Tokyo’s dark, smokey underbelly shines on ‘Tenshiesque’

Tokyo-based Levi releases his dark, ethereal EP, ‘Tenshiesque’, subsequently creating a self-proclaimed new genre of the same name. The project dropped last month under the Australian outfit clipp.art.

The project is smokey and understated; reminiscent of the old UK scene. Throughout it, he flows so slick and effortlessly over each of the hazy, lo-fi and always engaging productions.

As the label describes it, there are feelings of “King Krule stuck in a Lost in Translation midnight viewing in an underground Shibuya cinema”.

The perfect embodiment of this project's vibe is ‘Fruits’. Full of lazy yet impactful raps about high-fashion over low-key, lo-fi house is the perfect blend, making this track apt for a three AM walk around town with the crew, cans in hand…at least that’s exactly what the music video encapsulates. Watch below.

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Mixmag Asia had a word with Levi about the project, he said, “There’s a lot of thematic motifs that run throughout the project but to really distil it down into its purest form, I just wanted to make music that would evoke that ‘tenshiesque’ feeling in the listener.”

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He continues: “There were so many times during the first few months that I moved to Tokyo that I felt the most visceral form of this ‘tenshiesque’ feeling to such a depth that I never thought was possible. So, to an extent, I would say that this project is my love letter to the city that I’ve called home for over a year now, and if it can act as a window into that world then I can confidently say that I’m satisfied with what I’ve created”.

For a glimpse into Levi’s mind, head over to his Spacehey profile to see where he’s coming from on the project.

Purchase Levi ‘Tenshiesque’ here.

Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.