Alien Transistor Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Minhwi Lee has come a long way in the past decade and a half, give or take. Debuting as a member of the indie band Mukimukimanmansu, when she went under the name Mansu, by 2016 she was putting out solo albums (Borrowed Tongue) and a year later picked up Best Folk Album at the Korean Music Awards. Hometown to Come was the difficult second, that all-pressure-on follow up to a trophy-bagging record that can either make or break an artist. Suffice to say, 12 months or so on from its original release, and the record remains a triumph. A tender, nostalgia-hued, slow travel adventure through jazz balladry and quiet, hushed journey-woman fare that asks questions about community, individuality, haunted pasts, uncertain presents, and hopeful futures. In the end, the main word that springs to mind is: timeless.

Review: Kobe-based trio o'summer vacation returns with their second full-length of industrial noise fusions in the form of Electronic Eye. After several trips to Berlin and Munich, they've found a home with the Alien Transistor label and now drop plenty of guitarless noise punk with production by Shinji Masuko. It makes for an unmatched, hard-hitting barrage that leaves listeners breathless right from the opener, '(Shuku - A)' with its sizzling hi-hats and a unique lullaby from vocalist Ami. Tracks like 'Luna' and 'Anti-Christ Super Star' shift the album from mosh-inducing chaos to 30-second noise punk anthems, all of which embody the band's anti-racist, anti-war sentiments.