View basket “Down The River Of Golden Dreams” has been added to your basket. CHAI CHAI SKU: SP1585X Barcode: 0098787158502 20.00 £20.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Sub Pop Released Date: 22nd September 2023 Buying Format: 1LP Coloured Vinyl Out of stock Back Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info The Japanese band CHAI first cast a spell on the world in 2017 with their debut album, ‘PINK’, a collection of songs that introduced their singular brand of playful pop. The enthusiastically feminist follow-up, ‘PUNK’, raked in accolades from the music press and fellow artists. That led to ‘WINK’, which CHAI made via remote Zoom sessions, a limitation that became a strength by allowing MANA (lead vocals and keys), KANA (guitar), YUNA (drums) and YUUKI (bassist-lyricist) to collaborate with artists abroad, to create a work that found catharsis in their international community. The band’s new, self-titled, album finds CHAI returning to their roots, drawing inspiration from their Japanese heritage and the music that raised them. “Everything reflected in the lyrics expresses our experience as Japanese women,” says MANA. CHAI’s ethos is one of inclusion and lead single, ‘We The Female!’ – recorded live to honour the band’s riotous performances – beckons listeners into the mission. “We are human and were born as female, but we have both female and male aspects in each of our souls, each with our own sense of balance,” CHAI said in an accompanying statement. “We can’t just label ourselves into clear-cut, simple categories anymore! I’m not anyone else but just ‘me’, and you are no one else but just ‘you’. This song celebrates that with a roar!” During their post-pandemic touring, performing for enormous crowds in cities like Santiago, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo made CHAI realize they had unlocked a global audience. CHAI wrote the new record on the road, finding time to record in the days between shows at Stones Throw Studio in LA, Ometusco Sound Machine in Mexico City, and Grand Street in New York. As they realized their liberatory, empowering message applied to people outside of Japan, CHAI considered what facets of their upbringing might resonate with audiences outside of their home country. On ‘CHAI’, the band draw directly from city pop, a Tokyo-born sound popularized in the 1970s and 1980s. City pop was a Japanese take on Western lounge music, borrowing from jazz, boogie, funk, and yacht rock to create a sound that straddled two cultures. While city pop has recently found a US audience via TikTok and YouTube, CHAI grew up on the genre. For production, they tapped previous collaborator Ryu Takahashi, who shared their love of city pop, Eurobeat, and the melodies of J-pop artists like Maria Takeuchi. “They wanted to dig into their Japanese identity, not in a traditional sense, but in this filtered Western way,” Takahashi says. Working well-equipped studios allowed them to experiment with aesthetics as-yet-unheard on a CHAI album. For example, at Stones Throw Studio, CHAI recorded ‘GAME’ with the sole intention of writing something listeners will recognize as new wave, riding on a house synth line and minimalist production that recalls the Eurobeat influences most recently associated with Robyn’s ‘Honey’. ‘GAME’ might be the perfect distillation of CHAI’s ethic, as it urges listeners to keep moving through this life with joy and passion. Per MANA: “It’s not about winning or losing as competition, but about what you need to do, personally, to feel you’ve won.” Loser Edition transparent pink coloured vinyl. Artist CHAI Genre Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label Sub Pop Buying Options 1LP Coloured Vinyl Format 1LP , Coloured Vinyl Condition New Country UK Track Listings MATCHA From 1992 PARA PARA GAME We The Female! NEO KAWAII, K? I Can't Organizeeee Driving22 LIKE, I NEED KARAOKE Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from CHAI and more from Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo View Product Quick View CHAI WINK Rock And Pop | Sub Pop | 1LP Released 21st May 2021 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CHAI WINK £20.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Sub Pop SKU: SP1420 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 21st May 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View CHAI NO MORE CAKE/Ready Cheeky Pretty Rock And Pop | Heavenly | 7", Single Released 8th January 2021 £10.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CHAI NO MORE CAKE/Ready Cheeky Pretty £10.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Heavenly SKU: HVN580 Formats: 7", Single Released Date: 8th January 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View CHAI PUNK Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Heavenly | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 3rd May 2019 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CHAI PUNK £16.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Heavenly SKU: HVNLP169C Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 3rd May 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Jimmy Whispers The Search For God Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Carpark Records | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 9th June 2023 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Jimmy Whispers The Search For God £20.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Carpark Records SKU: CAK169LP Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 9th June 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Howe Gelb Gathered Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Fire Records | 1LP Released 8th March 2019 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Howe Gelb Gathered £16.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Fire Records SKU: FIRELP548 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 8th March 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Trash Boat Nothing I Write You Can Change What Youve Been Through Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Hopeless | 1LP Released 17th June 2016 £13.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Trash Boat Nothing I Write You Can Change What Youve Been Through £13.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Hopeless SKU: HR2241-1 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th June 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Man on Man MAN ON MAN Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Big Scary Monsters | 1LP Released 7th May 2021 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Man on Man MAN ON MAN £18.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Big Scary Monsters SKU: BSM300V Formats: 1LP Released Date: 7th May 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Killing Joke Hosannas From The Basements of Hell (Deluxe) Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Cooking Vinyl | 2LP Released 18th November 2022 £25.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Killing Joke Hosannas From The Basements of Hell (Deluxe) £25.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Cooking Vinyl SKU: COOKLP346X Formats: 2LP Released Date: 18th November 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Crass Christ – The Album Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | One Little Independent | 2LP Released 30th August 2019 £33.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Crass Christ – The Album £33.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: One Little Independent SKU: BOLLOX2U2R Formats: 2LP Released Date: 30th August 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Self Defense Family Superior Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Run For Cover Records | 12", Single Released 19th February 2016 £11.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Self Defense Family Superior £11.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Run For Cover Records SKU: RFC134 Formats: 12", Single Released Date: 19th February 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Screaming Females Desire Pathway Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Don Giovanni | 1LP Released 17th February 2023 £27.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Screaming Females Desire Pathway £27.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Don Giovanni SKU: LPDG276 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th February 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders On Sale View Product Quick View Sink Ya Teeth Two Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Hey Buffalo | 1LP Released 28th February 2020 £11.99 £17.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Sink Ya Teeth Two £11.99 £17.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Hey Buffalo SKU: HB10LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 28th February 2020 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Spotlights Alchemy For The Dead Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Ipecac | 1LP Released 4th August 2023 £34.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Spotlights Alchemy For The Dead £34.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Ipecac SKU: IPC263LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 4th August 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Start again
View Product Quick View CHAI WINK Rock And Pop | Sub Pop | 1LP Released 21st May 2021 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CHAI WINK £20.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Sub Pop SKU: SP1420 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 21st May 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View CHAI NO MORE CAKE/Ready Cheeky Pretty Rock And Pop | Heavenly | 7", Single Released 8th January 2021 £10.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CHAI NO MORE CAKE/Ready Cheeky Pretty £10.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Heavenly SKU: HVN580 Formats: 7", Single Released Date: 8th January 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View CHAI PUNK Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Heavenly | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 3rd May 2019 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CHAI PUNK £16.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Heavenly SKU: HVNLP169C Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 3rd May 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Jimmy Whispers The Search For God Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Carpark Records | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 9th June 2023 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Jimmy Whispers The Search For God £20.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Carpark Records SKU: CAK169LP Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 9th June 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Howe Gelb Gathered Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Fire Records | 1LP Released 8th March 2019 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Howe Gelb Gathered £16.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Fire Records SKU: FIRELP548 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 8th March 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Trash Boat Nothing I Write You Can Change What Youve Been Through Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Hopeless | 1LP Released 17th June 2016 £13.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Trash Boat Nothing I Write You Can Change What Youve Been Through £13.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Hopeless SKU: HR2241-1 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th June 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Man on Man MAN ON MAN Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Big Scary Monsters | 1LP Released 7th May 2021 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Man on Man MAN ON MAN £18.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Big Scary Monsters SKU: BSM300V Formats: 1LP Released Date: 7th May 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Killing Joke Hosannas From The Basements of Hell (Deluxe) Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Cooking Vinyl | 2LP Released 18th November 2022 £25.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Killing Joke Hosannas From The Basements of Hell (Deluxe) £25.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Cooking Vinyl SKU: COOKLP346X Formats: 2LP Released Date: 18th November 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Crass Christ – The Album Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | One Little Independent | 2LP Released 30th August 2019 £33.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Crass Christ – The Album £33.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: One Little Independent SKU: BOLLOX2U2R Formats: 2LP Released Date: 30th August 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Self Defense Family Superior Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Run For Cover Records | 12", Single Released 19th February 2016 £11.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Self Defense Family Superior £11.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Run For Cover Records SKU: RFC134 Formats: 12", Single Released Date: 19th February 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Screaming Females Desire Pathway Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Don Giovanni | 1LP Released 17th February 2023 £27.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Screaming Females Desire Pathway £27.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Don Giovanni SKU: LPDG276 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th February 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
On Sale View Product Quick View Sink Ya Teeth Two Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Hey Buffalo | 1LP Released 28th February 2020 £11.99 £17.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Sink Ya Teeth Two £11.99 £17.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Hey Buffalo SKU: HB10LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 28th February 2020 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket
View Product Quick View Spotlights Alchemy For The Dead Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo | Ipecac | 1LP Released 4th August 2023 £34.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Spotlights Alchemy For The Dead £34.00 Genre: Alternative Rock / Punk Rock / Emo Label: Ipecac SKU: IPC263LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 4th August 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders