Conga, issued in April 2016 on the noble label, gathers seven tracks from sonotanotanpenz, a project situated at the crossroads of Japanese and Chinese indie. The album’s pieces, including “コンガ” (Conga), “Cave,” and “Bagpipe,” unfold with a measured, intimate touch, evincing a modest but assured command of melody and texture. The recordings bear the hallmarks of a small-scale, perhaps home-studio environment, lending the music a quiet immediacy that suits the indie sensibility of the mid-2010s East Asian underground.Though sonotanotanpenz commands a modest following—around 685 listeners logged on Last.fm—Conga’s seven tracks offer a focused encounter with an artist navigating cross-cultural currents. The album’s blend of Japanese and Chinese indie signals a subtle dialogue, one that unfolds across sparse arrangements and understated instrumentation. This record is a useful artifact for those attuned to the quieter corners of the region’s indie canon.

Conga, issued in April 2016 on the noble label, gathers seven tracks from sonotanotanpenz, a project situated at the crossroads of Japanese and Chinese indie. The album’s pieces, including “コンガ” (Conga), “Cave,” and “Bagpipe,” unfold with a measured, intimate touch, evincing a modest but assured command of melody and texture. The recordings bear the hallmarks of a small-scale, perhaps home-studio environment, lending the music a quiet immediacy that suits the indie sensibility of the mid-2010s East Asian underground.Though sonotanotanpenz commands a modest following—around 685 listeners logged on Last.fm—Conga’s seven tracks offer a focused encounter with an artist navigating cross-cultural currents. The album’s blend of Japanese and Chinese indie signals a subtle dialogue, one that unfolds across sparse arrangements and understated instrumentation. This record is a useful artifact for those attuned to the quieter corners of the region’s indie canon.