YMCK - Family Genesis

YMCK, comprised of Midori (vocals), Yokemura (music, lyrics, arrangement), and Nakamura, combines smooth Japanese vocals with upbeat 8-bit synthesizers. They present the nostalgia of simultaneously playing old Nintendo games and listening to music.

YMCK’s early 2008 installment, Family Genesis, opens with a thirty second intro which leads straight into the second track, Sabita Tobira No Daihachi Tengoku. Inter-meshed tones of 8-bit melodies mold together for the duration of the song and introduce an audible Technicolor realm in which the listener is automatically lost in a gamer’s world after indulging in 8-bit sweetness.

Future Invasion opens with a slower rhythm and a minor chord, which suggests an eeriness unlike any of the previous songs on the album. Yet one senses the potential growth as the song progresses, beginning with quick exertions of sound and eruptions of emotion. Similar to VOCALOID in style but not quite imitating it, the vocals are fun, fresh and subliminally thought quenching, as hyper as the previous track. Most tracks open with an exploratory range of 8-bit joined by a similar melody, and each song tells a story through composition and manipulation of sound. Each song builds by layering harmonious tones and exploring unknowns, while Midori supplements the bouncy melody and softens the overall produced sound of YMCK.

For those who remember playing N64 games, Floor 99 should bring back fond memories as much as any other track featured on Family Genesis, yet the weaved sounds remain concise throughout the duration of the song. The lyrics themselves are sweet and easily loved because of their simplicity.

All the tracks featured present themselves as an individual story or chapter, in terms of composition. During the middle or latter half of most of the songs, there is an ‘instrumental’ piece, where the 8-bit tones rise and grow expeditiously, filtering to a low hum as the track concludes and continues to the next, restarting with a new chapter. Brightened by the bouncy, futuristic themes that across the span of the album, fans of 8-bit inspired music, both Japanese, English and artists from around the globe, will enjoy experiencing such an underrated group.

With such an experience in mind, YMCK’s music should be listened to at the highest quality to ensure the best experience. Armed with an exploratory genre - chiptune - the Tokyo-based group has made themselves known in various other countries beside Japan, including Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and even appearing in international music festivals in New York, Sweden and other places across the globe. Family Genesis is also available at iTunes Store U.S. Fans, new and old to the 8-bit chiptune genre are welcome to experience a new sound in discovery of something new.