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 17 of 2023. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
poor man’s rose – 未明 (Mimei)
It’s been a while since we highlighted the music of the alternative rock band poor man’s rose in an article. So where is the band now? This past week, the rock band released a new EP, their third, titled I’m Fine. The Fukuoka-based band, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Manami and drummer Hinaki and a support musician on bass guitar, blends shoegaze and alternative rock elements with roaring feedback guitars, transparent vocals and heartbreaking poetic lyrics that allude to the gloom of the present-day. — Recommended by Francisca
GIVE ME OW – IKUNE
GIVE ME OW is the name of a solo project by guitarist and singer-songwriter MIO, who has been making music with roots in indie pop, indie rock, hip-hop and R&B since 2018. Before starting her solo project, she was active in the successful rock band Chelsy. The production of IKUNE emphasized synth sounds. It has been revealed that MIO has plans to perform outside Japan in the fall of 2023 with GIVE ME OW. Not a crazy idea to keep an eye on this project. — Recommended by Francisca
AMUSEMENT LAGER – White
We have arrived at the third single from the three-piece rock band AMUSEMENT LAGER. The band launched in 2021 and has focused mainly on live shows. This had been a good choice, as they managed to enter and win a number of auditions for events like JAPAN JAM 2022 and LIVE HOLIC. Besides the three singles, the rock band also released an EP in March last year. It’s unclear when the band will be ready to produce an album, but for now, what the band manages to pull off is already super impressive. — Recommended by Francisca
Tyrkouaz – Crush Core
Behind Tyrkouaz are twin brothers S o ü t a (vocalist and guitarist) and r e n t (drummer). They describe their music project as a neo-mix rock band and if you listen to this track, you might understand why they did it that way. You are put on a rollercoaster where the two musicians introduce you to various musical styles, including drum’n’bass, alternative, breakcore, and gabber. This track comes from the first album, titled turquoise engine, and expands their experimentation with musical genre mashups—think surf rock, hyper pop, video game music, shoegaze, and more. — Recommended by Francisca
水中スピカ (Suichu Spica) – baton
It’s time once again to take a look at the activities of the math-rock band Suichu Spica from Kyoto. Their second album, Osm has been out for a while now. Moreover, the band was most recently in South Korea for several sold-out gigs, sharing the stage with Korean rock bands cotoba, FOG and FRankly. The brand new track by Suichu Spica is a piano ballad and shows a new side of the four-piece band. We are looking forward to this band’s next plans. — Recommended by Francisca
桃色ドロシー (Momoiro Dorothy) – 声に乗せて (Koe ni Nosete)
Momoiro Dorothy’s latest release is a digital EP, titled アイオライト (Iolite), and is their first release after two years. The three-piece band develops a strong rock sound with a focus on Japanese lyrics, with the vocalist’s broad range accompanied by a great band ensemble. By 2022, the Yokohama-based band has performed 100 live shows in Japan, covering 20,000 kilometres. The band has been around for more than 10 years and has given no sign of stopping. — Recommended by Francisca
南風とクジラ (Minamikaze to Kujira) – 燦然街のニャロメ達へ (Sanzen-gai no Nyarome-tachi e)
Three-piece rock band Minamikaze to Kujira’s music is largely based on lyrics by vocalist and guitarist Keigo Mitou, who in turn was influenced by (Japanese) songs from the 1970s, resulting in catchy songs with catchy melodies and literary lyrics. Each of the three band members also collects and incorporates different components from the three generations, genders, and artistic inspirations voor de muziek. The three-member band has been active since May 2013 and already has several releases to their name. On 13 May, the out rock band’s very first album will be released, titled 銀褒章 (Ginhosho). — 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.
