FLOPPY is a chiptune/8-bit/electro project from Sharaku Kobayashi of Metronome and Hiromu Toda of Shinjuku Gewalt. Since 2004, they've been producing some of the best and craziest chip-fueled electro mayhem around. Their somewhat retro-futurist sound is highlighted by their goofy no-budget sci-fi costumes and the music's dreamy yet chaotic atmosphere.
Their growing popularity is only highlighted by the fact the both JapanFiles and HearJapan are stocking up on the new album Deus Ex Machina, offering it up to fans around the world. You can get it right now on both sites.
If you're still on the fence, or are a newcomer to the FLOPPY world, check out the full Deus Ex Machina review after the jump!
Deus Ex Machina is the second full from the duo, their first major release since their previous mini-album in 2006. While Deus does show a bit of maturation to their overall song-writing approach, it certainly doesn't stray far from their previous formula. The songs are mostly made up of fast beats and stuttering lo-bit bleeps. FLOPPY has always put a little extra effort into their programing, never relying too heavily on loops and factory pre-set sounds. This serves to give their songs a more organic feel, though it can be hard to hear through all the electronic cross-talk.
Deus hits it peak early on with its first single "Everything," followed up with "Kami Hikouki." Both of these are exactly what long-time fans will be expecting. Both songs are very catchy and poppy, burbling with video game blasts and arpeggiated bass-lines. "Setsugekka" is a surprisingly well done slower song, something almost along the lines of a grand Susumu Hirasawa epic. The title track is also top notch, another dance track with FLOPPY's signature cartoon cat chasing a cartoon mouse sort of vibe, all stompy, silly and fun. Of course thought it all Sharaku Kobayashi's voice adds another level of geek-pop, what with his whiny pitch and pouty delivery.
"Pike" and "Void" close the album. The former is a cover of the Hikashu song, itself a cover of a Ventures tune. Polysics also covered it, with better results, but the more rigid and robotic FLOPPY version still has a lot going for it. Speaking of Polysics, "Void" has the air of Hiro all over it, from the gradually ascending blip-scales and pounding surf-rock guitar, complete with the squelchy slide at the end. Am I just hearing things, or is there something going on here?
Deus Ex Machina is another solid release from FLOPPY. While their output may be spotty and unpredictable with the lasting taste of bedroom production and self-release, the songs are very catchy and fun, the perfect thing to round out the collection of any self-respecting chip-tune enthusiast.
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