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 31 of the year 2021. Enjoy the new discoveries!
サンサーラブコールズ (SunSirLovecalls) – コンクリートユートピア (Concrete Utopia)
To push their just-released first mini-album, titled 8dayHz, the five-piece of SunSirLovecalls put out a new music video filled with explosive sounds and chaotic imagery. With every track the band put out, they show their search to a unique expression. The band started out in 2017 and found its current band line-up just last June. The band members refer to themselves as being on the side of the counterculture. — Recommended by Francisca
miida – melt night
The project by guitarist and composer Mizuki Masuda is named miida. With this project, she wants to pursue unconventional musical possibilities such as minimal, mellow, and hip-hop. The project was started in 2019 after her former band Negoto disbanded. She not only writes and compose the music, but also creates the artwork and visuals for miida. Another project Masuda is part of is named miida and The Department. — Recommended by Francisca
Vanityyy – tiny40HELL
Punk rock band Vanityyy’s straightforwardness and catchy music are reminiscent of the 90s which might attract those who grew up in that time period. The three-piece has as a motto that you can be cute, no matter how old you are. The band costumes always have green in them, which is also the colour that is part of their guerilla event called ‘Bani Day’ where every fan is asked to share something green – every year on the second of August. — Recommended by Francisca
KUBINE – THE SKIN I’M IN
Kubine, ex-vocalist of the grindcore band Self Deconstruction, embarked on her solo project two years back and finally presented her first EP at the end of June of this year, with the title THE OTHERS. On Bandcamp Friday, Kubine came out with a music video to promote her debut EP, an animated version, which may look cute, but soon shows a whole other side. The EP consists of three tracks filled with industrial metal. — Recommended by Francisca
Haco – Frozen in Time
In June, vocalist and sound artist Haco released a new album, titled Nova Naturo, filled with summer vibes. The musician released two music videos in the past week to promote this release. For Nova Naturo, Haco drew inspiration from mythologies surrounding ideas of rebirth, combining elements that might be unexpected and this all can result in a sense of relaxation. A special edition of this album with an extra track got released on the 6th of August, on the Bandcamp page of Haco. — Recommended by Francisca
Seventeen Years Old And Berlin Wall – Doors Of The City
Shoegaze/dream-pop band Seventeen Years Old And Berlin Wall released a year back, in August, their fourth mini-album, Abstract. The four-piece is inspired by shoegaze, guitar pop and dream-pop and has been active since 2013. Until now, they haven’t released a full-fledged album, but they have produced several mini-albums. A year after releasing Abstract, the band decided to put the mini-album on an analogue record via the French Diggers Factory. — Recommended by Francisca
マシラ (Mashira) – HUMAN ERROR
After releasing two EPs, it was time for the alternative rock band Mashira to put out a single with their hard-edged sound, titled HUMAN ERROR. The Tokyo-based band is formed in the spring of 2019 and consists of three members, although recently it was announced that one of the members will be withdrawing and that this music video is the last one with the current band line-up. Keep an eye on them for their next steps, because they are far from finished. — 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.
