Good indie music in Asia✨
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. […]
As 2025 was wrapping up, I was presented with the then-latest release by singer-songwriter Nikaido Kazumi. On that occasion, it was her single 「BILLIE」, which anticipated the upcoming release of her first album in what had been a long period of silence in the artist’s catalogue. This silence was not a representation of her life, […]
The “Best Movies of the Year” project was launched to bring some energy to the film industry, which saw a noticeable global market contraction in 2024, a year marked by a succession of dark news. Despite such aspirations, the film industry continued to decelerate in 2025. Warner Brothers was sold in the U.S., and Warner […]
Everyone experiences it at least once: the collapse of a grand ideal, the end of a relationship, the hollow night when you’ve lost your place in the world. How can music express such pain? Rikas, a four-piece from Stuttgart, Germany, captures emotions beyond words by letting them run along tracks of sound. Rooted in funk […]
40 beloved songs representing 2025 and must-hear hidden gems gather here🔥 This time, writer RAM, who has been writing cross-reviews with Takita from Argentina, participates for the first time, and Maririn makes a comeback after nearly 10 years since 2016🎉 From the magically unhinged Geese, the overwhelming expressiveness of Kazumi Nikaido, to artists like KISS […]
Music knows no borders. That’s why the different perspectives that emerge when people raised in different cultures listen to the same album are so fascinating. This time, we’re reviewing the latest release from Ireland’s Just Mustard, 『WE WERE JUST HERE』, whose Japan visit at rockin’on sonic has been confirmed. Argentina-based RAM, who loves Japanese culture, […]
Have you ever experienced emotions spreading through your heart while listening to music that you couldn’t put into words? Oneohtrix Point Never’s latest work 『Tranquilizer』 is a piece that resonates with such difficult-to-articulate sensations. Composed of cold electronic sounds yet somehow possessing a warm breath, the soundscape invites listeners on a journey traveling between the […]
DARKSIDE was formed in 2011 by Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, who met at university. Their sound, traversing from psychedelia to house, has captivated many listeners with its originality that defies genre boundaries. In 2023, drummer Tlacael Esparza officially joined, and the band entered a new phase, releasing their first full album as a trio, […]
“Is wanting more a crime?” This question posed by Jordana in her self-titled latest EP ‘Jordanaland’ is directed at everyone who continues to perform “kindness” in the real world. Raised in a musical household where her father was an organist, she has captured listeners’ hearts with her highly transparent vocals since her 2019 debut. However, […]
BELONG Media / A-indie editor-in-chief yabori here. Even when listening to the same music, everyone feels something different. Moreover, if you grew up in different countries and cultures, those differences become even more interesting. This special “music cross-review” project that transcends borders has already reached its third installment! The writers are Yuuki Takita, who is […]