Despite his elusive online persona, Kazuto Okawa, aka LLLL (pronounced ¡°four-el¡°), is strikingly open and honest about his views in person. Speaking in a small Koenji cafe, he discusses his sophomore album, ¡°Faithful,¡± released this week via Tokyo label Progressive Form, with a critical approach that many artists would nervously avoid.
His first album, ¡°Paradice,¡± released on the California-based imprint Zoom Lens, included collaborative efforts with a sole vocalist. ¡°Faithful,¡± in contrast, takes on a different form, engaging with a variety of both English- and Japanese-speaking female singers. Furrowing his brow and taking long pauses, Okawa reflects on his choice of collaborators. ¡°I just can¡¯t associate my feelings with male vocalists,¡± he states.
Dream-pop producer Asa Taura, Montreal based singer-songwriter Meghan Riley and Shinobu from Her Ghost Friend are among many prolific artists to feature on ¡°Faithful.¡± Its dark drumming underlines an implosion of nostalgia, heightened by the sorrowful and ethereal sounds of whispery vocals.
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