Japan's Aili teams up Belgian artist Transistorcake on a new EP for Eskimo Recordings

Last November, prospering Japanese artist Aili and one of Belgium’s most exciting new electronica acts Transistorcake dropped their first single 'Dansu' ahead of a collaborative EP on Eskimo Recordings. Being the Belgian-Japanese artist's debut EP, it has already accumulated momentum being amongst ninth finalists in Studio Brussels De Nieuwe Lichting contest for 2021 and recently hit the top spot in Radio 1 Belgium Vox chart.

'Dansu', sung with a mix of both Japanese and English, is a hymn to dancing the night away. The track blends both taut Motorik beats and lambent synth sounds, making it stand out. Coupled with Aili’s hushed vocals, and you’ve got something that’s incredibly hypnotic, yet funky at the same time, echoing artists like Can and Stereolab.

"I left Tokyo for Belgium when I was seven years old," Aili said to the press. "In many ways, my Japanese stayed at that level. When I sing in Japanese it puts me into this naive, almost childlike mindset that allows me to express what I feel right away. You don’t need to understand the words just the feeling that they convey."

Following the much-lauded first single, Aili and Transistorcake released two more singles, 'Pari Pari' and 'Oki' on April 2 and April 23 respectively.

The second single 'Pari Pari', the track takes its title from Aili’s dad’s name for tonkatsu, a kind of Japanese schnitzel that crackle as you eat them, the single pairs soaring synths with Aili’s soft vocals, which help create an ecstatic atmosphere for music lovers everywhere. The track then brings listeners back down to earth by their particular brand of funk, which is also employed in ‘Dansu.’

If you have listened to Transistorcake’s previous releases, then you would definitely notice his love for the 303. Regarding their latest release ‘Oki’, the Belgian artist chops up Aili’s vocals to make them chant 'Oki ku natara', which in Japanese means ‘when I grow up.’ This, therefore, creates the effect of a propelling acid rave track.

Both wildly diverse and cheerful in nature, ‘Pari Pari’ and ‘Oki’ perfectly introduce any first-timers to Aili and her musical style. Playful and imaginative, they are sure to draw in anyone listening.

The complete Dansu EP will drop on June 11 on vinyl and digital via Eskimo Recordings and you can listen to 'Pari Pari' here and 'Oki' here.