The existence of Perfume is rather peculiar. The project, although presented by three girls, is actually headed by Yasutaka Nakata. Nakata is a Japanese producer who arranges all of Perfume’s music. He often has a theme in mind when making albums; France in Capsule’s
Cutie Cinema Replay and sugary, “kawaii” culture on Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s
Pamyu Pamyu Revolution are just some examples of such. This makes all of his work vary greatly.
From
Game, Perfume’s first album, Nakata showed he meant business. He continuously delivered interesting slabs of techno pop that you just couldn’t help but dance to.
Game was the definition of a good time; all the songs felt unbarredly enjoyable, a grandiose manifestation of pop. Oh, and the production kicks ass. There’s also that.
On
Triangle, though, Nakata decided to approach his music differently. On top of Perfume’s all-out pop jam style, he added a layer of steely coolness by toning down the techno ever-so-slightly, and utilizing house prominently. Dry percussion is regularly used, for example. This makes for a robotic and sophisticated sound that, although often showcased in lengthy songs, still goes as hard as Perfume’s unadulterated style of techno pop. Nakata often manages to truly surprise the listener, including the use of orchestral elements on “願い,” an almost nine minute electronic jam with few pop characteristics, and jazzy chords thrown into the mix every once in a while. The album is also spiced up by its unique theme, the 80’s and aviation. Synths are often used, making for a very nostalgic sound reminiscent of the signature synth pop movement.
The music is well accompanied by the production that, just like on
Game, is simply top notch. All of the music’s layers are mixed just right as to accentuate and create textures that complement it; synths are mixed sharply, reminding the listener of sleek planes soaring through the skies, for instance. The great thing about
Triangle’s production, nonetheless, is how it adds a layer of brickwalling on top of all music. This makes the music that would otherwise be clean acquire a unique feel, an aggressive coolness of sorts.
Triangle is a daring, well-thought out record. It’s not afraid to use ample textures and electronics to give more character to Perfume’s brand of banging J-Pop, and it evokes a very special feel because of its use of varying themes. Nakata’s brainchild has proven to not only be an incredibly fun time, but also a discernibly elegant endeavor worth many attentive listens.
