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 20 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
luin – doppler
Fronted by vocalist and guitarist with the intriguing name lucy+peter=esolagoto and active under the current name since 2019, luin’s band sound can be best described as dark, intense and melodious. The band members all have extensive music careers where they have been active in other bands, such as KYOKUTOU GIRL FRIEND, TEARS OF THE REBEL, and …。【ｻｲﾚﾝｽ】 (Silence), among many other bands. The four-piece has released several singles, EPs, and an album. — Recommended by Francisca
COLLAPSE – IMPLOSION
We have written several times about the shoegaze band COLLAPSE on AVO Magazine and mentioned the fact that they still haven’t released a full album while having released several EPs, singles and can be found on a Total Feedback compilation album. But we can finally look forward to it! The album has been titled BLACK SHEEP IS STILL DREAMING and will be released on June 26. On this same day, they will also hold a release party and this will also be streamed live via Zaiko. — Recommended by Francisca
QiNARI – 終電前戦争 (The war before the last train)
QiNARI is the name of a music unit formed by vocalist Hinano Yamakawa and composer Natsume Takano. This week, the pop duo released their first full-length album, titled GEMINI, filled with 12 pop songs with a floating feeling depicting the love stories of a man and a woman who are tossed about by strange fates. In addtion, the Tokyo-based duo worked with various musicians to complete the album, they mostly perform with a support band. — Recommended by Francisca
せだい (Sedai) – 春のまなざし (Haru no Manazashi)
Sedai’s first album, with the title Delirium, is scheduled to be released coming summer. The Tokyo-based rock band works with a fully DIY mentality, from composing their own music to recording it at home and then carrying it through to their live performances. What can you expect in terms of sound from this four-piece formation? It’s a roaring rock sound with melancholy and husky, emotive vocals. — Recommended by Francisca
ミノノサトエ (Satoe Minono) – ああ、なんて地獄 (what a hell…)
Satoe Minono is a singer-songwriter and piano player from Soma City (Fukushima prefecture). She started playing classical piano at the age of five, and after entering university, her brother invited her to play keyboards in his band, which was also the start of her songwriting career. since 2015, Satoe Minono is active solo and has released several singles and two mini-albums filled with songs where her technical and dramatic piano playing and her unique voice are the highlights. — Recommended by Francisca
the seadays – COOL HEAD
The song COOL HEAD can be found on the just-released second full-length album by Kyoto and Osaka-based alternative rock band the seadays, which was formed in 2015. It is said that the foursome are influenced by rock bands such as Bloodthirsty Butchers, Number Girl and LOSTAGE and play music that comes under the heading ‘The bigger the love and sound, the better’. — Recommended by Francisca
Pulplant – 迷宮戦争 (Labyrinth War)
The four-member rock band Pulplant started activities in Tokyo in the year 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. The four members create a dramatic and technical rock sound and do not fear using odd time signatures. For this music video, the four-piece decided to let animator Kumamiso create an animated music video for their latest single release, depicting the hero who gets lost in the world of the game. In total, they have released 4 singles, maybe an album is on its way in the near future. — 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.
