I was pretty keen on Tokyo’s KILDREN last year based on a handful – or fingerful, really – of songs released last April that carried the torch of For Tracy Hyde-influenced J-gaze-pop high and proud. Well perhaps the band weren’t quite so proud after all.

They returned almost a year later this past April with a new song in “Nocturnal”, but that was less noteworthy than the fact that their initial round of songs which won me over – “Translucent” and double A-side “Sundance/Icymoon” – were removed from streaming services, though they’re still on their Bandcamp so maybe it’s worth it to buy those tracks to have in my personal collection in case they opt to fully redact their earliest works.

If the intention was to reintroduce themselves with a different wardrobe with different influences on their sleeves, they succeeded somewhat. “Nocturnal” was a darker, heavier affair – maybe someone bought them a Whirr record – and the followed it up a few weeks later with the gentler, more ambient “Phantom Swayed”. A third new single was released today in “Fluid” and it continues their migration into slower, more reverberant climes. All are still compelling compositions, and I remain very interested in what they do next, but those looking for another post-Hotel Insomnia fix will need to look elsewhere.