Masaru, who adds a pop sweetness to the constant movement, helping to keep it centered...or at least, feel centered. Listen above.
