The Suzan's 'Doki Doki Sound' EP Out Today & Featured on She Shreds

Following the release of their 2007 debut album, Suzan Galaxy, the band connected with Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John to produce their second album, Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat (Fool's Gold) and moved to New York, where they immersed themselves in the city's music community and took part in tours with artists including Datarock and Chromeo.

Back in Japan as of 2015, The Suzan's new EP, Doki Doki Sounds (Ingrid Records) will be the group's first US release in several years. Within its three songs, the record showcases multiple sides of the band, including the irreverent pop of "Ice Cream," (I assure you that you will be happy eating your ice cream while listening to this song," Saori says), and the optimistic indie jangles of "Stay On," a song inspired by the band's days in New York. "I tried to describe a moment in the life of a typical Millennial living in NY. She, as in the song, has been very busy with her work but finds time to look over Brooklyn from the Manhattan riverside, re-thinking her relationship," she explains.

The EP's standout opening track "Tell Me What," serves as a musical and thematic counterpoint to the other songs' playful vibes, and points to a new musical direction for The Suzan. Amid lush, atmospheric dream-pop, the duo question the state of the world around them and delve into their emotions over recent tragedies. "There are too many shocking incidents happening in the world. Why?" Saori says. "I squeezed my unexplainable anxiety into sounds and rhythm of the song.The guitar is people's cries, the piano describes tragedies and percussions show collision of emotions. All those elements are combined to make this moving and powerful song."

Tokyo's The Suzan dropped their first new song in more than four years when they released "Jungle Beat" on June 30th via the Swedish Artist Collective INGRID. They revealed the new tune with the help of BlackBook Mag the day prior, who noted the "modern-primitive rhythms, exuberant horn blasts and primordial chanting actually recall post-punk provocateurs like The Slits and Rip Rig + Panic." Bjorn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John, Chrissie Hynde, Primal Scream, Lykke Li) produced the latest music from the band, who he first discovered back in 2008 and has been working with ever since.

Outside of a few singles, the Doki Doki Sounds EP is The Suzan's first release in the US since 2010's Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat LP. Out today via INGRID, the band is coming to NYC for two very special shows in August to celebrate the new EP - the 5th at Sunnyvale in Brooklyn and the 10th at Pianos in Manhattan.

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