Japanese dreampop and shoegaze as a scene is hardly dour, but Kyoto’s MoritaSaki In The Pool bring an extra level of fun and whimsy to things without getting too twee or saccharine. That, and their dual boy-girl vocals from Riku Ishihara and Natsumi Heike, is their unique selling proposition and looks to be in full effect for their debut full length Love Is Dead!, due out September 18, and which follows a couple of excellent EPs released back in 2022.

By way of introduction to the band, they offer the following instruction manual:

(1) Introducing, “We are MoritaSaki in the Pool.” (Some variation is okay.)
(2) Vocal-track is two voices, male and female (or so it sounds), in unison.
(3) Apply chorus effect to guitar sound.
(4) Perform MoritaSaki in the pool’s song and other artist’s song.
(5) And say “I love you.” To one person. Or more.

And the first preview of the new record is “Mirror’s Edge”, an older demo version of which is also available for compare and contrast purposes.