編む女 (Amu Onna)

Japanese pop singers with short-lived careers are too numerous to mention, but only one can boast of having a song produced by Autechre. Mari Hamada—following a brief stint as the lead vocalist of pop band Modern Choki Chokies—recorded two albums, then pivoted to an acting career. Her second and final album before departing for the silver screen features the rare collaboration, third track “アイレ可愛や” (TL: Irene Is Cute). It has the hallmark clicks and cuts of an Autechre production not far removed from Tri Repetae and Chiastic Slide, and it’s a fantastic tune despite the duo not being particularly satisfied with the end result. (“They remixed the hell out of it,” the group said.) Other notable tracks include the airy “氣愛” (Ki-Ai), penned by Masami Tsuchiya of the legendary Ippu-Do, and Hamada’s own “214,” which has a downtempo Bristol sound reminiscent of Portishead. It’s an album that feels fascinatingly of its time, but a fish out of water against the field of contemporary Japanese pop albums from the 90s.