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 13 of 2023. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
MARSBERG SUBWAY SYSTEM – 辻斬り惑星
Later this month, four-piece rock (and roll) band MARSBERG SUBWAY SYSTEM will release their very first album. Although the band has not been around for very long, but the person leading the band is not unknown. Should you be familiar with the rock band THE PINBALLS, the name Takayuki Furukawa should sound familiar to you. After 15 years of existence, this band decided to call it quits at the end of 2021. The vocalist and guitarist decided to form a new band, which became MARSBERG SUBWAY SYSTEM founded in May 2022. — Recommended by Francisca
Bray me – あの街の行方 (The Way To That Town)
The beginning of the Bray me tale can be traced to a point in 2007 when four girls in the same high school class made the decision to form a band, with the name BRAVE JACKASS. With a line-up change in 2011, the band continued as a trio under the name meme. A year later, the band became a four-piece again and decided to change the band name one more time, this became an amalgamation of the first two band names they had: Bray me. In the year of Bray me’s tenth anniversary, the four-piece band decided to start their label, NottDagr. In those ten years, the group has gone through a number of line-up changes and releases, including a number of singles and mini-albums with straightforward rock music and messages that are grounded in reality, it is now waiting for a full-fledged album. — Recommended by Francisca
ミイ (Myy) – 失恋 (Shitsukoi)
We have written about pop-rock band Myy before, when the four-piece (with a support drummer) had just released their third digital single. We have now reached the sixth single, although that is not quite accurate as it was released back in October last year and the band has since released two more singles plus a new single is on the way for next May. But it was time for the band to release a new music video and the choice fell on this track. Still to be found on the live stage a lot, it will be interesting to see what the next steps will be for Myy after all these singles. Surely, our interest in this band remains persistent. — Recommended by Francisca
AFTER I DIE – 破滅 (Leave me alone)
AFTER I DIE is a solo project by musician Misaki Usuzawa, she started this music project in 2021 from the comfort of her bedroom. While searching on her name, old articles were found about a young girl singing (folk) songs encouraging the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake which led to her debut as a professional singer via Teichicku Entertainment. After the contract expired in the spring of 2017, it seemed that she retired from the music scene. 4 years later, Misaki Usuzawa returned as AFTER I DIE, where she makes songs in her own way, still using the same voice to soothe, comfort and poetically reach for the stars. — Recommended by Francisca
Cata – 知らない少女 (Shiranai Shoujo)
Cata’s second EP, titled margin, got released just recently on the 24th of March. The Tokyo-based four-piece band got formed almost two years ago, in May 2021, with the concept of doing all the music that they want to do. This means that the music they produce is more in the genre-less department, although mainly with a considerable alternative touch with Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa as their home base. The four-piece has also released a few singles in addition to the two EPs. All of them were made available digitally. Hopefully, they will manage to release a full-length album later this year. — Recommended by Francisca
PHAZE – 未来遺書 (Mirai Isho)
The virtual three-piece band PHAZE, mostly active on the social platform VRChat and featured at various virtual events, has a new single, titled Mirai Isho. The music video, made entirely in VR Chat, follows the story of a young aspiring musician who wants to make it in the music world with other musicians. The story may be reminiscent of well-known anime series focused on music. PHAZE’s three members, who come from various backgrounds, joined forces a few years back in a fascinating fusion of music. What will this band’s next move be? — Recommended by Francisca
ツキハムジヒナ (TSUKIHAMUZIHINA) – in/somnia
This track can be found on a compilation album put together by the label YouSpica, but will also soon be found on the Morioka-based rock band’s first mini-album, 海辺の街を想うとき (Umibe no Machi wo Omou Toki). TSUKIHAMUZIHINA got formed in December 2019, with the band name inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s 1996 sci-fi novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Each band member’s exposure to different music, genres, lyrics and words greatly influences the band. As a result, the quartet managed to build their own vision while incorporating real-life emotions into their music, resulting in intense music. — 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.
