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 27 of 2023. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
CUICUI – ぼくたちのナツ (Bokutachi no Natsu)
It really has been a long time since we have heard new music from the four-piece CUICUI, we are talking around three years ago, as the last single release was in September 2020. All the musicians are active in other music projects and it looks like CUICUI has morphed into an occasional music project when the four women have time to produce something new again. Although I’m sure the pandemic had a big part to play too, unfortunately. But thankfully, they are back with a fine summer song with lighthearted lyrics about today’s mood. — Recommended by Francisca
ANABANTFULLS – 新しい国 (Atarashii Kuni)
Last time we wrote about this groovy rock band, the band rocked as a trio and now they have returned to how the band started: with four band members. On 14 July, ANABANTFULLS will release a new EP, the title track of which now has an intriguing music video. The track starts with “Welcome to the new country” and the content of the video rather gives the idea of how a cult works according to the four men. Regardless, it is another rocking song by vocalist and guitarist Kouhei Yasuda. — Recommended by Francisca
MONO NO AWARE – 風の向きが変わって (Kaze no muki ga kawatte)
This is the latest single from alternative music outfit MONO NO AWARE, formed in 2013. The band chose the name MONO NO AWARE because the band members felt the sound and meaning of these words of this Japanese expression (relating to the sense of impermanence and not stopping) fit the band’s musical style. What is this style of music? Although their base is pop music, the band members actually manage to put so many aspects and points of view into their music, making it actually a sound that does not tie itself to any particular musical genre. — Recommended by Francisca
quorca – ターコイズ (Turquoise)
This is the very first single from the five-piece rock band quorca, formed in 2022, with vocalist KUMAKO at the forefront with her crystal-clear voice on a background of guitar rock, shoegaze and post-rock. According to bassist AZAMO in a tweet, they have put all their experiences gained in their band life so far into this very first release. The result of this introduction is quite impressive and sounds promising for this young band from Tokyo. We look forward to seeing what more they have planned for this year. — Recommended by Francisca
ブランデー戦記 (Brandy Senki) – Kids
The growth of this young rock band is very interesting and therefore worth highlighting. The trio Brandy Senki was formed in the summer of 2022 and released the song Musica at the end of that year. This song went around like wildfire in the digital world resulting in 3 million views on YouTube for the music video. Will they succeed again with the music video of Kids, which promotes the first EP, 人類滅亡ワンダーランド (Jinrui Metsubou Wonderland)? They are well on their way! — Recommended by Francisca
THEティバ (THE tiva) – winnie
When Sachi and Maya decided to start a new band in 2018 after their previous band disbanded, they listed their favourite artists and looked up which countries most of them came from: Canada. For fun and also because they want to work with Canadian artists, they started to introduce themselves as a band from Canada while being based in Japan. This rock band with an alternative sound and catchy melody lines is a bit reminiscent of Western indie pop and alternative rock and already brought them to major festivals such as Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic and SXSW. They recently released their third EP titled we are the tiva 2, the follow-up to their self-produced EP we are the tiva released in 2019. — Recommended by Francisca
sheeplore – Déraciné
This music video was made for the third track of the five-member band sheeplore’s EP, the first release in five years, Floating Sphere of The Void. It will be released at the end of July. Formed in 2011 with vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Emiru Miura at the helm, the five-piece band is not afraid to explore within their musicality, which may make it difficult for them to define their music in their own words. Nonetheless, sheeplore’s rock music transmits melancholy and dimensions inspired by films and literature, while also adding elements of shoegaze and electronica. — 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.
