It makes sense that the Japanese producer Foodman originally made footwork: The genre is the perfect vehicle for his accessible experiments in rhythm. Though his recent work has drifted away from the style, you can still hear its influence in the vitality of his percussion: He’s not afraid of repetition, and there’s a lightness of touch to his programmed drumming. From the beginning of “Michi No Eki,” the second single from the upcoming Yasuragi Land, you’re confronted with hollow, almost rickety sounding percussion, which is altered and clipped. Like a rushing stream or a bustling anthill, it’s busy yet peaceful.

This illusion of natural tranquility comes from what sounds like sampled mallet hits, which he uses to create an effortless-sounding polyrhythm. Since the track has no bass, guitar plucks seem to take its place; their lack of fullness somehow hits with an overwhelming physicality. The only thing that doesn’t sound concrete is a certain synthetic tingle throughout—a sound that suggests your battery is about to run out. When vocalist Taigen Kawabe, lead singer and guitarist of the experimental noise rock group Bo Ningen, joins in, his voice seems buffeted by the elements, as if swimming against a current. The song’s video mimics this feeling of propulsive motion. In the slow-motion clip, Kawabe competes in a solo triathlon as Foodman cheers him on. In the final moments, Kawabe’s affirming lines about self-actualization (“Live your life as who you are/Let’s meet again on this path”) play in the background as Foodman throws confetti, congratulating Kawabe for a race well run. It’s triumphant and contemplative all at once.