Psychedelic pop sounds from Tokyo via Washington D.C. label Peoples Potential Unlimited.

Andrew Morgan’s Peoples Potential Unlimited is widely regarded for its singular presentation of outsider boogie and cosmic funk. For the past 15 years, the label has not only discovered and reissued lost music from self-released producers and funk prodigies of the past like Dwight Sykes, Mix-O-Rap, and Uku Kuut, but also championed new sounds from rising stars like D.C. singer Dreamcast, Oakland house producer Spaceghost, and six-piece Miami boogie/yacht rock band Psychic Mirrors. We’ve been longtime fans and always keep a few of their records in our bags as reliable party starters / movers.

With that said, the label’s latest release comes as a bit of a curveball, but unsurprisingly still hits all the right notes. Ramble In The Rainbow is the new EP from Japanese experimental pop band TAMTAM. While the release certainly strays from the label’s typical stateside focus, PPU is no stranger to Japanese artists. In 2020, the label released some incredible talkbox electric soul from Ryu Tsuruoka. From Andrew Morgan: “Wow, it’s not often someone randomly emails you their ‘demo’ and it’s this polished. Instantly cleared the release schedule for them!”

TAMTAM’s music draws from a diverse set of influences including jazz, soul, dub, and psychedelic pop. Sun Ra, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Yasuaki Shimizu are listed as inspirations which, of course, is exactly our zone here at In Sheep’s Clothing… It’s impressive to hear these more typically left-field sounds presented in a pop-oriented package and it’s clear this group knows exactly what they’re doing. Singer, multi-instrumentalist Kuro glides gracefully over the band’s spacey grooves with shades of neo soul and r&b. Space echo dub treatment and shoegaze wall of sound processing gives the album a layer of woozy nostalgia. The whole album is quality, but to highlight one moment: that lead melody from “山を下りる/ Go Down The Mountain” will likely be stuck in our heads for the next few weeks…

To celebrate the release, TAMTAM drummer and sound engineer Affee Takahashi shared five inspirations with us along with some quick notes about each track.

Mariah – 心臓の扉 (Shinzo No Tobira)

Mariah is an 80’s band by Japanese saxophonist/composer Yasuaki Shimizu. While being influenced by a variety of genres such as jazz, rock, and new wave, they have a unique sound that is different from any of them. The freedom and colorfulness of their sound is exciting every time we listen to it. It is one of the indicators of TAMTAM’s sound.

DJ Harrison – IGY

This year’s TAMTAM productions were all recorded at home, without the use of an outside studio. DJ Harrison and his band Butcher Brown led us to the interesting sound that only home recording can provide. Their sound has a wonderful combination of rough texture and modern feel.

Lee Perry – Disco Devil

This song is a dub version of Max Romeo’s “Chase The Devil”, which TAMTAM covered a long time ago. Lee Perry’s balance of chill-out and dance music is one of our eternal goals, and his work has taught us the power of effects.

Azymuth – Jazz Carnival

Azymuth is a Brazilian fusion trio with a charming rhythmic comfort. The use of synthesizers integrated with the band’s sound is our ideal ensemble. I think the drum synth is one of the most attractive parts of this piece.

Tara Clerkin Trio – The Turning Ground

We love Tara Clerkin Trio as a band that straddles the line between experimental and pop. I saw their performance in Tokyo and was amazed at the psychedelic sense of time, something I had felt when I heard their record before, that they were able to express in their live performance too.