If you wanted to pinpoint the moment Cero broke the glass ceiling of Japan¡¯s indie music scene, it would be March 7, 2016. That¡¯s when the group ¡ª still cresting on the buzz generated by its ¡°Obscure Ride¡± album the previous year ¡ª performed that record¡¯s signature singalong, ¡±,¡± alongside aging boy band SMAP on the latter¡¯s ¡°SMAP¡ÁSMAP¡± show.
Though the Tokyo-based trio had been steadily expanding the audience for its brainy, eclectic art-pop, there was something surreal about seeing it on prime-time TV, occupying a guest spot normally reserved for established J-pop artists and pedigree international acts (the following week, it was Kool & The Gang¡¯s turn).
Other bands would have taken this as a cue to record an entire record¡¯s worth of songs like ¡°Summer Soul,¡± a breezy acid-jazz groove that was tailor-made for festival audiences and lucrative sync opportunities. But anyone expecting Cero¡¯s latest album to sound like Suchmos is in for a disappointment.
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