Arigato - Self-Titled

Additional Editing by Anouska Liat

It is truly staggering to wrap one’s head around how many artists are looking to break through the web, pulling together watercolour blends of styles and ideas in the supermarket of cultures that is the internet. Arigato is one of those hopeful names, and is the pseudonym of Jaime Sharp, a songwriter who is careful not to lean into any particular genre, preferring to be a free-standing artist with something to give that few else can. His debut EP, self-titled, is far more definitive than a slap-dash compilation of tracks; each song possesses its own artwork, as shared via Jaime’s Instagram, yet while it does reveal an excluded track titled ‘Warszawa’, the bold, neo-scrapbook art demonstrates a clear vision for design, and this thankfully carries over into the music.

Arigato is an apt name for Sharp’s creative endeavours, nodding to his clear admiration for Japanese culture. It’s something that pops up throughout his self-titled EP - in the form of oriental synths and plucked shamisen (‘Raincoat’), Kung-Fu movie samples (‘Liyo’) and twinkling tunes that could have been straight from an N64-era JRPG (‘Safe’). Not only does this integration add a unique dimension to the music, but it also feedback-loops back into his efforts to craft a strong identity for himself, especially when coupled with his other intricacies.

Vocally, though not the strongest presence in the room, he instead finds power in having a unique tone that can take a while to get used to, similar to an artist like Joji. Inherited sounds from his influences can be heard in whispers all over the project, be it the soothing harmonies of Kid Cudi (‘Raincoat’) or the addictive drawl of $uicideboy$ (‘Funny’). The outcome of these inputs from modern hip-hop is the ability to turn what would be a weakness, into a strange allure.

Despite introducing a solid persona, the record falls short in areas where poor decisions plague the production and mixing. For one, Arigato’s vocals are sometimes buried in the instrumentation to the point of being incomprehensible, the worst offender being the intro track, which is mere crowd chatter underneath the Nokia ringtone-like beat. Elsewhere, production can vary wildly in quality, with some feeling incredibly flaccid with no punches to pull. For example, the flat drums on ‘Myspace’, or the bridge on ‘District Line’ that has no splash into the chorus that the build-up eludes to. While it’s all well-layered, few tracks offer interesting variations or instrumental curveballs to liven up what’s going on behind Arigato. Songs like the ‘Funny’ interlude and ‘Raincoat’ function like simple Garageband loops with next to no soundplay, creating a wide gap between the EP’s best moments and tracks with disappointingly amateurish execution.

However, not wishing to beat the EP up, there are plenty of positive aspects to what he’s doing here. Though a smaller project, it does demonstrate an artist with a lot of focus, as well as a clearly-defined crater that he’s mined for himself in alternative pop. Jaime can momentarily master the balance of a track’s instrumental, peppering them with small details that give a world of difference, such as the glass bottle-like chiming inside the framework of ‘District Line’, or the contorting glitches tucked within ‘Myspace’. This all shines vividly on the brightest moment on the EP, ‘Safe’. A meditative piece that dedicates the first minute to the slow-moving instrumental, Arigato sets up a beautiful dichotomy between modern rhythmic styles and graceful orchestration, as a set of fragile strings swell over rattling hi-hats and crushed percussion.

In summarising his first spin around the track and carrying onto the next lap, Arigato should implement those production tweaks and edits. It would give the weaker songs some much-needed thrust and varnish off his core sound, improving the project tenfold. There is a tonne of potential that could come from this guy, as his well-sharpened pencil has already allowed him to poke his head out from the infinite wash of online artists.