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 4 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
borderline case – ruten
It was 2004 when vocalist NINO decided to start the band borderline case in Fukuoka. In the meantime, the shoegaze math rock band is active from Tokyo as a four-piece. The band’s name is fitting with the music that NINO creates as the topics are about mental instability and emotions that can change rapidly. The band does self-organised studio gigs and are well-known for their overwhelming stage presence. — Recommended by Francisca
GAME CENTER – 東京 (Tokyo)
GAME CENTER got formed in 2018 by vocalist Mizuno and guitarist Michimaru. The band’s sound was mainly influenced by indie and emo music from the United States, but with the single さよならサバーバン (Sayonara Suburban) released in 2020, it shifted more towards a straightforward rock sound, incorporating folk and Japanese lyrics. In that same year, they were performing on the Rookie A Go-Go event that is part of Fuji Rock Festival. In 2021, they released their very first album, LOVE. — Recommended by Francisca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlNCXGCx7hs
the dadadadys – ROSSOMAN
Have you ever had that feeling of wanting to start again with a completely clean slate? That’s what the men of the rock band teto thought too, because after 6 years of activity they thought it was time to go on with a completely new band name, the dadadadys. In an interview on their own site, bass player Kenichiro Sato says that it feels like starting all over again, with a fresh start. Previously the band was a duo, with vocalist and guitarist Sadatoshi Koike and bassist Kenichiro Sato and now with the addition of drummer yucco this new band is a trio. — Recommended by Francisca
knulloid – Fade Away
Behind knulloid is multi-instrumentalist Katsushi Nannjo, who is also active in the metal band ikd-sj and formerly the guitarist in the metal band Ladiorowm. Since it is a solo project, he writes the songs, composes them and plays all the instruments, but also takes on the task of mixing, illustrations and videos. The second album of the alternative rock solo project is titled For a Whole Dead xx and has been just released, more than a year after the release of the first album. — Recommended by Francisca
KOMONO LAKE – 帰り道 (Kaerimichi)
Soon after being formed in the first month of 2021, KOMONO LAKE, released four singles in a row before they release their first EP, LAKE, in May of that year. KOMONO LAKE started out as a duo with vocalist Kanbin and producer SKYTOPIA, but after 7 months of activities, it became a trio with the addition of bass player Kuroji. The band bases the theme on natural city pop with the musical style crossing urban and natural environments while being influenced by city pop, Showa songs, soul and R&B. Their second EP, titled Justified, has been recently released. — Recommended by Francisca
ayano kuronё – 月光 (Gekkou)
Singer-songwriter ayano kuronё started writing songs in 2015 and could be seen performing on stage since 2017. The musician is based in Aomori prefecture and released her first mini-album in 2018, titled See you when the sky turned indigo. The song Gekkou comes from her in 2021 released second mini-album, Dear world, and it shows what the musician does: singing real emotions with words with her guitar. She reveales in her profile on Spotify that she writes all her songs at night. — Recommended by Francisca
ylang ylang – Ira Ira 2022
Ylang ylang is a female ambient songwriter that focuses on soaring and whispering voices, a single melody and words that open up the world. Her music gets described as organic, experimental and pop. This is the 2022 version of the song Ira Ira, which is a more polished version of her debut album, MUSIC MAKES MY…, released in 2018. She will release her second album in March, entitled Inner Tongue, on which the unique world of the musician once again comes to the surface. — 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.
