Tapeworms Embark on a Grand Voyage—A Bold, Glitch-Pop Odyssey
Tokyo-via-Lille shoegaze art-pop trio Tapeworms are back, unveiling their long-awaited second album, Grand Voyage, set for release on April 11 via New York City’s Music Website and Japan’s P-Vine. Drawing from the pulsating energy of French touch, the saccharine rush of early 2000s bit-pop, and the glitch-heavy experiments of Tujiko Noriko and Oli XL, the album finds the band venturing into thrilling new sonic territory.
Leading the charge is their electrifying new single and video, “Playground”—a twisted, serotonin-fueled pop concoction that blends their eclectic influences into something utterly singular. Built on a kaleidoscope of MIDI drums, bit-crushed synths, and SEGA-inspired sound effects, the track paints a picture of an endless afternoon bathed in golden light—melancholic yet euphoric, like a childhood memory on loop. Lyrically, “Playground” taps into themes of escapism and self-discovery, echoing their recent standalone tracks “IRL”, “Puzzle” (2023), and “Superstar” (2024). It reminds us that playgrounds are more than just childhood spaces—they’re where we learn to take risks, dream freely, and carve out our own realities. As we grow older, these sacred spaces fade, but Tapeworms invite us to reclaim them.
The accompanying music video is a dreamlike, nostalgia-drenched love letter to those fading playgrounds. Freshly settled in Tokyo, bandmates Margot Magnière and Théo Poyer roamed their new surroundings with a mini-DV camera, documenting every playground they stumbled upon. The result? A heavily cut, flickering collage of memories, evoking the hazy warmth of old family vacation tapes—the kind that capture younger versions of ourselves and bring long-lost emotions back to life.
With Grand Voyage, Tapeworms chart a bold new course—one that’s glitchy, radiant, and fearless in its pursuit of sonic adventure.
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