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 couple of videos that were released in week 28 of the year 2021, which means that we are officially doing this project for one year. Enjoy the new discoveries!
ANCIENT MYTH – River of Oblivion
ANCIENT MYTH’s activities started in 2002 and after many member changes, the present leader and vocalist, Michal, has been in the band the longest. Their latest release is the album ArcheoNyx which was released earlier in July. The symphonic metal band toured Europe in 2017 and performed at Metal Female Voices Festival a year before that. — Recommended by Francisca
トライコット (Toraicot) – Seven
The band Toraicot will soon release a new EP, digitally, titled I Choose Us. The five-piece from Osaka got formed in 2018. The rhythm ensemble their music on Jazz and R&B, gentle vocals, with sprinkles of indie-pop. The end result is an intense sound that takes you on a journey. — Recommended by Francisca
ハク。(Haku.) – hitonatsu
Haku.’s fourth digital single, hitonatsu, is clearly a celebration of the summer. The four-piece got formed in Osaka in 2019. The band focuses on bringing a refreshing sound in combination with the distinctive vocals of Ai, who sings about dreams, friendship, youth, longing and more. In March of this year, the band joined a teenage talent discovery project and won the grand prize. — Recommended by Francisca
ネコノ欠伸 (NEKONO AKUBI) – OVER GIRL
Alternative guitar rock band NEKONO AKUBI got formed in 2014 as a girls band with vocalist and guitarist Yuko as the core. After a few member changes, the band is now a duo with support musicians. The Osaka-based band is known for their powerful live performances. In August, NEKONO AKUBI will release their third EP, titled YAWN. — Recommended by Francisca
NEHANN – Nylon
With the release of the singles foreshadowing their latest album, which is also their debut, New Metropolis, it seemed that post-punk band NEHANN was able to capture attention and this carried over to this debut album. The band got formed in 2019 with Tokyo as its home base. The five-piece is influenced by AKIRA and Blade Runner 2049, pursuing the world view of ‘Neo Tokyo’. — Recommended by Francisca
letniy – A girl
Alternative rock band letniy got formed in the winter of 2020 and will release their first mini-album on cassette, titled Same Here, at the end of this month. The three-piece has clear influences by bands as Teenage Fanclub, Supercar, toddle and more. The sound is based on guitar pop with twin vocals by guitar player Suzuko and bass player Shoko. — Recommended by Francisca
RINGO TONE – Sick!!!!!
Sick!!!!! is not only the title of RINGO TONE’s newest music video but also the title of their newest album. RINGO TONE got formed in the winter of 2013, consisting of three band members. They create music with cynical lyrics and catchy melodies. In total, they have released 4 albums, several (digital) singles, two split releases, and one EP. — 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!
