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 28 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
とがる (Togaru) – 生きた証 (Ikita akashi)
Het soloproject van zanger en gitarist Shimaumatentacion, Togaru, is al een paar jaar actief. De muzikant categoriseert zijn onderneming onder de muziekgenres desktop hardcore en moderne grunge. Meer dan een jaar na de release van het eerste album van de solomuzikant is een tweede album in zicht, getiteld これで最期 (Kore de saigo, This Is The Last Time), waarvan de release gepland staat op 22 juli. — Recommended by Francisca
東京恋慕 (Tokyo Renbo) – ダチュラ (Datura)
Tokyo Renbo, a four-piece rock group with the slogan “From Dating Apps! Garbage Human Band!” was founded in January 2018. They are well known for some of their exceptionally long or funny titles, and they enjoy including the same absurdity in their music videos. The rock band hasn’t put out any new music in a while; their most recent EP was released in 2020, so it’s possible that we’ll have to wait a little while longer for a new CD release. — Recommended by Francisca
Living Rita – Reality
Living Rita, formed in 2020 by bassist Masami Takei and vocalist, guitarist and synth player Mai Takahashi of Czecho No Republic, released their first album in October 2021 on their own label Orange Sunshine this is now followed up by a double A-single, titled Reality/UTOPIA, that gets released digitally in two parts. The songs the duo creates are filled with euphoric psychedelic dream pop songs, with 70’s analogue feel and shoegaze elements. — Recommended by Francisca
KAKUMAY – UNDER THE BED
At the end of 2019, just before we learned about the pandemic, vocalist Mako formed the band KAKUMAY after bringing together musicians who had previously played in other visual kei bands. He felt that it was still not over for him as a musician after the disbanding of the visual kei band Vexent. The band, which is currently composed of five members, has published two EPs and will shortly release their first single, UNDER THE BED, which includes three songs, on the 8th of August. — Recommended by Francisca
SUNPRIE – perro
The alternative rock band SUNPRIE published their debut EP, dubbed perro EP, in April of this year. The band’s musical members include guitarist qurosawa, who has a substantial resume of bands and musical projects in which he currently plays or has played, and vocalist Nozomi Fukasawa, who is also active in the band YENMA. After being away from it for around two years, the unit will perform on the stage again later this month. — Recommended by Francisca
｜La nuit｜- Thanatos
The three members behind the cinematic band ｜La nuit｜create music that you should listen at night, preferably at 2 AM. The band comes all the way from Osaka and to date has released six mini-albums. This is their newest music video, which is directly also their newest digital single, Thanatos, a new step in their career after the addition of vocalist Sara after being silent for a few months. — Recommended by Francisca
Noah – gemini ― mysterious lot
Currently based in Tokyo, the musician Noah was raised in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island and known for the harsh winters with lots of snowfall. She has been profoundly impacted by her surroundings, and her music reflects this. Noah will release a new album titled Noire on August 26th, roughly three years after the release of her most recent full-length album Thirty. Soft vocals and intricate, avant-garde soundscapes are what make Noah’s music unique. — 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.
