The 20-track concept album plays out like a sci-fi stage musical about two young girls named Caroline and Suzi, voiced by Buffalo Daughter’s Yumiko Ohno and frequent Tomita collaborator Suzi Kim. Caroline is a young musical prodigy with a case of chronic sadness. At times, she is too sad to sing, and cries while playing Chopin. “Life’s not only about having a good time, is it?” Caroline asks, to which Suzi responds, “That’s right Caroline, life’s not only about being down and out.”

The production is wildly inventive and sort of a space age combination of cut-and-paste tape loop experiments with ’60s show tunes, exotica, Japanese pop-rock, and Brian Wilson / Van Dyke Parks’ Americana.

Doopee Time: The healthy, mind clearing “Cute Music” of Yann Tomita | In Sheeps Clothing