Driven by a love for late 80s neon pop, the duo return to release the first few tracks from upcoming album ‘Reflection Overdrive’
Japanese group CRYSTAL has kept focus on the development of their own unique sound from the start, and their original attitude and style has begun to draw widespread attention. They’ve being receiving praise from both reviewers and artists, including Flying Lotus and Gaspard Auge of JUSTICE.
The artists behind this project Ryota Miyake and Sunao Maruyama, producers who share an interest in retro aesthetics, 80’s pop and experimental ventures in electronica. We previously covered their Ecco Funk EP back in 2020, a release which delighted in nostalgic pop funk vibes, without becoming confined to the pre-established genres of city pop of vapourwave. Tracks from Ecco Funk seemed determined to reconnect with that period when technology was rapidly developing, and artists were excited to see how they could incorporate that into their sound.
We may have jumped ahead to 2021, but CRYSTAL are still drawing on that early retro aesthetic. The duo has been dropping a few tracks taken from their upcoming collection ‘Reflection Overdrive’, which is set for a full release on May 7th via the ever indie Japanese label Flau. The pre-release singles so far are vibrant with racing synth and neon basslines; original work from a different time.
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