Whiskey and Bourbon are Smooth Burning

A mostly digitally produced two-song release by DJ Ciélago, a Japanese underground hip-hop artist and well-known local disc jockey, Whiskey and Bourbon are Smooth Burning serves as a demo/mixtape combination for the young artist and has experienced overnight success over the Internet and in inner-city Tokyo. Ciélago's most striking ingenuity with these two songs is that four languages are spoken fluently in the songs, with the primary being Japanese and hooks and other portions of the songs in Chinese, English, and Spanish.

Overview

The debut two-song single by breakout underground artist DJ Ciélago, Whiskey and Bourbon are Smooth Burning is the aspiring artist's first claim to fame. Published personally by Ciélago using funds raised by his previous employment at Club Cyberia and personal savings, the music was first released digitally on May 21, 20XX, across many digital music sharing sites and services internationally, while a limited number of physical copies were placed in storefronts around Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Its two songs are extremely different in style and tone, used to showcase Ciélago's variety and ability in musical performance. Both songs have struck equal success and popularity amongst youth.

Reception

The album initially received mixed reviews from local publications and scavenging bloggers, but once it began growing in popularity it skyrocketed through digital downloads, while its physical copies began selling out of stores by May 27, 20XX. The two songs released began receiving airtime on local terrestrial stations as early as May 24, 20XX, and began receiving more critical attention the day after. After only a week on the market, the purchases and downloads of Whiskey and Bourbon are Smooth Burning are proejcted to continue rising considerably as time goes on.

When asked about it, Ciélago has commented that a full twelve-track release is coming soon.

"... a well-meaning attempt at multilingual performance, Whiskey and Bourbon are Smooth Burning unfortunately does not deliver as well as it could have. Maybe Ciélago should keep mixing in the booth instead of taking it to stage." - a Shinjuku-local magazine.

"For a breakout mix, this small release certainly shows Ciélago's intentions as an artist; however, the variation in style make it difficult to tell which is Ciélago's strong suit, so they both simply come off as mediocre." - blog entry

"This release is top-notch; the lyricism displayed by this young man is very reminiscent of the late '80s and early '90s, with the performance tone of the mid-naughties. This definitely brings more of the American West Coast to Japan!" - a Tokyo culture newspaper review.

"Trying to bring hip-hop like this from a techno-centered background has hurt Ciélago's attempt at success. The lyrics are well-made and flow very well through its languages, but otherwise the performance is bland ... a disappointment." - blog entry

"Absolutely impressive. We love these songs on our station and we've gotten a number of requests from fans asking for more. We can't wait for the full album, and the fans are foaming at the mouth for more." - Internet radio station on-air DJ

Track Listing

• "Tu Amor es la Droga" (4:33)
  • Using the sample of the song by the same name ("Love is the Drug" by Roxy Music) at a reduced tempo, this song is Ciélago's take on G-funk of the early 1990s West Coast made popular by Dr. Dré and Death Row Records. Its bass is heavy and its lyrics are suggestive at the least, with a sultry and inviting hook performed in Spanish and English, while the verses are written in Japanese. Its suggestive nature makes it popular amongst young adults and older coinnoseurs of the genre for its throwback to the G-funk era. Its popularity in California, on the West Coast, is impressive, with a number of downloads from interested subscribers to the genre.

• "Bringin' This" (4:52)
  • This track involves a considerably heavier sample, Marilyn Manson's version of "Personal Jesus" from the 1990s, and involves considerably less suggestive tones and instead opts for "harder" topics, including acquiring money internationally for his success, activity in underground music and narcotics, and even violence and murder over the two. He issues challenges to other performers in this track, and welcomes them to try and top him. The standoffish nature comes off in a "rap battle" fashion, making generalizations and naming no specific artists in his "blasts". This track is popular even across genre for its use of metal in the background and its dark tone. This song alternates between Japanese and Chinese, which Ciélago uses to connect his lyrics to Chinese opiate smugglers whom he supposedly has connections with.

Influences

When asked about the nature of his music, Ciélago commented that he has studied across genres, from enka to American country music, to gain inspiration for his work. He speaks highly of his living and working in Tokyo, but says that he dreams American, hence his style of clothing and his lyrics that clash heavily with most mainstream Japanese hip-hop and popular music.