This is my personal interest, but what is the motif of the tattoo on your arm? What does it mean?
"Would you like to see it? You can't see it” (suddenly takes off her sweater)
Ah, I'm sorry ... (laughs). Is the animal on the left arm a wolf?
“This is two foxes! If you look closely, each other is biting into the tail of the other. Do you know the band Everytime I Die? This is inspired by their lyrics, so here the bird (on the right) is a mockingbird, because it's a familiar bird in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
And this is from the lyrics of MewithoutYou. I used to have lyrics tattooed as they were, but if I kept doing that, my whole body would be full of letters, so nowadays I often make pictures that I imagined from the lyrics.” (laughs)
from “Julien Baker talks about life at home, insomnia, and the origin of tattoos” // Mikiki, 02/02/18
The retro-futuristic world Perfume perfected in Nebula Romance: Part II — a cross-review of the masterpiece left behind by the three before their cold sleep
Is This The Real Life...?
As Perfume celebrates the 20th anniversary of their major debut, the trio has completed Nebula Romance: Part II — the sequel to their conceptual work that intertwines a sci-fi world with deeply personal emotions.
What lies beyond their evolution into a new dimension...?
A nostalgic future unlike any past before
The second half of a two-part concept album, following Nebula Romance: Part I released in 2024.
This work inherits and expands upon the retro-futuristic world of the first part, and the level of dedication to 1980s-style sounds here is truly astonishing. Perfume had already been pushing this approach since around PLASMA (2022), but it feels as though they’ve now traveled remarkably far down that path — listeners who haven’t been keeping up with recent Perfume might be quite taken aback.
After the introductory tracks, songs like “Reboot World” and “Nebula Romance” unfold through electro-fusion and future-funk textures, leading into the wistful high-energy of “Solar Wind” and the cosmic disco “Virtual Fantasy.” The track “Teenage Dreams,” which evokes an idol pop replica reimagined through a vaporwave lens, quietly astonishes with its craftsmanship.
By fusing this condensed and reinterpreted ’80s revival sound with an SF narrative that draws from space opera, cyberpunk, and time-loop motifs, Perfume invites listeners into a kind of metaverse — nostalgic, yet unlike any past that ever existed. The boldness of this leap is exhilarating and entertaining, and even judged simply as a pop album filled with strong, cohesive songs, it’s an impeccable work.
— Daisuke Sawada
A Brilliant Harmony of Storytelling and Retro-Futuristic Sounds
From their 2005 major debut single “Linear Motor Girl,” Perfume has embraced the concept of a near-future sci-fi world. Through their precise, almost mechanical dancing and seamless fusion with technology, they have continually embodied futuristic innovation.
In the two-part Nebula Romance project — which places its entire narrative within a sci-fi universe — Perfume’s artistry shows not a return to their roots, but a striking evolution of their art form. In this newly released Part II, the group advances from their traditional house-oriented sound toward synth-pop, achieving a beautiful balance between narrative richness and retro-futuristic tones.
From the band-driven “Reboot World,” to the ground beat-inspired “Virtual Fantasy,” the disco-funk number “Moon,” and the slow, fusion-style “Teenage Dream,” each track leaves a vivid impression. Beneath these songs lie inventive chord progressions and production techniques unlike anything they’ve attempted before — yet the results remain unmistakably pop and timeless, thanks to the unwavering strength of their voices and harmonies.
During the Part I tour, Perfume expanded the musical experience by performing the album alongside a sci-fi film in which they starred themselves. Part II will bring that story to a close with their long-awaited return to the Tokyo Dome — their first performance there since an unfortunate cancellation in 2020. From that ending, a new chapter for the trio is sure to begin.
