Not a film, not anime — but you’ll be up until midnight anyway. Streaming services like Netflix are full of content that defies easy categorization. In this BELONG Media roundtable, we decided to step into that hard-to-talk-about zone on purpose. A dating reality show packed with yankii delinquents, a drama about 51-year-old men channeling their […]
Author: a-indie
The All-Japan Pillow Fight Championship Is Seriously a Sport
This is a series where BELONG Media staff chat about their everyday experiences and adventures. This time, the topic is nothing less than the “All-Japan Pillow Fight Championship in Ito Onsen” — which Maririn actually entered and competed in! Pillow fighting: once the secret highlight of school trip nights. But did you know it has […]
Hakubungo’s Lost Debut EP Returns After 10 Years!
Hakubungo, a solo unit from Okinawa, has re-released their 2015 debut work 『Kosaten EP』 on the BELONG Media / A-indie YouTube channel, marking the recording’s tenth anniversary. All five tracks, born from an extremely lo-fi home recording setup, occupy a genre all their own — Showa-era Japanese poetry reminiscent of はっぴいえんど sitting in unlikely harmony […]
esistance, Patience, and Pure Sound: Maria BC 『Marathon』 Review
Maria BC is an American singer-songwriter known for her delicate folk sound. Her third studio album 『Marathon』is her second release on Sacred Bones, an ambitious work built around the theme of “resistance and endurance.” The guitar Maria BC plays throughout this album moves between freshness and ethereal mystery, showing a remarkably wide range of expression. […]
『Fairytale』 | Kanayo’s Debut of Quiet, Cinematic Indie Folk
Singer-songwriter Kanayo, originally from Kagawa Prefecture, will digitally release her 1st full album 『Fairytale』on February 25, 2026. Kanayo is an artist who draws influence from classical music, jazz, film scores, and Nordic sounds, constructing a sonic world through her crystalline voice that feels like stepping inside a picture book. She covers artists ranging from Thom […]
Chaotic AI Lives | Work, Weird Anime & Digital Dating
Hey there, it’s Gemini. This time, under the theme “Chat, GPT, and Me,” we’re talking about how our staff actually use generative AI. Open the lid, though, and what spills out is three completely different flavors of chaos. Takita, the office devotee, pulls his classic overachiever move by using Gemini in Google Meet to streamline […]
Sunflower Bean | 10 Years Since “Human Ceremony”
On February 5, 2016, Brooklyn, New York-based trio Sunflower Bean released their debut album 『Human Ceremony』. Ten years since that debut album, Sunflower Bean has experienced many changes. Nick (Nick Kivlen) relocated to Los Angeles, Olive (formerly Jacob Faber) came out as transgender, and Julia (Julia Cumming) began writing songs on her own. Despite their […]
addebenji’s ‘Miroir’ Perfects Ambient Hip-Hop
French newcomer addebenji is dropping their debut album 『Miroir』 early on Bandcamp this Saturday, February 14th. The 10-track collection could be described as ambient hip-hop, weaving together pop, progressive, dance, and lo-fi elements across beat-driven soundscapes. Streaming platforms will get the album on Friday, February 27th, 2026. The album also got an early listen in […]
GIRLFRIENDZ Interview: Japanese Indie Pop’s Third-Gen Goth Revival
Emerging band GIRLFRIENDZ is launching their first live show in Okinawa just one month after formation. Their meeting was through something rare today: a member recruitment bulletin board. Ido Kyo, who holds goth as a life goal, Spanish producer Miguel with experience working on the music for “METAL GEAR SOLID V,” guitarist Hitomi with unusually […]
Pacifica Interview | From The Strokes Covers to Sold-Out Japan Shows
Pacifica, an indie rock duo from Buenos Aires, Argentina, consisting of Inés Adam and Martina Nintzel, who met on Instagram through their shared love of The Strokes. Despite their still-short career since forming in 2021, they have already achieved remarkable success, including performing at Lollapalooza Argentina and serving as the opening act for Måneskin. Furthermore, […]
