Electronic trio Squid 9’s new album has a Japanese vibe

Electronic trio Squid 9’s new album has a Japanese vibe

by rick olivares

Electronic trio, Squid 9 returns with their most adventurous effort yet in Circuit Shorts. The new album, out on an eye-catching green cassette with a transparent case with red lettering, is at once intensely personal and different for its Japanese themes and inspirations.

The result isn’t quite Lost in Translation (Sophia Coppola’s film and soundtrack masterpieces), but a cousin to the third degree.

There’s more to the return to the analogue format where all three members of Squid 9 – Rayms Marasigan, Shinji Tanaka, and Daren Lim – grew up listening to.

It’s just that Circuit Shorts more personal nature.

All eight tracks have samples and snippets of old Japanese music spiced with actual conversations in Nihongo that Tanaka had with people he personally knows. One conversation in particular is especially personal because it is the last one Shinji had with his father, Yoshiharu, before he passed away.

“I went back to Japan to visit my family,” related Tanaka in Filipino of which he speaks fluently. “When I got back to Manila, naisip ko na tawagan ko siya. Nung time na yun di ko alam na mamamatay na siya. Gusto ko lang din marinig boses niya. Ni-record ko yung usapan namin… wala lang. Hindi ko alam na huling pag-uusap namin yun.”

That conversation along with many others find their way into every track, cut up, dissected, and even muffled. Save for the one with his father where the elder Tanaka’s voice is more audible on the track, “Railways” the second track off Side B of the cassette.

Circuit Shorts is in fact, dedicated to Shinji’s father.

Using the voices wasn’t a difficult decision divulged Shinji. His request was to lower the sampled voices in the final product. “For us, they were sounds because we didn’t understand them,” chimed in Marasigan. “But for Shinji, it was different. Something personal because he understood every word and they meant something.”

The idea of using of conversations as parts of the song came midway during the album’s production.

“Shinji started it when he gave me pieces of old Japanese music that we cut up,” bared Marasigan. “Daren and I had some brand new gear. Nag-crash course kami into the use of these machines. Trial and error with the samples Shinji gave and we formed the songs.”

And Squid 9 arranged for a listening party last Tuesday evening at the Pablo Gallery inside Cubao X. While I prefer listening to the music in the dead of the night and peering out into the black, I have to admit that sitting in a room with a bunch of other writers and munching on pizza wasn’t so bad.

Circuit Shorts is an album like an urban soundtrack to modern and high tech Japan. And yet, ironically, on analogue.

Squid 9 has always pushed the envelope on their releases. Their debut, Ink Jet, saw the album out on compact disc. The sophomore outing, Origamidi, was in a USB and a beautiful pink can. And now it’s on cassette; one that had its set of challenges as the band had to scour for C-30 (30 minute tapes) and dubbing machines.

“While it will be on streaming, we think it’s cool to have it on cassette which we all know is making a comeback as well,” chipped in Daren Lim.

Make no mistake, it is no gimmick. It’s brilliant, in fact. As for the music, it is at once, upbeat and eclectic. Even the song titles reflect the trademark J-factor weird titles such as “I am Milk,” “Forever Few,” “Frog Rest,” and “Asthma Tax” so you know that Squid 9 is in tune with the Japanese influence and that they do not lose their sense of humor.

The music is no laughing matter. If Side A had this pop confectionary and at times, arcade feel, Side B is where it picks up. The songs shift gears and the time signature changes means it isn’t repetitive to the point of being boring (hey, there’s a Pet Shop Boys reference).

“Frog Rest” has the vibe of someone working while the television is on and slurping on ramen.

“Railways” picks it up a notch and it’s like going on a trip and this wave of excitement and anticipation hits you. And I think of Shinji taking a trip with his father.

And I love the fact that Shinji plays live drums not only on this track, but in the entire album (for live shows and depending on the space given, Tanaka admits that he’ll be using drum machines).

“Asthma Tax” has a more danceable beat to it.

The final track, slows things down a notch and has this Radiohead vibe circa Amnesiac. And it’s a good way to end the album because it gives you pause to think, “Ah, a sense of mystery. So, what’s next from Squid 9?”

Indeed.

As Shinji told me at the end of the listening party, Squid 9 should hit the studio again to record. Flush with inspiration, I wonder for what is to come.

But for now, Circuit Shorts, is something I will play in the dead of the night while peering out into the black with my mind wandering with Japanese whispers in my ears.

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Circuit Shorts will be sold for P300 at Satchmi and the launch this September 27 at Route 196