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 selection of videos that were released in week 5 of 2023. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
ソリンコーク (Gasoline Coke) – バーガー (Burger)
“Do you want a burger? Do you want to hold back? Believe (in) yourself!” It sounds like the three-member rock band Gasoline Coke crafted a motivational song for those who think they should cut down on burgers, but in our opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. The band has been active for at least almost five years and has released several singles, but no full-length album yet. Will this year be the year for this? — Recommended by Francisca
ビレッジマンズストア (Village Man’s Store) – 1P
The Nagoya-based rock band Village Man’s Store got formed in the winter of 2003, which therefore means that like AVO Magazine, they are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. The four-member band claims they destroy impatience and inferiority complexes through passion and powerful rock and roll shows. They started this month with the release of their third digital single, 1P. Perhaps this band will succeed in releasing a new (mini-)album later this year. — Recommended by Francisca
pandagolff – RADIO PAPA, RADIO MAMA
Last time we highlighted music from the post-punk band pandagolff, the band was about to release their third album. The band has been active since 2019, so pretty much four years now, and they have released a new single. In addition to adhering to the industrial post-punk approach, this band likes to remix aspects of various musical genres, which makes the songs more danceable, intriguing, and hypnotising. — Recommended by Francisca
View From The Soyuz – Caligula
In a few days, metalcore and melodic death metal band View From The Soyuz will release their second EP, titled Immaculate. The Tokyo-based four-piece was formed in the summer of 2021 and soon after releasing music caught the attention of the American label DAZE, and with the new release through this label could indicate that they will soon be touring all over the world. They are already being discussed here and there, so keep an eye on this band. — Recommended by Francisca
しきしづき (Shiki Shizuki) – 光の下で (Hikari no Shita de)
Shiki Shizuki is a vocalist and songwriter, who is active solo and half of the ukiyo-kei pop duo 十三夜カラーチェ (13th Night Calace, on streaming services they are called Jusan-ya Calace). This duo has been active since 2020 where desktop music gets combined with the mandolin, but since this year, the pop musician made the decision to also release songs as a solo artist, developing her own style of distinctive music. This is her very first release of hopefully many more. — Recommended by Francisca
AFTER SQUALL – Crush
We have written about the Nagoya-based rock band AFTER SQUALL several times, and it seems that they never stood still after forming in 2019. After releasing their second mini-album HOPEMARKET in 2021, they released a couple of singles in 2022 and started focusing mainly on performing, but this year they will release another mini-album titled RAKUEN. The future seems to be bright for this four-piece. — Recommended by Francisca
不祀 (Fushi) – wasrel
Formed in 2018 with Kyoto as their home base, the four-member band Fushi released several singles and EPs. With the release of this music video, which comes more than a year after the band’s music video for the song tarabadala, it appears we may anticipate a new release from this four-piece. In case you like dark atmospheres, pandemonium, and speed, you should definitely keep an eye on this band. With the most recent songs, the band seems to be moving in a darker and heavier direction with influences of black metal, death metal and metalcore. — 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.
