Playlist: JJCC get back into it, Girls' Generation get jazzy, Raw-G gets weird, April get dreamy

Raw-G - Lost Tape

This whole mini album from rapper Raw-G is packed with solid grooves and unexpected diversions. The first track, I'm OK, has a low-fi piano loop that recalls Warren G's take on I Shot the Sheriff, but then there's the off-kilter female vocal that sounds like warped 33rpm vinyl. The second track, The Devil, a slow psychedelic number, features layered harmonies and harp (of course). For the third, Soldiers of the Empire, he enlists a children's choir - stick with it - it's great. There's a tropical vibe on Ma Destiny; syncopated synths loping under his rap, which is punctuated by a lazy melody. The last track, 애정변심, is the most ambitious, skidding through myriad tempo and style changes - it takes a bit of getting used to but it's pretty great and kudos to the dude for producing an album of such startling originality. Good luck finding out anything about him - as well as the clothing brand; there are a bunch of Latin hip-hoppers in Oakland with the same name.  Enjoy their their new release Esperanza.

Ja Mezz - 1/4 LP

There are some pretty interesting things on the Ja Mezz album too - it isn't as consistent or surprising as the Raw-G mini, but it has 11 tracks, so it's a bigger ask. A hypnotic cello on a loop and a swaying rhythm give a  lumbering Baby Elephant Walk grew up vibe to Open Up. Satellite has big washy New Age Vangelis synths and processed vocals before taking a darker turn into trip-hop. Pilot has got your standard farty bass lines and spooky synths a la West Coast P-funk inspired hop-hop. It's  a pretty good album. It's worth a listen. But check out Raw-G first.

KIM SO JUNG - Dance Music

This dynamite Eurodisco track turned up on Simply K-pop about a month back - I thought that might have been the end of it (some songs/acts seem to begin and end right there), but then Kim So Jung turned up doing her wacky chicken dance on the bigger shows, mostly to slightly baffled silences. I don't usually get into Eurodisco but this one just gets me going; it's the right combo of I Feel Love and Todd Terry: it's Italy meets New York. The key changes - which I usually think are a cheap tactic - are just right here. The melody is a beauty. It's written by Super Chang, who wrote most of Ladies Code's singles and a bunch of stuff for APink, so it's no surprise it hangs together so nicely.

APRIL - Dream Candy

Where to start? With the title? The white frilly dresses?  The strings? The sweet, high chirruping harmonies? The "barababa" in the chorus that turns the hook into a stone-cold zombie earworm?  This is as formulaic as it gets and it's fan-tas-tic. The song and production are immaculate. From the melody's rhythmic phrasing at the beginning to the orchestrated flurries this is perfect timeless pop. DSP Media really have no excuse debuting a new group when they couldn't be arsed supporting Rainbow's iconic Black Swan but it's hard to quibble when the results are as good as this.

JJCC - Ackmong (Nightmare)

I've been waiting a long time for JJCC to live up to their first brilliant, melancholy single At First. Their second mini, while not as classic, was actually all Duble Sidekick goodness, but the robot/army concept did it no favours. The last couple were complete misfires. Ackmong,  again with songs by Duble Sidekick, is something of a return to form. The song they're promoting, Where You At, is a bit frustrating: it has a good funky groove but the melody is not strong enough and it's the other two songs I really like.  Trauma, which features Eugene from the Seeya on vocals (lots of vocals - she dominates the song) is a kind of Morricone spaghetti Western ballad with whistling and echoes of the Seeya's nice song from last year. The other slow jam, Insomnia, is even better, with its layered vocals trading places with strings, and a crunky synth giving it some bottom end. It works pretty well as an instrumental too.  The band has picked up two new members. Hard to see what they add so far tbh.

MyB - My Oh My

Some snarky site (and its commenters) was banging on about how this band are Red Velvet cosplay but honestly I like this song more than anything Red Velvet have done. Most of their stuff I find good in an intellectual way. This track - by Duble Sidekick again - is actually enjoyable. It's fun and smart; the bouncy chorus rocketing into machine gun guitar. This is the song Laboum should have come back with. The blonde concept is a little on the nose - it's one thing to have a blonde member or two but it gets a bit Midwich Cuckoos when it's part of the package so let's wait and see where they take it.

Classic batshit crazy K-pop cut of the week

GIRLS GENERATION - Show Girls

I am guessing this is what you get when a bunch of songwriters drink too much absinthe and watch Moulin Rouge on repeat. Various jazz styles backending each other with little regard for decorum; from slow torch style to hyperactive swing. Flawless performances from the ladies make it a keeper. This is just one gem from the delightful Lion Heart album - and the fourth cracking album SM has released so far this year (Jonghyun, BoA, TVXQ).