Shugo Tokumaru comes as a pleasant break from the brooding and dark thrillers of other Japanese work I've been exposed to, namely Haruki Murakami and Yukio Mishima. Instead of my mind being wrapped in intrigue and hypotheses in plot movement, I feel a weight lifted and a smile creep into my features as Shugo's single "Lahaha" dances against my eardrums. Lighthearted melodies and poignantly placed, though incomprehensible if you don't know Japanese, vocals personify this track off his sophomore album, Port Entropy.
Previously only released in Japan and Germany, Shugo Tokumaru debuts Port Entropy in the States February 15 via Polyvinyl. Geez, it only took us Americans a year since its original release date to realize what we were missing.
Shugo is planning a European and North American tour that includes SXSW, so familiarize yourself with these tracks before he drops in:
1. Platform
2. Tracking Elevator
3. Linne
4. Lahaha
5. Rum Hee
6. Laminate
7. River Low
8. Straw
9. Drive-thru
10. Suisha
11. Orange
12. Malerina
"Lahaha" also has a video involving a dog and a cat taking a mushroom rocket to the moon to get food. Sure, if it makes sense to you!
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