While most veteran electronica acts have been hopping on the retro-electro bandwagon or—god forbid—even slinging guitars, Sean Booth and Rob Brown continue to hew to a starkly orthodox electronic approach. Quaristice (like its song names, an invented word) contains nary a hint of anything that could be described as musical in a conventional sense. Instead, the Manchester duo treat us to a characteristically dark series of “sound sculptures” in which atonal, arrhythmic melodies give way to percussive hammerings, quiet clickings, animalistic woofings and passages that sound like what an earthquake might if heard underwater. Autechre have been engaged in this sort of ambient experimentation for almost two decades now—strange how something so old can still sound so new. DG

A British boy (Tony) and Japanese girl (Mariko) collide under Tokyo’s neon sky, stay up for hours fighting it out over Blondie and The Ramones, and, so the story goes, form a tough-as-nails electro-punk duo. Ignore the unfortunate name of their debut album and instead concentrate on what lies within: 12 slabs of gritty industrial beats punctured with deliciously thrashy guitars, stark synth stabs and, just to keep you off your guard, the occasional quiet interlude. Someone may soon put the nail in the electroclash coffin, but in the meantime, Levelload do it with élan, surprising you with elliptical songs like “Living Madly” that happily chuck conventional verse-chorus structures out the window. DG

“I have a hard head and a soft heart,” says New Jersey native Sikora, who now finds herself a regular on Tokyo’s concert scene. And such is the material on her debut Grace In Rotation, where standout “Wonderful Princess” finds her aggrieved at the failed expectations of true romance, stubbornly declaring, “It’s your problem.” Crunching guitars on opener “10 Hours” recall early Liz Phair, but from there on in the delicate guitar work and somber tone is more Kristin Hersh, and the best tracks, “Usually” and “Window Reflection,” match such lofty standards. A real talent and a delight from start to finish. Robert Poole

With their eponymous debut, indie-cum-post-punk outfit Correcto attempt to offer something a little bit different. Billed as a Scottish supergroup and comprising members of Franz Ferdinand and The Royal, the band—on paper at least—have the potential to be the next big thing. In comparative terms, their sound flits interestingly along a line drawn roughly between The Libertines and The Hives, without being directly derivative of either. “Joni” and “Do It Better” are obvious singles and catchy enough, but at the same time lack the spark that might otherwise lift them above the run-of-the-mill. As debuts go, this one is a good stab at a unique sound, but ultimately ends up a case of nearly but not quite. Mark Butterworth


Got something to say about this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.

Listen to the Metropolis Podcast, the coolest guide to what goes on this week in Tokyo.

Looking for international friends? Check Japan, Inc. Friends now - it's 100% free!