Dempagumi.inc Inochi no Yorokobi
A brand new look for Demapagumi.inc who declared the strong will to keep moving forward after their rebirth.
Since Yumemi Nemu left the group at the Budokan concert in January, Dempagumi.inc is now six people. Inochi no Yorokobi is their first single in this new formation. The title song is written, composed and arranged by Tamaya 2060% (Wienners), who has worked on many of their hit songs, and Mofuku chan (Fukushima Maiko) is producing for the first time in a while. You can say that they have put together some of the strongest Demapagumi.inc artists to create this piece.
It starts off with the chorus of all 6 members taking turns singing a line, “One love,” then the afro-funk beat with hyper percussion groove floods out, and the members show off their powerful vocals one after the other. In the middle of the song, as Furukawa Mirei cries out, “Project from your stomach,” explosive chanting of woos and yeahs get repeated. There is an operatic part even. It all ends on a peaceful and happy tone as the ensemble sings, “Oh one life, one love.” It is such an intense song with an overwhelming amount of information and elements. I guess it can be described as a primitive-nature-funky-pop song that is full of life, or something like that.
The piece showcases Tamaya’s extensive talent as an artist, since one of his specialties is multiethnic-blend-pop, in which he mixes catchy melodies and tribal groove together.
Also, as you can see in its title, Inochi no Yorokobi (Joy of Life), the song is almost like an anthem for the huge scale of its lyrics. As it portrays human evolution from primitive times and onward, it is filled with expressions of love for mother earth, appreciation for nature, sadness for war, and the joy of life itself. It is a song with a giant message, filled with prayer for world peace, so to speak. It is brilliantly put together to fit Dempagumi.inc’s character by using their quirky language and laid-back vocals. With much unpleasant news in Japan today, it feels meaningful for this single to be released right now.
The visual aspect is noteworthy for this piece as well. The cover photo and music video are sensational, with the members wearing crazy makeup that looks like the gold version of ganguro-gal, and super colorful outrageous costumes.
The content of the music video directed by Renki Yamazaki is sprinkled with contemporary elements from Heisei era, such as ganguro makeup, Tamagocchi, and adult service flyers - while you feel primitive energy from the members.
Also in the ongoing concert, there is a performance where several performers called “Denden Circus” who come out and perform acrobatic tricks such as juggling and then join the members in chaotic and entertaining pandemonium. All these elements combined, the song shows a fresh new energy that Dempagumi.inc never had before.
On the other hand, the bonus track, Keijijogakuteki, Maho is written and composed by 15 year-old female singer-songwriter, Yukichikasakumen. She has already caused a buzz for her ingenius and unique work. It is a curious piece- on top of 4 beat jazz funk kind of instrumental, the members sing in out-of-character serious tone one by one, and relays solo parts without any unison or chorus. The most memorable lyric is “watashi (me).” It feels like it’s a portrayal of inner perspectives. There are many imaginative and poetic words uncovering delicate inner emotions of the members. Eccentric, strange and cool- I guess you can call this one, new innovative music, as well.
I would also like to mention a single with 2 original songs by Kiyoshi Ryujin, Ne♡Ushi♡Tora♡U♡Tatsu♡Mi♡, released urgently on May 25th before the release of Inochi no Yorokobi.
The title song, Ne♡Ushi♡Tora♡U♡Tatsu♡Mi♡ is a much-awaited, straight dempa-song, and the super high-speed rap performed by the members is quite impressive. And yet, the song lands very much as a kawaii “aidoru” song, which is what Kiyoshi Ryujin does best. Spectacular. The bonus track, Aki no Ha no Harappa de is the complete opposite of the title song- a quiet ballad. Ending with a cappella chorus after playing beautiful harmony, with just the piano and the strings, leaves you with deep resonance. Adding these two songs from Inochi no Yorokobi, the four newly released songs are all uniquely different types of music.
Since Dempagumi.inc became the new 6-person-group, they have already been out on tour in March and April. The performance they gave was so fresh and new, as if this was their first concert ever. Every member was embracing her own personality, and dancing more lively than ever. The newest members, Kamoku Rin and Nemoto Nagi had more opportunities to shine, which gave strong impression that the group has been reborn.
To turn the negative element of Yumemi Nemu’s absence into a positive, the current members are using their personalities to the fullest extent to raise the level. It seems like a declaration of the strong will to keep moving forward.
After all, every new piece is filled with new surprises, and you can say this is the brand new look of Dempagumi.inc. Come to think of it, their music has always been bravely presenting new adventures, without being tied down by the styles they’ve already created, or by trends. This time they are even more updated, I can see they will only get more interesting from here. The national tour will be starting on June 26th, at the same time as the release of Inochi no Yorokobi. I cannot wait for the new look they are going to show us there.
