MICROMECHA, Time Fragment - ハリネズミのジレンマ

 Released: July 18

In what I believe is the first collaboration between these two, Micromecha and Time Fragment blend jazz and bossa nova vibes with some laid back beats in an album that also pays homage to one of my favorite anime series of all time. Over the course of ten tracks, the two take turns bringing us the most chilled out grooves from a number of artists sampled for the grooves in the barber beats style. Solid loops and great vibes make for a very pleasant experience the whole way through. The vibe is immaculate the whole way through and I think it does justice to the Evangelion series’ penchant for using obscure lounge vibes in a way that seemingly contradicts the depth and seriousness of the premise. 

Between the two, Time Fragment leans more heavily into the lounge and bossa nova vibes with tracks like the perplexingly named “I Hate What I’ve Become” and the les contradictory “No Regrets.” The latter prominently features some absolutely luscious spanish-influenced guitar licks and tasty horns while the former really captures that late night lounge in the 1980’s vibe, like maybe something you would hear on a preview channel expect much more exquisite. Micromecha, for their part, seems to keep things a little more energetic, most notably with “Catharsis” whose speedy rhythms juxtaposed with the its stretched out melodies and muted licks feels like a perfect representation of a mind in reflection. But it’s really the back and forth between the two artist’s styles that make this album a truly captivating listen.