Moe and Ghosts & Kukangendai - Rap Phenomenon (2016) [Hi-Res]

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this outing for Moe and ghosts. The presence of 空間現代 (Kuukangendai) means that there’s a lot more emphasis on live instrumentation this time around, which is something I love in a hip-hop album. They upped the experimentation quite a bit on RAP PHENOMENON as they really went all out with the unconventional, shifting time signatures and polyrhythms. It can prove grating at times, but it’s consistently interesting. This is certainly a far cry from the tranquility of their previous record 幽霊たち (Yuureitachi) and I can absolutely appreciate that. As a properly experimental group, they likely weren’t looking to make the same record twice.
Moe’s rapping and oddly melodic delivery is as fantastic as it was on Yuureitachi. She works perfectly in tandem with the guitar, bass, and drums in a combined effort to disorient the listener. These math rock rhythms should be difficult for any rapper to keep up with, but she kills it anyway. However, the backing vocals from Kuukangendai’s Junya Noguchi leave a lot to be desired. They’re a bit weird, which I suppose fits the music sufficiently, but that doesn’t excuse how weak they sound. Mercifully, they don’t show up too often.
While I’d certainly recommend this, I suggest doing so only after listening to their much better first record. And though I found this somewhat disappointing compared to Yuureitachi, I’m left excited for future releases from Moe and ghosts if this is any indication that they’re going to continue changing their sound and making each album unique.