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 23 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
Wendy York Stand – Vacances
While it seems to be summer weather here and there, the idea of travelling on holiday or time off beckons greatly. The track Vacances by Kumamoto-based Wendy York Stand seems to be the perfect music for the search of how to fill in the free time and enjoy the nice warm (or maybe hot) weather, with its quiet dreamy elements while mixing jazz, soul, and other music genres. The track can be found on the second work of the four-piece group, titled Experience Resort. Ready for the summer! — Recommended by Francisca
梨炭酸 (pear soda) – 日向夏 (citrus)
The song citrus is the third single by the indie-pop band pear soda, who commenced their full-fledged activities in the spring of 2022 after the trio had been making home recordings since the year before. Characterised by twin vocals, the music has a pure and fresh sound that fits with the springtime but also can match the summer, while giving out a nostalgic sense as well. According to the band, this song sounds like soda with a BPM of 140. — Recommended by Francisca
Kaya – ROSE
Kaya, who is currently celebrating 15 years as a solo artist, recently released his fourth album, titled ROSE, the first release in eight and a half years. This album was made possible thanks to fans who supported the crowdfunding campaign for this release. Using the rose as a theme, which Kaya has always used as a motif, the album is presented as a bouquet of colourful roses, with a rich variety of songs linked to music genres such as EDM, city pop and visual rock. — Recommended by Francisca
SONOSUKIMAKARA – SLOW MOTION
The 11th anniversary of the instrumental band SONOSUKIMAKARA was celebrated with the release of a full-length album. The music the duo produce is based on math rock, post-rock, progressive rock, Japanese pop and even game music, but the two also like to challenge themselves with trap beats, dance music and more. The cinematography in SLOW MOTION‘s music video makes you feel like you’re watching a film, while the band doesn’t give you a moment’s thought with the speed at which they play their instruments. — Recommended by Francisca
KTYM – NO BAD END
KTYM is the name of the solo project created by vocalist Hiroki Katayama, previously active in the rock band Droog which went on indefinite hiatus in 2018. In between, the singer has been immensely busy in the music scene, with side projects such as Lüstzöe and Dudes and since 2021 with his solo project. Soon he will release the second mini-album, titled no on my own. The music video for one of the tracks, NO BAD END, uses visual effects of all shapes and sizes, depicting a chaotic and playful worldview. — Recommended by Francisca
ROCOBITCH – メロディ (Melody)
Founded in 2006 as a band, but after several member changes, since 2020 ROCOBITCH is comprised of one person, namely ROCOYUI, a singer-songwriter from Okinawa with a voice that knows how to blow you away. In late 2021, she released the EP BLUE with five tracks. The music video for Melody (from this EP) depicts a story of a musician struggling to write song lyrics. With the description ROCOYUI gives through her social media, it seems to be about the relationship she has with music. Not a day without music, always thinking about music. — Recommended by Francisca
國 (Kuni) – kagerou
From the first mini-album MOMENTUM, which will be released in early July, comes the track kagerou, a lovely tune about the little things in life that stand out on a beautiful day. It is enhanced with sharpened edgy guitar and distorted bass. Tokyo-based alternative rock band Kuni was formed in September 2020 and consists of four members. In the music video, you can see these four band members hanging out with each other, while beautiful footage of nature can be witnessed. — 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.
