With a large music industry such as Japan has, second largest in the world, it is inevitable that music fans will be inundated with a profusion of good (and also less good) music from this country. It is impossible to keep track of this and write a review about it per video. But to avoid missing out on gems, it is time for a weekly list of new music videos from lesser-known Japanese musical acts that are definitely worth watching. We are now looking back on a couple of videos that were released in week 41. Enjoy the new discoveries!
Takara Araki – Perfect Revenge
For those who are intrigued by music that is complicated and hair-raising, might already know the music of this singer-songwriter. Especially if you are aware of Get Your Genki, since Takara Araki’s music, her first EP and a song for one of the compilations, got released by the European label. The musician has been working with music since 2003 and started composing music in 2013. She incorporates modern electronic music with trap beats and layered choruses, which makes it pop and avant-garde at the same time. — Recommended by Francisca
GEREN – ROBOT
Described as a new phase rock band, GEREN started out in July of this year. The four-piece is aiming to get a major debut in the coming three years and have been working hard to produce new music and a documentary that shows the challenges the band faces to achieve their goal. Within a month, they published two music video that generated quite a few views in such a short period of time. — Recommended by Francisca
CATCH ME YESTERDAY – Kanchi
In 2017, the emo/alternative rock band CATCH ME YESTERDAY saw the light by the hands of vocalist and guitarist Kazuya Tamura and former indigo la End drummer Yusuke Ota. They went in full swing after bass player Hiroya Nakane joined the band. In the summer of 2019, the band released their first album, titled Something & You. Tamura, nicknamed Melody Monster, is in charge of the lyrics, in English and Japanese. — Recommended by Francisca
パンのみみ (Pan no Mimi) – コンプレックス (Complex)
While Pan no Mimi (bread crust) is the perfect name for a small coffee shop or bakery (and I can tell you, there are a couple of them in Japan), it is also the name of a pop project run by singer-songwriter Mika Mutou. The project is based in Nagoya and started in 2015 as a duo but after the withdrawal of the guitarist Shimizu, Mutou made a solo project out of it. At the end of October, a mini-album with the title RENEWAL will be released to show the new step of the project. — Recommended by Francisca
ank – スーパーほめられたい!! (Suupaa home raretai!!)
The in 2010 started rock band ank consists of three members, vocalist and bass player Mayamiki, guitarist Zico and drummer Oogo. Originally started as u.n.k, the band decided to change the name to the current name in 2012. The band loves to mix genres as power pop, melodic rock, punk into their music and add lyrics about everyday life and emotions to create music that might give you an idea that you are in a rollercoaster ride. — Recommended by Francisca
Ezoshika Gourmet Club – 猫と占いと家具屋 (Neko to uranai to kaguya)
Later this month, the alternative rock band Ezoshika Gourmet Club from Tokyo will release a mini-album, titled モミジノススメ (Momiji no susume). The four-piece started in 2018 and focuses on the 90s and 2000s alternative rock music with a variety of other genres. From the start, they have been attracting attention with their colourful music. — Recommended by Francisca
Lucid And The Flowers – Angel
The genre of the music that Lucid And The Flowers make can fit in alternative rock, but also noir pop. Slow, dark, but romantic and lo-fi jazzy shoegaze tunes embrace you while the music continues with smoky, nihilistic English lyrics. The four-piece started in November 2013, but after a break since December 2014, the band returned with a mini-album in October 2019. It is now waiting for that first album. — Recommended by Francisca
Next week we will be back for a new list of new music videos to check out. But you can also look back to the earlier editions of this weekly article series.
