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 37 of the year 2021. Enjoy the new discoveries!
Lyric Jack – パノラマグライダー (Panorama Glider)
Pop-rock band Lyric Jack got formed in 2016 while the four members were part of their high school light music club. Vocalist and guitarist Moriguchi writes the music and lyrics, then the other members work on the band sound and the chorus to make it a complete song. They have released one EP, a couple of singles, of which the one linked below is their fifth digital single. — Recommended by Francisca
PHONICLINE – MUSIC
Tokyo-based rock band PHONICLINE got formed in 2013 and gave their first live show only two weeks after the start. Currently, the band consists of 3 band members and they are looking for a drummer. If you are interested in more of them, musically, PHONICLINE decided last year to create an album, titled ESSENTIALS BEST Past to the Present. This album with 12 mostly re-recorded tracks is available for free to download. — Recommended by Francisca
[ahi:] – romantic spell (feat. Seren Azuma)
[ahi:] is the name of a musical duo consisting of Sakai Kotori and Sonozaki Nakura, both active as VTubers since the beginning of 2019. As a duo, they have been active since 2020, releasing the first album in that same summer. The duo dubs themselves as a virtual track-making unit. The songs they create contain themes that are close to everyday life. For this song, the 8th single of [ahi:], they worked together with Seren Azuma, also a VTuber. — Recommended by Francisca
ハクトリスム (Hakutorisum) – cbbaftr
Hakutorisum is the solo project of Yoichiro Endo, who was formerly active in bands as visual kei band THE NOSTRADAMNZ, noir pop band Lucid And The Flowers and rock band APPLE MEETS BAZOOKA. Recently he decided to focus on his solo project and has released an Inspiration Disk filled with a 30-minute sonic adventure. The song linked below might not be the best introduction to the music work of Hakutorisum, because it is an instrumental track. Other songs created by Hakutorisum consist of a more rock sound. — Recommended by Francisca
Miyu Ogawa – さなぎ (sanagi)
Miyu Ogawa is a singer-songwriter from Tokyo. From a young age, she studied classical ballet and dance. In 2021, when she decided to work as a freelance artist and start her music career, she produced her first album entitled Omamorigami independently, from artwork to recording fully acoustic songs. Besides all this, she also has been active in several films and drama series. — Recommended by Francisca
Teenager Kick Ass – UnBORDE
Teenager Kick Ass got formed in 2016 under a different name. After changing the band name to what it is now, the Tokyo-based rock band released their first mini-album in the summer of 2017. After that, the three-piece has released a couple more mini-albums in 2018 and 2019. They are known for their one-of-a-kind presence and dominating live performances. — Recommended by Francisca
ZOOZ – Galaxy
“Post Punk Revival Revival is here.” That is how the four members of ZOOZ introduce the band. All band members are busy bees as they are also active in other bands. After releasing two albums in 2020, shu ha ri and Wisteria, it was time for another full-length album. This third album, titled Night, will be released this coming November, filled with 12 new tracks. Galaxy is one of the tracks on that upcoming album. — 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.
