Coming back in time to the ’60s, betcover!! restores Japanese folk, garage rock, and psychedelic rock with the sensibility of modern indie rock, hip-hop, jazz and global music.
The fifth album of betcover!!, “馬” (“Uma”, meaning “Horse”), relased back in October, seems to refer to music from an even older era. It draws from the psychedelic and progressive rock of Jacks, the chansons of Akihiro Miwa, the blues of Yuukadan, and popular Japanese songs of female singers.
Actually, they used the song “Tanin no Kankei” (“Love Affair”) by female singer Katsuko Kanai during their live shows as the opening music.
“There are many inspirations, I don’t believe in what is called originality or individuality,” Jiro Yanase said in an interview with Rolling Stone Japan. However, quoted source or not, their music seems clearly original.
“Enten no Hi” (Blazing Sun) could be his fantasy, fake ’60s Japanese popular music about love and sex. He plays it with a rock band. Watching the video, maybe he wants to make a soundtrack for Japanese old movie.
He was born in 1999, but he may have wanted to be born in the Showa era, 35 years ago. If so, he might be in solitude and solitary people sometimes make excellent music.
Stream “Uma” LP on Spotify.
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