Towa Tei - TIME AFTER TIME

There’s an Instagram account I like called SNL Reelz. It is, as labeled, daily posts of sketches and musical performances from the past 50 years of Saturday Night Live. A recent entry featured the very d-groovy Deee-Lite doing “World Clique” back in 1991. Listen, I’m not gonna lie, sometimes getting a reminder like that is enough to influence a post here at 3-6-5 HQ. And relax, I’m not going to recommend “Groove is in the Heart,” as rad as that song (and DJ Dmitry’s dancing in the video) remains to this day — you don’t need me to tell you about that song. Instead, we’re going to go with a song from the other, other Deee-Lite member who isn’t Lady Miss Kier — Towa Tei.

In 1998 Towa Tei released his solo album SOUND MUSEUM. In addition to having today’s pick and making me believe I could pull of thick, black framed glasses (I could not), it also came with GERMAN BOLD ITALIC, which was both a song and the titular downloadable font from the CD. I don’t know typography, so I can’t tell you how the font itself ranks. I’ve never used it and don’t envision a scenario where I will. The GBI musical track, which is about the font, isn’t that good either — can skip — but I’m spending too much time on typefaces. The song TIME AFTER TIME (the ALL CAPS are Mr. Tei’s, not mine. I’m not YELLING) is what we should be paying attention to here.

TIME AFTER TIME is a little throwback acid jazz-y (remember that!) bop that goes down smooth at any backyard patio party. Again, we aren’t breaking new ground here, I mean, other than including a newly invented downloadable font in your work. But it’s just vibes, dude. And sometimes, that’s enough. Grab yourself a cocktail and move to the bouncy drum track, the keyboards, the bass slaps, the flute fluttering about. It’s all there, and it’s delightful, truly delightful.