Tokyo newcomers Cephalo had already won their way onto my 2024 year-end list on the strength of their debut EP Wind Surfing School, so when they closed out the year with their first full-length Fluorite Code – just a little longer than the EP and almost as good – they basically won the year… overstatement, yes, but you get my meaning.

The album opener is also the first single and whether the title means “Stormy Sky”, as YouTube titles it, “Storm Sky”, as Apple Music has it, or “Time Warping” as Google Translate declares it, it’s a confident statement that showcases their strengths – dynamic songwriting, passionate vocals – and a stylish video.

And here’s a live reading of it from last November at a Dreamwaves-presented in-store at Stiff Slack Records in Nagoya, Japan.