NEW ARTIST FINDS: MANICURE RECORDS

Meet the super kawaii music label, Manicure Records. The emoji-obsessed collective (I’m super into their logo simply being the “nails” emoji, by the way) is based out of Edmonton, Canada, and have taken on the trend of creating futuristic, obnoxiously cute, Japanese-influenced dance music (kind of like their London counterparts, PC Music.) Headed by Thomas Michael, aka Ghibli, the collective started creating loads of online buzz with their latest mix, #MANICURED, and show no signs of slowing down. Read on to discover possibly the cutest and strangest electronic dance music you’ve yet to encounter.

MANICURE RECORDS - BUG A BAE

Producer Guy Akimoto has taken Destiny’s Child's awesomely dated hit, “Bug-A-Boo,” and has turned it into an even bouncier, trance-flavored dance experience. Changing up Beyonce’ and company’s vocals, adding an urgent beat, and wonderfully ‘90s-influenced electronic elements, “Bug-A-Bae” will keep you coming back no matter how hard you try and fight it.

PONIBBI - HEART SKIP

Ponibbi takes teen pop star (I’m using the term “pop star” loosely here) Matty B’s bubblegum pop jam, “Heart Skip,” and reworks it into something that sounds like it came from a Dance Dance Revolution soundtrack (don’t act like you didn’t spend your early 2000’s “dancing” on that thing). By speeding up the beat like crazy, the vocals become Chipmunk-like and everything takes on a Euro-trance vibe that all strangely works. The weirdly cute, infectious track even caught the approval of PC Music-head, A.G. Cook, making it one of their most buzzed-about tracks.

MANICURE RECORDS - CRY

“Cry” is totally one of my favorites, as it’s packed with magical neon synths, cute girly vocals, and a chorus that won't leave your head. Re-worked by Lil’ Angel Boi, the track teases you by slowly easing you in with ‘80s-inspired synths and breathy vocals, before suddenly throwing you into the heart of the track’s blissful electropop vibe.

If you liked what you heard and want to explore more of what Manicure Records has to offer, then check out their SoundCloud page and show them some support! And lastly, if you need even more new music in your life, then head on over here for some BitCandy-approved goodness.

About Erin Crider

Erin Crider eats, breathes, and sleeps pop culture. If you have a question about a one-hit wonder from the ‘90s or need help remembering lines from a SNL skit, she’s your girl. When she isn’t lurking the internet, she's either going to a show or hanging out at Disneyland. Erin lives in Southern California and has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Cal State Long Beach.