BEAT SPACE NINE (Japan Version)

Unlike Astromatic, which features various interludes as the album progresses, Beat Space Nine is split into two halves - a lively first half dominated by energetic arrangements that borders on exhausting, and a second half that becomes more experimental (and it even features a ballad!). The first half features one of the hit singles of summer 2005, Loop in My Heart with Emyli and Yoshika. It's not hard to see why Loop in My Heart was so popular; it has a catchy chorus, it steps on the ever-blurring line between American and Japanese pop, and the arrangement is perfect for the summer Japanese pop market.

Possibly in an effort to move beyond the Japanese market (also evident in member Verbal's participation in the hip-hop collective Teriyaki Boyz, releasing their European debut in spring 2006), the album features a collaboration with Korean artist Wheesung on track 5, I'm Da 1. It's not a particular intriguing track, but it's nevertheless an interesting way to cash in on the current Korean wave in Japan.

The rest of the first half remains fairly interesting, if not mind-blowing. M-Flo keeps the proceedings safe, combining their usual impeccable production with tracks like One Day before finally ending the first half with the mid-beat collaboration with Yoshika, tO yOUR bEAT (Yes, the reverse capitalization is intentional. No, I don't know why either.). While fans will get what they expect from an M-flo album, the first half is so bombastic that by the time listeners get to the end of the first half, they may well have grown exhausted and the album risks overstaying its welcome.

The second half, on the other hand, is when the album begins to try new things. Track 10, Dopeman? appears to be left over from the first half, and it's a good transition point into the second section. 16-year-old artist Emyli proves that she's primed to take over Utada Hikaru's place in a few years with her vocals, and the arrangement constantly changes direction, providing for a fun opening. Only three tracks on the album are written only by M-Flo, and track 11, Cozmo-Naughty is by far the most interesting among them. The combination of two different arrangements at two different speeds and the whispering style of the accompanying rap make it quite a trip.

There are no real surprises when you see which artists M-Flo has chose to collaborate with on Beat Space Nine, except for one. Track 14, Hey! is a collaboration with Akiko Wada, known as the "Female Emperor" of the Japanese entertainment industry. While the idea of the collaboration is intriguing, M-Flo shows too much of their inspiration here. The arrangement and the melody carry too much resemblance to the hit JXL-remix of Elvis' A Little Less Conversation (presumably the inspiration for this particular collaboration). The result is a hackneyed attempt at a fusion of two pop giants, despite the unabashed energy of the proceedings.

While there's no doubt that M-Flo know how to produce energetic tracks that get their listeners going, their influences are often all over the place. While some may appreciate their refusal to restrict themselves to a specific genre, their choice of inspirations and collaborations give them a sound that strays too far into American music. Nevertheless, Beat Space Nine has an undeniable energy that's always fun and entertaining enough to please their fans. And as long as M-flo continue to produce successful genre-bending crossover music (and there were quite a few on the album), they'll be on the scene for a while. However, anyone looking for authentic J-pop might want to look elsewhere.

by Kevin Ma