RIP SLYME
Epoch
(Warner Music Japan)

Compared to the gangsta-aping attitudes of certain Japanese rappers, the De La Soul/Jurassic 5-influenced old skool sound of Rip Slyme has always seemed a more comfortable local interpretation of hip-hop. Their fifth album, Epoch sees the quintet in fine form as they trade off rhymes about livin’ and lovin’ with a flow that goes down so easy you needn’t speak the language to enjoy it. Trackmaker Fumiya lays down beats that run from the electro party vibe of “Elephantastic” to the retro disco—complete with tacky strings—of “Blow” to the scratchy roots reggae of “Island.” As they enter their 30s, Rip Slyme’s dominance of Japanese hip-hop remains unchallenged, and with records as fun as Epoch, it’s no mystery why. DG

Tom Wait
Orphans: Bawlers and Bastards
(Sony Music Japan International)

From his musical Big Time to his opera Woyczek to his albums and acting roles, Tom Waits’ ne’er-do-well persona veils a deep well of ambition. So it’s no surprise to find that his latest offering is a monster three-disc, 56-song collection. Divided thematically, the set launches with Brawlers, in which Waits channels ill-fated characters like Robert Johnson for an outing of stomping blues. Brawlers finds Waits drowning his sorrows as he props himself at the bar of regret and lament with a disc of plaintive ballads and cabaret torch songs. Bastards is perhaps the most musically intriguing, as Waits explores his more experimental leanings in the company of guitarist Marc Ribot on songs that include a Ramones cover and a poem by Charles Bukowski. DG

BHANG LASSI
Real Refresher
(Dynastic)

The alternate, electronica incarnation of Tokyo rock singer Raj Ramayya, Bhang Lassi sees Ramayya and partner, Japanese tabla player Junzo Tateiwa, exploring (in Talvin Singh fashion) the intersection of Ramayya’s ethnic Indian roots with contemporary dance music esthetics. Unlike Singh, however, Ramayya approaches his project with a distinct sense of humor, emphasizing the cultural kitsch factor with a lineup of own quasi-Indian vocals, psychedelic guitar lines and images of fantastically swirling dancers. The rumbustious “Icicles and Indians” neatly encapsulates the whole nature of a project conceived by a Canadian-reared Indian now living here in Japan. Bhang Lassi play The Baron this week on December 2. DG

Ayaka
First Message
(Warner Music japan)

Warner have steadfastly cultivated a roster of original artists, shunning the tendency of other labels to play the idol card while glossing over the shortcomings of their acts with layers of production. So it’s a delight to find Ayaka’s debut lacking any of the pretence. At heart an adult-pop album devised by a singer-songwriter, the disc scores big with
“I Believe,” an uplifting, self-empowering ballad that showcases a vast vocal range and maturity unlike any 19-year-old in the J-pop scene. Yet that track is no Everest overlooking a plateau of filler. As the lyricist on every track, Ayaka has been given full range to demonstrate her skills, holding out hope that, providing she doesn’t rest on her laurels, she really could be a future superstar. Robert Poole


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