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 9 of the year 2021. Enjoy the new discoveries!
TETORIPES – 今夜はエレクトリック (Electric Tonight)
TETORIPES started out on the 10th of April 2020, in the middle of the still ongoing pandemic. Based in Kansai, the alternative rock band seems to be focusing on producing danceable and sentimental rock tunes. This music video is officially their introduction to a worldwide audience, although you can listen to a couple of audio sources on the music platform Eggs.mu. — Recommended by Francisca
Kaamos from Tokyo – Matenro
With a new mini-album on its way, the electronic pop unit Kaamos from Tokyo released a music video to promote it. The idea to start this music project came in 2016, but the first steps were made in 2017 with the release of the first single and further releases. The duo likes to create their own way of danceable pop by layering playful grooves and beats on top of a bass-heavy rhythm. — Recommended by Francisca
Special Favorite Music – Gourmet
“New Music Takes You Higher”; which is the motto of the band Special Favorite Music. They value harmony and a sense of unity. The band name comes from a song that vocalist and guitarist Yusuke made in the past. The band has been active with a large group of 7 members but since October 2019, they are active with three members. The three-piece delivered a relaxing track accompanied by a delicious music video. — Recommended by Francisca
Lyanas – Reversal
Lyanas are a five-piece alternative rock band from Tokyo. The band is brand-new and it is reflected in the fact that they have just released their first single, consisting of two tracks, and a music video. The music can be put into the category of piano rock. As they are still in their early stages, it is interesting to see which steps they will make in the near future. — Recommended by Francisca
My Lucky Day – Sunny day Highway
Pop band My Lucky Day recently released their first album, titled All Shimmer in a Day. The music of this four-piece band from Kumamoto is leaning towards shoegaze and the nostalgic guitar pop of the 90s, reminiscing of early works of Supercar and American indie pop band The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. My Lucky Day was formed in 2018 by students attending the same university in Kumamoto, and started full-fledged activities in 2019. — Recommended by Francisca
SARRMATH – 楽園 (Rakuen)
Hibiki (ex-Calmando Qual, THE HIGH GRIP) vocalist Hibiki and drummer and composer 1000 (ex-Tokami), both very active in the Visual Kei and rock scene, decided in 2017 to collaborate with each other in a new music project named SARRMATH. A year later the rock band released the album SARRMATH 1+2, consisting of the two mini-albums they released prior. Curing performances, they use a projection of artistic elements to add to the visual aspect of their project. — Recommended by Francisca
BimBamBoom – そぼろ弁当 (Soboro Bento)
Alternative girls’ funk band BimBamBoom, led by drummer Miyoko Yamaguchi, recently released an EP with two tracks, about a delicious Japanese meal (Soboro Bento) which sounds delicious in itself. The five-piece collaborated for this EP with the mysterious vocalist xiangyu, who made her debut in 2019, who wrote a song in honour of her mother. The result of this collaboration consists of two versions of the song and two music videos. Sure check them both out. — 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 for when you yearn for more musical gems!
