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 18 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
アラウンドザ天竺 (Around the Tenjiku) – #マイニューギア (#MyNewGear)
The Tokyo-based rock band Around the Tenjiku will soon release their fourth mini-album, it is the first release since the band got a change in the line-up. Best described as mischievous and loud, the four-piece has been active since 2017 and has released a handful of CDs. The song that received the music video linked below describes the agony of buying a new guitar. — Recommended by Francisca
Nuff – ビターエンド (Bitter End)
The Fukuoka-based alternative pop band Nuff started activities in the summer of 2021, still brand-new but caught a lot of attention with their first single on the music distribution site Eggs. The four-piece just released their second music video for the song Bitter End, which can be found back on their second single. Their music contains emotional guitar sounds and pop vocals. — Recommended by Francisca
LLLL – Silent Dawn
After living in Canada for 10 years, Kazuto Okawa started to write and arrange songs for many musicians, such as YUKI, Akiko Yano and many more. He eventually decided to release electronic music as LLLL (you can pronounce it as Four L) in 2012, and his music has been used for advertisements and won several awards. Okawa describes the music he creates as LLLL as music to bring himself and others some peace in chaotic times. — Recommended by Francisca
エスクレッソン (Escresson) – 綺麗だと思う (Kireida to Omou/I think it’s beautiful.)
The Tokyo-based Escresson, a three-piece, created a music video with photos made by fans of the band, which was thought to fit the song, which was released as a digital single in 2020. The vocalist Kaede, which is also the keyboardist, bass player and cafe owner, sings about everyday life and imagination, containing sadness and lovely moments, with the concept of ‘being close with loneliness’. — Recommended by Francisca
Narwhal: – 鐘が銃声る (Kane ga Naru)
This is the first music video for the four-piece rock band Narwhal:, active since 2021, who recently released their first EP – which you can only get at their live shows – and will later this year also release an album. Everything the young band does is a DIY operation. The vocalist Yuichirou is also part of the nature rock band Eija, which has been active since 2002. — Recommended by Francisca
Develop One’s Faculties – NPC
The activities of visual kei rock band Develop One’s Faculties, shortened as DOF, started in the winter of 2014, when four members came together with a lot of experience in previous bands. With mainly a steady band line-up with vocalist and guitarist Yuya, guitarist Rui and drummer Johannes, in 2019, the original bassist Detto left the band and a new bass player named Hiromu reinforced the rock band. In the meantime, the band has released three full albums, and 10 singles and soon they will release their second mini-album, C17H19NO3. — Recommended by Francisca
NICOLAS – 残歌 (ZANKA)
Active since the summer of 2019, visual kei band NICOLAS, immediately started touring around Japan right after starting activities. previously worked together in the band GOSSIP before it broke up in 2018. The five-piece rock band has released several mini-albums, singles and one album. They released a cross-cover single with the band VIRGE earlier this year, given they did a coupling tour. — 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.
