A lot can be said about Blueprint Tokyo by saying very less. However, this is a feature, and this brilliant project needs the spotlight shone upon them. Creating an indie duo with messages of love and wonder is difficult, when so much complexity gets interwoven. That is where the band brings in the intangible of their music, and the beautiful tonalities that shower you with positivity and light.
Since their debut single Panic Carefully, it was their detailed yet simple riff writing and special attention to the atmosphere that hooked us all. Not only was the riff very memorable, but something about the blend was tastefully theirs. Blueprint Tokyo made their initial footprint directly on concrete rather than in the sand, for that is how mature their sound was. You might have heard parts of it before with other projects, the ones that inspired them. What conspired in totality, however, was truthfully theirs.
A Whole New Life started weaving in deeper understandings with this synth soaked indie rock. The lyrics took you away to further places, a melodic escapism that you got addicted to. Each woven web was an intricate world into another song, a storytelling skill very few indie bands might have. Kevin Dawson and Andrew Hale made the band inspired by a lot of late 80s and 90s bands-and it shows. They pay respect to the sound that took them in this direction, and then found their own.
With technology, comes further experimentation. Blueprint Tokyo started working on the fabric of the layers, coming to a deep understanding of it by the time 2022s Cinema Sounds was released. The thematic departure seemed to arrive to a new step, and by this time they knew what they were defining their world to have.
Through 2023, you can see a lot of tonal bridges taking new to brand-new lands. A slew of singles was released through the year-as though to give us detailed reports on their studies. Slow Days, Stand and Deliver went sharper into the lyrics, not only making astute observations, but blending it with their unique sound. Ryan West collaborated with the duo for Only in America-a statement that observed the contrasts of corporate greed, poverty, pain and the struggles in the country. With Blue, they pick apart the melancholy in their own style-and give us something to return to that is emblematic of their journey as a band.
Blueprint Tokyo are the spotlight for the week, and their explorative journey through this aural maze has led to treasure. Fortunately, you can listen to it on their Spotify, and follow the band on their socials for releases to come. Check them out here, and explore Blueprint Tokyo moment by moment: