NAMI TAMAKI: LADY MIND

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It’s only January and I can already tell you that Nami Tamaki’s new single “Lady Mind” is going to rank among the year’s catchiest J-pop songs.  A perfect mix of electro pop and dance produced by Shinichi Osawa, it starts off with a hypnotic, attention-grabbing beat that almost sounds like an alert sound your computer would make when you make an error, then a harder, throbbing dance beat kicks in.  The track also features some beats that sound like an early 90s drum machine, which alternate with some perfectly placed hi-hat cymbals, and some sweeping strings   Everything about the song is completely irresistible.  Nami sounds fantastic and the chorus is super addictive. 

The B-side, “Start Up,” is almost as infectious and also meshes electro pop and dance sounds brilliantly.  It starts off with a pounding dance beat coupled with fluttering synth, sure to have you moving before it even hits the chorus, at which point the beat speeds up and it will undoubtedly have you absolutely hooked.  Later, it features a sweet break that verges on dubstep without quite going there, which is just fine because full-on dubstep would’ve been slightly out of place.  Definitely one of those rare B-sides that could’ve easily been a single itself.

The single also includes instrumental versions of both tracks and is also available in a CD + DVD edition. -Michael McCarthy