Port Entropy

Shugo Tokumaru

Joy is such an elusive emotion to capture on record – which is why Japanese singer- songwriter Shugo

Tokumaru’s (below) last full-length album Exit (2007) is so precious.

His gee-whiz multi-instrumental DIY wizardry remains intact in Port Entropy, if in a less exuberant form. Tracks such as Lahaha and the bucolic yet buoyant Rum Hee come closest to conjuring that sense of playful happiness. The latter is definitely a highlight here, though fans would have heard it already on the Rum Hee EP released in 2009.

Elsewhere, the animated Drive-thru sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a cartoon, while Tracking Elevator offers a smooth ride by pairing his clear unblemished vocals with the sweet strum of guitars and a back-up chorus.

The tempo slows down on Linne and the toy piano-backed Orange, with Tokumaru evoking a more contemplative and ruminative mood in these.

Poised between the lyrical beauty of his debut album Night Piece (2004) and the giddy glee of Exit, Port Entropy occupies a place that is still enchanting and wondrous.

(ST)