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 30 of the year 2021. Enjoy the new discoveries!
シトナユイ (Shetonayui) – morning moon
Shetonayui is an up-and-coming artist, currently enrolled in the Osaka College of Music for the course Music Creation. She gained attention for her participation in DJ Hasebe’s Crying Over Moonlight, which was released in June of this year. The song morning moon is her first single as a solo artist and it is said to be an alternative R&B song. — Recommended by Francisca
MINAMIS – HOLIDAY
Formed in 2013, MINAMIS are a four-piece from Tokyo, the band started out of the venue Shibuya La.mama. The band has a quite extensive discography, filled with singles, EPs, and a live album. One thing is for sure, MINAMIS will bring a smile onto your face. And that is exactly the goal of the punk band: “Be happy”. — Recommended by Francisca
Shihori – FIRE
Singer-songwriter Shihori has been living in the United States since 2018, this influence can be heard back in her recent music. Before she decided to start over in a country on the other side of the world, she has made a name in the music scene by writing and composing many popular anime theme songs and selling more than a million CDs. FIRE has been Shihori’s latest digital single and she is currently working on a new album. — Recommended by Francisca
ステエションズ (STATIONS) – VIDEO
This Osaka-based four-piece got formed in the winter of 2019. The band members of STATIONS all have different backgrounds in various music genres, so it’s not surprising that this pop band knows how to present a unique mix and always manages to surprise you, especially with the addition of lyrics that share a certain view of the world influenced by for example literature. STATIONS’ first EP was released in December last year. — Recommended by Francisca
Tesserakt – Abyss
Almost out of the blue, Tesserakt suddenly appeared, an electro-dance duo from Sapporo. Consisting of vocalist Saya and keyboardist and guitarist Rufa. Their introduction to the world was the release of a music video, for the song Abyss, which is also the first single for the musical unit. A very interesting start, definitely a duo to keep an eye on! — Recommended by Francisca
yardlands – rise
yardlands got formed in the winter of 2018. They have released a couple of CDs and directly knew to gain attention with their music. The five-piece want to attempt a multifaceted sound approach, influenced by the minimalist and melody-oriented musicality such as Spangle call Lilli line, D.A.N., and Sakanaction, but also the beat and atmosphere from R&B artists as Frank Ocean and Jorja Smith. — Recommended by Francisca
ユラシキリ (Yurashikiri) – 月に吠える (Tsuki ni hoeru)
Yurashikiri got formed in September 2020, making the rock band still brand-new. The five-piece decided to release singles for four consecutive months, ending with the current song, and all singles received a music video. Furthermore, it seems that their first full-length album is on its way. The high-pitched voice of the vocalist Ken is very characterising for the band in combination with the guitar-driven rock sound. — 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! Want to read more about how this project started or check out the YouTube playlists? Click here for all the information.
