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 18 of 2023. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
LIGHTERS – dawn
Following the single rainy last November, LIGHTERS have released a new single this month, dawn. Indie rock as you would expect. The band has now been on the scene for more than five years and originally started out as a trio. Eventually, guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Rumi Nagasawa was the only member left at the end of last year and this is the first release since the band’s new phase. We can also look forward to a new song next month, titled missed. The idea is that these songs can be seen as a pair, with one expressing coldness and the other warmth. — Recommended by Francisca
白航 (Hakko) – 鱗粉 (Rinpun)
The four band members of the Kyoto-based rock band Hakko produce music based on city pop and rock with strong performance skills and powerful stage presence. The band has been active since 2019 and soon released their first single. Meanwhile, they have a mini-album and several singles later and it seems they are far from finished. Hopefully, a full-length album from this band will be released in the near future. Keep an eye on this band! — Recommended by Francisca
セグウェイライダー (Segway Rider) – ライフスタイル (Lifestyle)
Behind Segway Rider are three musicians, vocalist Takaya, bassist Kazuki and drummer Nami. The band has been active since 2021 and the themes they touch on in their music range from the loneliness, fear, happiness, and kindness, all experienced in today’s society, coupled with a distinctive pop sound. In the short time that they have been active, they have already released several singles and an EP. By the way, this is their very first music video. — Recommended by Francisca
the dadadadys – (許) (Moto)
It always looks interesting when a band does things slightly differently in terms of music videos or releasing releases. In March, the dadadadys released two EPs, one titled だ (da) and the other titled da. The last time we spotlighted this band, we talked about the band’s history that started last year. Since then, the band has grown from a trio to a quartet to a quintet. This band will continue for some time to come. We are curious to see how further the band has grown when we get to a year from now. — Recommended by Francisca
Winter Wakes – Wide Awake / Run in Place
You don’t often see a band promote their latest release by incorporating two songs into one music video. Alternative pop-punk band Winter Wakes decided to do this to promote their second EP which will be released later this month. This release follows their second single, which came out last December. Following that, there was a brief period of silence while the band focused on writing new music and a restart of the band. With the release of the upcoming EP, Wide Awake, the band will hopefully reap the fruits of their labours richly. — Recommended by Francisca
SHIFT_CONTROL – ニヒル (Nihil)
The last time we had shone the spotlight on Gifu-based rock band SHIFT_CONTROL was in late 2020, so the question now is: what has happened in the meantime? After the second mini-album, the band released several more singles (3 of them) and a mini-album. But at the end of this month, the very first album for the emotional guitar-rock band will finally be released, titled MakeMyName. They also appeared at various events and took part in a tour of 04 Limited Sazabys. It seems the band is on a roll. — Recommended by Francisca
omeme tenten – クリーミー呪って (Creamy Curse)
This Tokyo-based rock band has not been active for very long, as the quartet began operations in April 2022. But the four musicians already have something to offer in terms of music, as they recently released their second EP, titled 2020. They also recently welcomed guitarist Yuji as an official band member at omeme tenten. The band’s sound is woven around the vocalist’s clear vocals and an airy ensemble! — 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.
