Creative producer and keys expert Pisces Senpai fuses genres and cultural quirks with passion and precision. Juna is a fine example of the uniquely playful, colourful and multi-layered sound of the music, and within the confines of a single track, Pisces Senpai seamlessly incorporates subtle aspects of funk, electro, pop, dance and kawaii-driven artistic prowess.
Inspired by anime and nostalgic video games, the retro tones and sheer joyful melodic peaks of Juna are quick to light up the space. Take a short trip through yesteryear gaming pleasures with these tones and layers, the upbeat bounce and sparkle of a diverse soundscape and groove, and at the same time, quickly appreciate the long-form melodic stylings and ever-evolving energy of the production, from an artist with a clearly distinct and driven angle.
Carefully walking the lines between kawaii cuteness, creative freedom, future funk, city pop and even disco, Juna is a summertime celebration that’s infectious and old-school, but is also incredibly recognisable for its soulful melodic inflections, its vocal fragments, and the generally unmistakable nature of that returning instrumental hook.
The song is loaded with clever nods to a vastly artistic and experienced journey, not least of all the sense of harmony presented in the piano playing, acquired from jazz theory. There’s also an original guitar solo from Pisces Senpai, directly inspired by the artist’s background in rock and blues.
In short, Juna is creatively crafted from the ground up. The turntable solo, tape stops and sampling techniques offer a fusion of future-funk and hip hop, with Juno-esque synthesizer solos depicting a clear love for the eighties, and vocal chops presenting an adoration of bubble-gum pop and J-pop style singing.
Once you’ve listened to Juna even just once, the track is an easy gem to recognise, and it speaks volumes on behalf of the love and skill combined that Pisces Senpai highlights when making original music.
Find Pisces Senpai on Soundcloud.
