REVIEW

The fifth album by kuragari, a Japanese bedroom shoegaze artist. Following kuragari’s selection as this site’s Best Album of 2024, a new full-length arrives once again this year. The project’s defining trait—the fusion of ferocious noise and deeply melancholic melody—remains fully intact on this release.

The sound evokes the image of someone strumming a heavily distorted electric guitar and singing folk songs in the center of a cramped four-and-a-half-tatami room, surrounded by stacks of Marshall amplifiers pushed to their limits. The vocals are even more aggressively processed than before, often resembling blackgaze-style screams, with the notable exception of track #6, “(ff) Oboeteiru!” Frankly, kuragari continues to push things to extremes with remarkable consistency.

Personally, I refer to this kind of relentlessly overdriven, noise-saturated shoegaze as “auditory destruction”—and within that niche, kuragari stands entirely alone. The sheer intensity of the sound design eclipses that of any peers, granting the project a singular presence even within this already abrasive subgenre. Adding to this aura is the fact that virtually nothing is known about kuragari beyond their identity as a Japanese artist, further reinforcing the project’s sense of isolation and mystique.

Turning to the lyrics, however, the emotional core reveals itself as unexpectedly nostalgic, reflecting on cherished moments from the past. The album title Tenhou refers to one of the rarest winning hands in mahjong, with odds said to be approximately one in 330,000. It is tempting to interpret this as a metaphor for the near-impossible miracle of encountering someone irreplaceable among the billions of people on Earth, and sharing a fleeting but meaningful span of time together.

Another distinctive feature lies in the use of musical notation within the lyrics themselves: ||: :|| (repeat sign), Fine, D.C. (Da Capo), 8va (Ottava), # (sharp), and ff (fortissimo). Reading the lyrics with an understanding of these symbols may reveal additional layers of meaning, making this an album that rewards close listening and textual engagement.

That said, caution is advised when adjusting the volume. The noise level rivals that of Ulver’s third album, and listening at excessive levels will almost certainly take its toll. Your ears are an essential asset in any long-term relationship with music—enjoy responsibly.