INDEX
Exploring the ‘Outside’ of Pop Music: The Album’s Guiding Influence
Rare talents, whether desired or not by the individual, have the power to make people dance to their whims. This phenomenon of being “manipulated” comes with an irresistible pleasure. For example, the fact that theme parks worldwide remain firmly established as leisure destinations and that many people accept the recommendations of auto-generated content as enjoyable demonstrates this.
Once we experience the pleasure of being controlled, we tend to seek environments where we can continuously access that pleasure. Over time, this pleasure becomes part of the mundane, leading us to crave ever stronger stimuli. Resisting this requires maintaining rationality, but gradually, we may start to question what rationality really is and whether it was ever necessary.
There are no limits to this energy. When we reach the limits, what lies ahead is an infinitely expanding “outside,” and beyond that, yet another new “outside” awaits. We continue to reach for the next outer boundary, much like tracing the evolution of life. It once seemed impossible to shape chaotic rhythms, developments, and almost breakdowns into something recognizable as “pop music” and deliver it to many people, but Hakushi Hasegawa is achieving this.
By deconstructing and reconstructing all the clichés present in popular music, musicians like Hasegawa might eventually make works like Mahōgakkō not just experimental music but a standard form of pop music. This could evolve music into forms we can’t yet imagine.
And the students of Mahōgakkō might one day create even more unconventional pop music. What a wonderful possibility for the future. It’s exciting to think about, but we don’t know what will happen. Since we don’t know, perhaps we should enjoy the pleasure of being swept away by Mahōgakkō once more.
Hakushi Hasegawa “Mahōgakkō”
Release Date: 2024.07.24 (Wed.)*
Label: Brainfeeder / Beat Records
Tracklist:
01. Departed
02. Gone / Hasegawa Shirakami & KID FRESINO
03. Mouth Flash (Kuchinohanabi)
04. Repeal (Tekkai)
05. The Blossom and the Thunder
06. KYŌFUNOHOSHI
07. NENNEKOKOROMI
08. Forbidden Thing (Kimmotsu)
09. Mahōinter (v2)
10. Boy’s Texture
11. Enbami
12. Outside (Soto)
Distribution link / CD purchase link / LP purchase link
