Spring has sprung and sakura season is here in Japan! We are super excited to soak up the warm vibes of hanami (花見)!
In Japan, hanami parties are super popular and the perfect excuse to get together and have fun with friends.
Source Waking up from the winter slump is easy with beautiful sakura to see!
Of course, every good hanami party needs a soundtrack – and lately we’ve really been vibing with future funk – an aesthetically pleasing sub genre that remixes the funk fueled Japanese City Pop genre with nostalgic anime influences. We honestly can’t stop listening – and we think the YumeTwins fam will be super into it, too!
Source Popular 90’s characters like Sailor Moon are often featured on Future Funk albums, videos and promos
Future Funk was born on the internet as an upbeat off-shoot of vaporwave – everyone’s favorite moody midnight tunes to study and relax to.
When artists like Saint Pepsi, Night Tempo and Macross 82-99 popped up on YouTube and SoundCloud with remixes of classic 80’s J-Pop tracks like Mariya Takeuchi’s Plastic Love, and Anri’s Summer Days the genre exploded overnight – quickly becoming an obsession for fans of the funky bass riffs and kawaii anime imagery they evoke.
The popular YouTube channel Artzie Music – known online as the “#1 Destination for Unique Music!” – made a name for itself posting popular future funk tracks with looping images of nostalgic anime like Sailor Moon, Cowboy Bebop, Initial D and the super cute Urusei Yatsura.
Source Proving Future Funk is here to stay – popular artists like Night Tempo sell out clubs across the world!
While the majority of future funk’s fans aren’t Japanese themselves – it’s often said that the music evokes a feeling of longing for a time and place they’ve never experienced. Vibing along to Plastic Love really makes you feel as if you’re dancing the night away in a Showa-era discoteque.
And really – that’s what makes future funk so much fun to listen to! It’s impossible to throw on a mix with your friends and not want to get up and dance! If you’re a fan of nostalgic 80’s and 90’s anime and funky dance music, Future Funk is definitely for you.
If you’re interested in listening to some Future Funk but you’re not sure where to start, we recommend checking out the iconic mix SQUΛD GOΛLS curated by Artzie music. Groove on!
Now that you’re jamming to some future funk – are you feelin’ the hanami vibes? Be sure to check out our April box for lots of cute hanami treasures for you and your friends this spring!
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