Momo's Keys : Mizu
Momo’s Keys
Mizu
Lying comfortably in the pastel worlds first pioneered by Japanese future bass maestros like Tomggg and Snail’s House (along with other adjacents in early Mark Redito and groups like CY8ER), the beats of upstart trackmaker Momo’s Keys envelop the voices of his collaborators with an inviting warmth. From dripped water samples to crisp rhythmic breaks, his debut EP Mizu showcases a keen awareness of his genre’s tropes, distilling through melancholic beats an airy, cotton-candy like sweetness. It’s an EP that demonstrates a fair bit of stylistic breadth – unfortunately, it’s also a sense of ambition that delivers mixed results.
Itself a product of the kawaii train, Mizu often falls victim to its saccharine tendencies. On the unfortunately-named Awkward, an overwrought vocal delivery overpowers any attempts at subtlety, as cheesy verses render its originally adorable synths into satire. As it morphs into an aggressively tacky drop, its processing turns into overkill, rendering the entire track into a difficult, weeby disaster. On other attempts, like New Life’s synthetic hip-hop grooves (think compatriots at Tsudio Studio), Momo conjures a potent, laid-back atmosphere that brings the EP’s to its most joyous – but with sluggish verses and a mildly unconvincing vocal delivery from Lil Chill (ironic name), the track struggles to find a clear focus. Jumping between its smooth saxophones and soft, auto-tuned hooks, the impression it leaves is, at best, ambiguous.
It’s when Momo slightly dials back on that ambition where the music truly shines. As his melodies become unobscured by gimmicks, a sincere emotionalism comes through its highlights. Authentic thrives through simple yet effective contrast, as gently bitcrushed keys wrap aosuzu’s understated, confessional vocals towards a bombastic sax hook. And on Kindle, the EP’s clear highlight, Momo sounds right at home with his Japanese peers. Intertwining warm synth leads with filtered vocal chops, its beatwork forms a perfect backdrop for vocalist nate’s delivery. With a softness balancing cute stylings and airy delicacy, her melodies lead with an addictive confidence. “Don’t forget about me, I’ll come and meet you,” she sings amongst harmonies – and upon swirling mallet winds and echoing oscillations, the song comes through with a captivating future bass drop, vocal chops and elastic synths galore. The result is undeniably powerful – even without reinventing the wheel (in a genre growing increasingly saturated), it’s a promising beginning for Momo’s Keys, and shows there’s still plenty of potential for sweetness to thrive.
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