Erykah Badu may never again touch a cultural nerve the way she did with 1997’s Baduizm, but the Dallas homegirl’s outpourings are always of interest. Badu’s first release in eight years, New AmErykah, marks something of an artistic comeback. The source of her new inspiration? A laptop, on which she recasts herself for the digital age. Singing at home to her computer results in autobiographical pieces like the song “Me,” in which Badu sums up her life: “Had two babies different dudes/thought for them both my love was true/that’s just me.” With sounds ranging from P-funk stompers to electro, hip-hop and jazz, and with guest spots by DJ Madlib, jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers and Mars Volta guitar slinger Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, New AmErykah is wonderfully, sometimes maddeningly, all over the place. DG

Following up on his 2006 tribute to Japanese ele-pop pacesetters the Yellow Magic Orchestra, “electrolatino” magician-producer Ewe Schmidt returns with a re-envisioning of some of the great electro hits of the last two decades. A laptop wiz who launched a career by setting the ele-pop of his native Germany in the context of the Latin rhythms and instrumentation of his adopted country of Chile, Schmidt was one of Germany’s foremost ’90s techno producers under aliases such as Atom Heart. Here he offers up a calypso repurposing of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams,” a playful, teasing version of Prince’s “Kiss,” and a tropicalia adaptation of Daft Punk’s “Around the World.” Gimmicky? Yes, of course. Fun? By the bucketload! DG

A kind of underground supergroup, Tokyo Zawinul Bach is a perfect example of the increasing exchanges between Japan’s improv and electronica music scenes. Some of its musicians, most notably keyboardist/composer Masayasu Tzboguchi and saxplayer Naruyoshi Kikuchi, come from the jazz/improv scene, whereas programmer Numb is well known in ambient techno circles. With a new member onboard in the form of Cuban sax player Yosvany Terry Cabrera, TZB let loose volleys of “man-machine jazz.” “Mint Palladium” is a slice of angular jazz fusion that recalls Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis, while “Grape Ruthenium” explores most fully the meeting point of jazz and techno. The vibe is playful throughout, meaning Sweet Metallic might translate beyond the chin-stroking, foot-tapping set. DG

Being detached from the main Western music scenes yet persistently mindful of them has allowed Japanese indie music to flourish with a flagrant disregard for the genre’s rules. Every now and then the mishmash of influences turns up tight units like Texas Style, who on opener “Lilac Cindy” reveal a penchant for the pop-punk of The Ramones expanded with ska rhythms and the cutting riffs of J-rock legends Guitar Wolf. Described as a “Violent Mini-Album,” Dr. Heaven exudes a healthy sense of fun, evident in fast-paced odes to subjects ranging from France to girls. While its impact fades with its two overly similar closing tracks, the raw live-album feel suggests that like the concerts of the bands that influenced them, Texas Style gigs are not to be sniffed at. Robert Poole

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