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 11 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
0am – Little Shy
Music project 0am started activities in October 2021 by musicians and track makers MAKIADACHI and COMiNUM with a focus on producing alternative dance-pop songs. A fun fact is that MAKIADACHI organised an event named LIVE in Minecraft NEW WORLD 2021 to celebrate the new Minecraft update where they performed on a stage created for the event in that game – to see what that looked like, they created a music video for one of the performed songs (this was before 0am officially started). — Recommended by Francisca
アポロノーム (Apollonome) – FASCINATE
The five-piece pop band Apollonome from Toyonaka in Osaka Prefecture with its focus on the two female vocalists, Onishi and Tsujimura, got formed in 2017, when the band members were still high school classmates. Their concept seems to be music that colours your life from tomorrow onwards, which might give you an idea of what to expect from this quintet. After several singles, an EP and two mini-albums, the wait is now on for a full-length album from the band. — Recommended by Francisca
fish in water project – YOU
Gunma-based band fish in water project’s activities started in the spring of 2015 when the four members came together. The band states that the base of their music is indie pop and rock, but that they are not bound by any genres, although the overall concept seems to be focused on delicate and well-crafted songs that carry the voice of Hayato Shiojiri without getting overwhelming. To date, they have released four EP’s and a couple of singles. — Recommended by Francisca
The CourtYard – Horns
The CourtYard’s activities seem to have been started a couple of years back and they have been performing primarily in their home base. Since this year, the Kobe-based rock band decided to release music officially, starting with their first single at the beginning of the year and Horns, the title of their second single for which a music video was also released, this week. — Recommended by Francisca
NAMELESS – おやすみ (Oyasumi)
The five-member rock band NAMELESS began band activities in September last year, which was quickly followed up with their first release an album titled V系やめるってよ (Vkei yameru tte yo) and a sold-out first one-man show in November of the same year. The visual kei band is comprised of musicians who have long earned their place in the scene, having been active in other beloved bands such as Avanchick, NAZARE, and MAMIRETA. — Recommended by Francisca
David – Messiah
From the start of David in 2017, the vocalist SUI (ex-Megaromania) stayed busy with producing new music for his solo project with haunting conceptual visuals. In 2021, David released its first full album, titled Hexagramearth. With Messiah, a concept single, he will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of his solo project. The release expresses a world with two stories and visuals that intersect the Old and New Testaments. — Recommended by Francisca
STONE LEEK – BUT I THINK HOPE’S INSIDE
Active since 2002, STONE LEEK are a four-piece melodic hardcore/skate punk band hailing from the city Kyoto and are seen as one of the best DIY melodic hardcore bands in Japan. They have been performing all over the world, including Europe. In 2020, they were planning to return to Europe for a tour, but that was cancelled due to the pandemic. In May, they will release their newest album with the title REVIVAL. — 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.
