うさぎのくらし [Usagi no Kurashi]

Moe Kamura understands the power of the human voice. She’s been sharpening her ability to express emotion with a vocal performance across mediums, having been active not only as a musician, but as an actress in feature films and stage plays. Across her career, she’s performed a range of genres, from quirky pop with Hotora Pikara to experiments in ultra-minimalism alongside Taku Sugimoto. Her eventual pivot to the leftfield may seem stark, but the transition is gentle when you consider the totality of her output — and Usagi no Kurashi is a vital part of her evolution. Recorded as a trio with guitarist Kido Natsuki and violinist Katsui Yuji (both members of prog rock/zeuhl group Bondage Fruit), Usagi is a work of musical theater that uses Kamura’s voice and sparse accompaniment to soundtrack a retelling of the mythology of the moon rabbit. It’s a near complete portrait of her artistry, juxtaposing the infectious hooks of her art pop days with dramatic spoken word segments that paint pictures of sprawling scenes.