Japan’s Tokimeki Records finds new city pop muse in Filipina singer-songwriter syd hartha
After gaining prominence with some notable pop classics, Japanese music project Tokimeki Records brings boogie and ‘80s retro sounds back to the dancefloor with a reimagining of The Cardigans’ “ Carnival .” Featuring Filipina singer-songwriter syd hartha on vocals, the new version of “Carnival” evokes pre-pandemic Tokyo where neon pulses through the towering skyscrapers and a random stroll downtown offers the best form of therapeutic escape. Trading the ‘90s twee-pop sound of the original for a more lighthearted disco-pop affair, electronic music producer Yutaka Takanami of Tokimeki Records embraces the carefree bliss that has come to define his previous releases, while infusing spacious production and sticky-sweet, synthesizer melodies to the mix. “One of the most influential western pop songs of the 1990s for me was Carnival,” Tokimeki Records’ very own Yutaka Takanami shares. “It was also played on TV at the time, but it was also played and covered in the Japanese club scene. I