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 37 of 2023. We sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
Moon In June – Head for München
In October, Tokyo-based alternatieve band Moon in June will release their first-ever full-length album, titled ロマンと水色の街 (Roman to Mizuiro no Machi), filled with the energy of their experiences performing here and there in Japan from their inception in 2018. The upcoming album of the five-piece band comes more than 1 year after their EP evergreen and features a track that pays homage to British shoegaze legend Slowdive. The lyrics on the upcoming album explore themes of loss, regret, and new beginnings with musical genres ranges from dream pop, shoegaze to alternative rock. — Recommended by Francisca
SleepInside – イエロウ (Yellow)
Last summer, alternative guitar rock band project SleepInside released a self-titled album, but the track that has been given a brand-new music video can be found on the three-song single picture ? released in February 2022. SleepInside’s band activities started about five years ago and has undergone several transformations, from a band to a solo project and since a short while it has been a band again, consisting of three members and led by Kohki Imai (who can be found on Twitter as hachigatsu_news, another project by him) he creates his songs with a shoegaze/dreampop vibe from his own bedroom. — Recommended by Francisca
変心芙蓉 (Henshin Fuyou) – ティーネイジャーの夜に (Teenager no Yoru Ni)
Last August, four-member alternative rock band Henshin Fuyou released their first-ever mini-album, with the title mutabilis (comes from Latin, meaning liable to change). The band was forced into a hiatus shortly after its formation in 2021, but they resumed activities at the end of 2022 with a new lineup. This release, according to the band, is a summary of everything Henshin Fuyou has been doing for the past six months. After the mini-album was released digitally and physically, it was time for the band to release their debut music video. — Recommended by Francisca
SUKEROQUE – utopia utopia
SUKEROQUE is a solo project launched in 2019 by singer-songwriter and composer SHOHEI. He makes danceable rock music that conveys a worldview with a focus on urban life and sounds influenced by various music genres. The newest release is a single that is an aggressive, high-speed groovy rock song, reflecting a world where one can resolve everything with a smartphone in hand. On the flip side, human-to-human communication has become more challenging in this convenient era. What was our utopia in the first place? Interesting to note is that the project name is inspired by the kabuki masterpiece Sukeroku Yukari Edozakura, which is seen as a symbol of Japanese culture. — Recommended by Francisca
JIGDRESS – 生活費 (Cost of Living)
Introducing JIGDRESS: Formed in late 2020 and consisting of four band members since April of this year. The music of JIGDRESS delves into the nuances of life’s struggles and is heavily influenced by the 90s with a fondness for loud guitars and an unfiltered take on social matters. The music video does a very good job of showing the struggle of everyday life and a sense of desperation while the vocalist sings about the cost of living. For those who recognise this situation, this song is hopefully a good way to sing away the frustration and stress (if only for a while). — Recommended by Francisca
Illiomote – I.W.S.P
Illiomote (stylised as illiomote) is a duo consisting of childhood friends Yoco (on vocals and guitar) and Maiya (on guitar). Their genre-blending tracks have been attracting attention since their first video in 2019 on YouTube as they fuse pop to rock to traditional sounds with ease. Now they have four EPs under their belt, they are ready to grow even further. With the release of their latest EP, I.W.S.P, the two shared comments explaining that they wanted to create songs that liberate themselves. The music video has been shot in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro, where they are based and every location holds a sentimental value to the two musicians. — Recommended by Francisca
ひとひら (Hitohira) – つくる (Tsukuru)
In terms of releases, 2022 marked a significant year for the in 2021 formed alternative rock band Hitohira. They kicked it off with the mini-album Seasons of Someday, followed by a single and the EP titled human. However, it appears that this year, they’ve shifted their focus towards live performances and they reverted from a three-piece to a four-piece line-up. Without any new music releases until today, the publication of the music video for Tsukuru seemed out of the blue. It is interesting to find out what they will be creating in the coming months. — 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.
