kinoue64
12:18 [DL; Self-Released]

[A drawn out yawn followed by a big stretch as the narrator reaches for the laptop] That was a refreshing slumber. Best I’ve ever had. What was that, 10-12 hours? [Looks at computer calendar and time]. Oh… [Frantically begins to rummage through a mess of cassettes, vinyl, CDs and digital download codes]

“I want a shoegaze band.”

This simple little tweet from the mind of kinoue64 is as to-the-point as social media ever gets, and with a slew of little audio teasers Japan’s kinoue64 (or is it Kinoshita?) has delivered on that ideal. 12:18 is an electronically-driven interpretation of the resurgent genre, yet it maintains the same soulful melodic drones of its ancestors. Each chord seems to grow louder as Kino’s repetition sets in, much like a gently rising alarm buzzing from a phone underneath a pile of sheets. Each song triumphantly rises to meet the day, as deliberately ambitious and forward-moving as that plain but idyllic tweet sent into an ether of a dozen followers. And yet, it doesn’t take an army of faceless robots to attract ears to talent. Finding this hidden gem, along with the other 4-5 that have popped onto the internet in the span of 6 weeks, was as simple as putting my own ear to the ground and waiting for the reverberations of positive action to find their way into my own heart. Ah, it’s laid dormant for far too long. Who knew that a simple look at my footwear would bring me back from an epic slumber. One wonders when I decide to lift my head and see what’s in front of me, what else I may find. I do know that such a journey now has a soundtrack of positive reinforcement. We should all strive to make a simple statement and follow through with it. Very few artistic visions can claim such divinity.

Cerberus

Cerberus seeks to document the spate of home recorders and backyard labels pressing limited-run LPs, 7-inches, cassettes, and objet d’art with unique packaging and unknown sound. We love everything about the overlooked or unappreciated. If you feel you fit such a category, email us here.

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