Music Reviews
MV Review: BiSH – 遂に死 (Finally Dead)
Japan is well-known for it’s Idol music scene, but the last couple of years have seen a rise in experimentation and exploration of Idol imagery, mixed with a polished underground...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: Meimi Tamura – Sprout
2018 saw Meimi Tamura make her major debut as a solo artist. The former ANGERME (アンジュルム) member returned to the mainstream music scene in Japan after spending time working in...
Read moreDetailsMV review: Royz – IGNITE
After the surprise release of the「AREA」Music Video, Royz surprises the fans one more time by bringing out the Music Video of IGNITE a month before the single comes out in...
Read moreDetailsMV review: Royz – 「AREA」
Royz are almost closing in on their 10-year anniversary and not only have they already released their best-of album to commemorate that, they also surprised fans with a music video...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Shonen Knife – I Feel Dizzy
Pop-punk trio Shonen Knife just finished of the recording of their upcoming album and does want to let the world to know that they will release a new album full...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Lucie,Too – HOMETOWN
Lucie,Too shared the full music video of their newest song HOMETOWN, an official theme song for Nikko City. As part of a settlement promotion project for young people, titled Nikko...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: DOBERMAN INFINITY – Gatti
Hip-hop group DOBERMAN INFINITY started the Monday with an energy boosting song, titled Gatti. The five-member group has been appointed as promotion ambassador for the new line of styling products...
Read moreDetailsREMNANT released short film Mickey Finn
After the goth unit REMNANT shared several behind the scenes photos of their short film Mickey Finn as a teaser for something new from the hand of the group, the...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: THE NOVEMBERS – BAD DREAM
While fans were waiting for the release of the newest album, ANGELS, that just got its release two and half years after their best-of album, the shoegaze band dropped a...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Soldier who fights against Pain – PROMISE
After an activity of almost 5 years, the band Soldier who fights against Pain (SWFAP) said quits and will perform once more time in a few days at Shibuya THE...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Lucie,Too – EGOIST
Utsunomiya's girls pop band Lucie,Too released in October the music video for the song EGOIST, totally in 90s style. From the dimensions of the screen to the classic outfits and...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Esprit D’Air – Amethyst
2018 was a great year for Esprit D'Air with the release of their award-winning album Constellations and a successful UK headliner tour back in February. The tour even got an...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: The Songbards – Inner Lights
The Songbards, a young rock band from Kobe, in March this band will celebrate its second anniversary, is inspired by the English rock band The Beatles. It is maybe for this...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: DADAROMA – dadaism#4
At the end of the Summer, fans were left in shock with the news of the departure of Yusuke. After having been diagnosed with the incurable disease dystonia in his...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: KUUNATIC – Roho Ulio Toweka
Roho Ulio Toweka can be found on the split release with Taiwanese psych fuzz band CROCODELIA that was released in August of 2018. An interesting combination, as the music of...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: Lamiya – Marionette Overture
After the horror fairy-tale, escort, the first single from the Visual Kei band Lamiya (ラミヤ), the quartet went a step further in creating modern fairy-tales with the mini-album Marionette Overture....
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Nao Katafuchi – The Lonely Kind
Nao Katafuchi is an old acquaintance of AVO, he performed in The Netherlands during one of the shows organised by yours truly in 2013. In the meantime, Nao moved out...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: NightRetriever – Violet Magic
After the release of the EP Symphony of the Nights, the solo project of Yuto, NightRetriever, it was time to take it a step further. The EP got followed up...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: Sioux – Beyond
On 9 October, the Visual Kei band Sioux released a new music video for the new maxi-single cloud nine: Beyond. Time for a new review about this band. The track...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: ALEVAS – in Faith
October had just begun and soon a lot of new Visual Kei songs flying around everywhere. ALEVAS has released their new music video in Faith via Starwave Records. ALEVAS is...
Read moreDetailsMV Review: KITANO REM – Rolling sky
Not all the good music comes from Tokyo, all the way from Osaka comes singer-songwriter KITANO REM to bring you melancholy from the heart. Armed with her acoustic guitar and...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: ASURA – ETERNAL
Since 2014, ASURA has been delighting fans with their blend of heavy metal inspired music and dance. In addition to the four musicians in exciting costumes, ASURA brings in dancers...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: Esprit D’Air – Constellations
With their European tour just having started, what better way to get you hyped for the live action than reviewing one of Esprit D'Air their latest albums? And hyped we...
Read moreDetailsCD Review: ASTERISM – IGNITION
Sometimes, the dream is enough. Most young people have dreams of the life that awaits them in the future. Many of us carry those dreams well into old age, even...
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New Music Encounters from Japan (2026)
Check out the YouTube Music Playlist by clicking on the image!
