If you would have asked me about Atlanta artist Untiljapan a year and a half ago, I would have described an faceless, mysterious enigma that communicated with the outside world through love struck melodies coated in expensive 808s. That description isn’t that different from the one I have today.
I, like most, knew little of Untiljapan, or ‘Japan’ as his fans refer to him as. I encountered his artistry during his ‘SAFE TRAVELS’ era in which he wore motorcycle helmets and ducked interviews. He frequently cleared his Soundcloud page and rarely posted on social media, the quickest, most effective way to garner attention as an up-and-coming music artist. Because of this online scarcity, his fans theorize he started making music in 2019.
DARK OUTSIDE, VOL. 1 (2023)
The mysterious musician rose as a standout in the Atlanta underground scene with his collective DARK OUTSIDE’s album ‘DARK OUTSIDE: VOL 1’ in early 2023. The project featured blown-out 808s and introspective, solitary songwriting from untiljapan. It is on this project that establishes his spatial sound and heartfelt storytelling. His tales of betrayal and vows of greatness ahead become signature to Japan. While his contemporaries ramble about lust and addiction, Japan’s awareness within this lyrical framework is very refreshing in the current trap music scene. There is just no one like untiljapan.
Some standout songs to me off of this record include the melancholic ‘YEA DATS COOL’, the hazy tracks ‘ROCKOUT’ and ‘PAPARAZZI’.
SAFE TRAVELS (2023)
‘SAFE TRAVELS’ is a feast for the ears. This record is where I first encountered the enigma. Released in September 2023, this album sound-tracked my visit to Ghana, West Africa. The songs feel specifically crafted for long, late-night flights.
This was one of the most unique, high quality debut albums to release in 2023, almost immediately setting untiljapan apart from his rage trap contemporaries. ‘BITE THRU IT’ and ‘KISS N TELL’ have become the most popular songs off this LP thanks to cosigns from Twitch streamer Kai Cenat. Angelic, fragmented vocal samples over gritty drum patterns encompass the album as a whole.
‘EU SWAG’ has never left my rotation since I found this album. The cloudy, melancholic track details the complicated love stories I could only find in R&B. The shape-shifting drums are addicting and remind me of Aphex Twin’s early work. The outro and title track ‘SAFE TRAVELS’ recently became a favorite of mine. To me, this song is like watching a rocket takeoff. It builds slowly and just explodes, and once it starts it never stops. The spacey, continuous vocal sample that is broken up by drums that land like stomps, and it can’t help but transport you.
trompe l’oeil (2025)
Trompe l’oeil is a film in music form. Everything that untiljapan does well and is revered for, he does even better here. The production is perhaps the biggest leap in quality between these 2 works. Not in a way that it’s better here than in his last work, but that there is so much more ambition that beams throughout this record. ‘WATCH YO BACK’ and ‘KISS THA RING’ are probably some of the most ordinary records on this LP, and yet, they are still so singular and unique. As regular rap songs, they get the job done extremely well. Furthermore, he pulls from tasteful songs to craft some angelic sounds. ‘BROAD DAY’ samples Cocteau Twins’ ‘Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires’, for example.
His use of sampling was both a gift and a curse, as some samples could not get cleared in time for his intended time of release. A couple days after the release of the album, he uploaded a Director’s Cut of trompe l’oeil that featured 4 standout tracks available only on Soundcloud.
I personally really enjoyed the sampling for the most part, but I did start to get tired of it as the record went on. The drums or expertly drowned out 808s could be impressing me and holding my attention, only for me to briefly catch a sonic whiff of a vocal sample tucked away in the cloud of production of any song. This happened a couple of times, leaving me feeling pretty disillusioned during my initial listen. A bold artistic choice, it quickly becomes a clutch, a gimmick that Japan relies on on this album a bit more than necessary.
That being said, the tracks on this director’s cut would have forced some uncomfortable, inevitable conversations about Untiljapan’s artistry and future. I honestly believe that they still do. While they feature more sampling, it is so well expanded on in these tracks that it can’t help but blow you away. ‘OLD VICES. NEW CITIES.’ is one of the best songs off the entire record. The angelic choir, harmonies that ring throughout your mind, the synth-led beat switch, and the heartfelt message Japan expresses about vices, addictions, and growth make this song special.
Additionally, the record has other tangible factors that keep it interesting and impressive. The storytelling and songwriting on this album was much better. The improved production set such a profound stage for untiljapan to detail such introspective tales of love, betrayal, and redemption. The emotion goes beyond just lyrics and becomes themes. Songs like ‘ONE HELUVA DRUG’ and ‘WOLF IN SHEEP SKIN’ see this the greatest. Japan captures such profound emotion on short, impactful songs.
In this proficiency, untiljapan also takes risks. On songs like ‘COAST 2 COAST’ and ‘DIE LIKE THIS’, Japan embraces the ambitious experimentation that drove rap to its current destination. Both tracks encompass a similarly deep, orchestral production in which Japan puts it all out there. ‘PYRAMIDZ’, the lead single of this song, communicated to me that this LP would be like nothing else in untiljapan’s discography.
What stuck out to me the most on this album was the presence and identity untiljapan has reached in his raps. The pacing of each song, the large, lavish production, the vocal experimentation and layering – he sounds all the more sure of himself and his sound and his direction. Untiljapan is the most interesting upcoming rap acts out right now, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
Untiljapan will be an opener for American rapper-producer Li Tecca’s ‘DOPAMINE’ EU tour.