About This Event
Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM / 21+ YUMA ABETokyo-based singer-songwriter Yuma Abe launched his solo career in2021 with the album Fantasia, released on his own imprint ThaianRecords and released internationally via Temporal Drift. Omaemo, atranspacific collaboration with Devendra Banhart on guitar, was thealbums first single, whose title roughly translates to You Too and itslyrics reflecting a moment of unexpected introspection amid Covid-induced quarantine. Its pleasantly warm lilt could be described assuitably Mac DeMarco-esque.Since 2014 Yuma has been the principal singer and songwriter for theband never young beach, whose uniquely Japanese brand of WestCoast-inspired breezy pop has found considerable success in Japanand throughout Asia, with five albums under their belt and sold-out tourswith support from the likes of Devendra Banhart and Mild High Club.Abe has not been shy about his admiration for the legendary HaruomiHosono, who in turn has become his mentor of sorts, and offers hisservices as a mixing engineer on Fantasia.In 2023 Yuma returned with Surprisingly Alright―the result of manyconversations he had with himself and his close friends. The mini-albumdeftly captures the warmth and springy air that permeated throughoutthe sessions. The A-side contains Go Back, Arayotto, and DomoKonnichiwa, whose effervescence and buoyancy are emphasized bythe unique interplay of the chorus and the vocals, flowing out like avoice from within the belly of a carefree vagabond. The B-side containsDakishimete, which unfolds into a mid-section with a distinctive60s-70s Wamono-style groove, and Igaito Nanka Heiki, whichtranslates to Surprisingly Alright―essentially the title track―in whichYuma joyfully vows to 死んでもまだ踊る - keep dancing even whenIm dead.