Tokyo synth duo CRYSTAL unveil their effervescent new single of unashamed retro-futurist city pop ‘One More Chance’, following their recent single ‘Autumn Story’ and their acclaimed album ‘Reflection Overdrive’, as well as appearances on Brainfeeder’s Flying Lotus curated streaming series The Hit, a memorable feature on Jessy Lanza’s DJ Kicks compilation and a prior collaboration with Ikonika.
Expanding on the windswept, soft-focus synth pop of ‘Autumn Story’ – like Prefab Sprout if they landed on Yukihiro Takahashi & Haroumi Hosono’s Yen Records – CRYSTAL return with a sugar-coated, analogue vision of past futures, defined by a dazzling, irrepressible take on Italo house. Enriched by subtle echoes of acid house and the distinctive sound of the Prophet-6 synthesizer, ‘One More Chance’ is a work of euphoric Hi-NRG pop evoking New Order circa ‘Technique’ and the Pet Shop Boys circa ‘Introspective’ if fronted by Miharu Koshi.
A story in a song, ‘One More Chance’ features the sweet, infectious vocal debut of CRYSTAL’s very own Sunao Maruyama, who sings of destiny, nostalgia, and bygone memories - timeless paradigms of pop – amidst the backdrop of Ohashi Junction, a unique urban interchange in Tokyo and a place so enigmatic it might as well be its own city.
Situated at their own kind of aesthetic interchange, between synth pop, Italo house and city pop, balancing multiple timelines, and with the city sprawl in their eyeline, CRYSTAL craft vibrant, intoxicating, time-traveling music on ‘One More Chance’; the product of both looking back and thinking of the future, and the soundtrack to razor sharp suits, iridescent skyscrapers, and endless city nights.
Headed up by Ryota Miyake (aka Sparrows – FLAU), alongside Sunao Maruyama, CRYSTAL are connoisseurs of retro-futurist electronic music. First discovered online by Gaspard Auge (Justice) & Surkin, the duo’s sound has displayed an eclectic trajectory, encompassing synth pop, J-pop, proto-techno, and video game soundtracks.
CRYSTAL have released output on Boysnoize Records and the French label Sound Pellegrino and have collaborated with the likes of Ikonika, Matias Aguayo and Teki Latex, amongst many other highlights, including a jamming session with Thundercat at RBMA Montreal.