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 43 of the year 2020. Enjoy the new discoveries!
A veny pafa – 偃月を正す (Engetsu wo Tadasu)
The four gentlemen of A veny pafa introduces themselves as a roaring alternative band from Shiga prefecture. Led by vocalist Sora Imazaki, the alternative rock band focuses on putting a solid sound clothed with unpredictable tunes. Still brand-new, the band has released a four-track EP earlier in 2020 and now a limited double-A single. — Recommended by Francisca
Nao Katafuchi – The Last Countdown
After moving to the USA from Japan and later on to Germany, Nao Katafuchi has been busy with performances and making new tunes. In 2015, he released the album Émergence on Nadanna, a sister label of Germany’s Anna Logue Records. Now the musician has delivered a track for the minimal wave compilation album by the label Kernkrach, titled Der Kosmonaut. For those who are following AVO Magazine from the start, are familiar with Nao Katafuchi due to his 2013 performance in The Hague, organised by the webzine. — Recommended by Francisca
APPLE MEETS BAZOOKA – 君の駅 (Kimi no eki)
Indie rock band APPLE MEETS BAZOOKA got formed in 2015 and is led by vocalist and guitarist Mio Komatsu. The band is known for their DIY ethos, where they do the recording, mixing, mastering, music video shooting, editing and jacket design by themselves. It seems that the four-piece is working on an album. — Recommended by Francisca
fog. – path to A city
Minimalistic and fuzzy, that is the description that the rock band fog. gives themselves and might be also the reasoning behind the band name. The band got formed in 2019 after the band members met each other at a live venue in Shibuya when they were active in other music projects. In April of this year, they released their first EP with a focus on summer. — Recommended by Francisca
Re:name – Swingboat
Active since 2016 and based in Osaka, pop-rock band Re:name will release their second album, titled postmodern indie, in November of this year. The three members, the average age of the band is 20 years old, are inspired by catchy melodies used by western music and interweaves this with English and Japanese lyrics. — Recommended by Francisca
meh meh white sheeps – LUCKY 7 DAYS
Two vocalists, consisting of a man and a woman, guitars, keyboards and drums (they are looking for a bass player), meh meh white sheeps offers some sparkling sweet pop music for those who like to float on a cloud. meh meh white sheeps caught some attention overseas, since one of their songs got used in a special overseas campaign. After releasing their digital EP, emerald, they have been releasing some digital singles. — Recommended by Francisca
um-hum – Ungra
Started out in February 2019, although under a tentative name (Fried Rice Tatsujin, a restaurant that a couple of members of this band loves to visit), the name um-hum was given to the band in March 2019. The four-piece interweaves hip-hop, soul and alternative rock in their music by using sequences. In January of this year, they released their first EP and a couple of months later their first single. The theme of Ungra is life and death and the video is a contrast between the two according to the director of the video. — 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.
