This Is Our Jam: Elen Never Sleeps, “Spinning Wheel”

Elen Never Sleeps may be crafting pop from his Tokyo bedroom, but the sepia-toned entropy of “Spinning Wheel” has a faded charm whose origin is impossible to place. The wistful vocals crooned over bouncy guitar sound almost happenstance, as if they were hummed while meandering lazily through cobblestone streets. It’s a mood that reminds me of Norwegian producer Erlend Øye’s 2003 DJ Kicks compilation, where genre was secondary to feeling, and the medley of sounds felt timelessly intertwined after even one listen. Perhaps the best way to describe “Spinning Wheel” comes from Elen Never Sleeps’ own Bandcamp page — amidst the usual tags of shoegaze and pop lies another description: dreamwave. (International Tapes)