With a large music industry such as Japan has, the 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 22 of the year 2021. Enjoy the new discoveries!
Heresy – Tell
Tokyo-based band Heresy are a five-piece band that incorporate their own interpretation of the music that is popular in the rock scenes outside Japan and emo screamo metalcore in their songs. Mostly they based the music around the powerful voice of Nobu. They started releasing music in the summer of 2018 and has released 4 EPs to date. — Recommended by Francisca
鳩とスパイス (Hato to Spice) – ありふれた日々 (Arifureta Hibi)
Soon the rock band Hato to Spice will release their first mini-album, titled 最後の晩餐 (Last Supper), and it was finally time to release a new music video after one year. From what you can find online about Hato to Spice, it seems to be definitely a band that needs to be experienced live. — Recommended by Francisca
MEMEMION – Prophet Song
Consisting of five members, MEMEMION, got formed only a few months back and released just their second single. Guitarist and vocalist Haruka Sakamoto, known for his work in pop band EDOGA-SULLIVAN, and bass player Shingo Ogaya (ex-DEZOLVE) are behind the formation of the group. The band’s name is based on the hope that the sounds they create will spread around the world like a meme. — Recommended by Francisca
Outside Her Vision – 揺るがない距離は今 (Yuruganai kyori wa ima)
Kanazawa-based Outside Her Vision can be best described as a melodic hardcore band with a strong emphasis on the lyrical content. The five-piece has released a demo in the autumn of 2018, followed this up with an EP in 2020 and recently released their second single and also first official music video, which is the one that is linked below. — Recommended by Francisca
ネオンと無重力 (Neon to Mujuuryoku) – BORDERLESS
This band places itself in the corner of City Neon Pop, the name neon also appears in their band name for added reinforcement. Neon to Mujuuryoku (which can also be read as Neon and Zero Gravity) was formed in the last month of 2019. The band consists of four members and will soon release their first EP, titled BORDERLESS. — Recommended by Francisca
Lemontic – スパーク (Spark)
Lemontic are a three-piece pop-rock band from Tokyo described as a citrusy haphazard band although they know how to bring the catchy pop melodies and guitar aspects together. The band was recently selected for the new artist discovery project “Enjoy Music!” that is sponsored by the producer of bands as SEKAI NO OWARI and Yuzu. — Recommended by Francisca
Abucon – Trippy Life
Based in Sapporo, the band Abucon (which stands for Abnormal Connection) got formed earlier this year, making it brand-new. They try to pursue a neo-soul sound that combines R&B and jazz. At this very moment, the group consists of around 10 musicians and with every live show, they rotate the cast of members which also means that they change the sound they produce, making it surprising what to expect per live performance. — 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!
