Last Updated on 2024-11-23 by a-indie
To Our Readers
Today, we are excited to share detailed information about our new project “Jingle Jungle Range Town,” which was announced two weeks ago.
Thank you for following our 13-day teaser campaign on social media.
Before diving into the project details, let me explain our new concept and why we decided to introduce AI characters.
New Concept and Introduction of AI Characters
For everyone who wants to enjoy music more – from experts to beginners.
“Jingle Jungle Range Town” launches a new initiative to enjoy music from various angles using AI technology and fictional characters.
The project’s concept is “increasing the resolution of the music you encounter.”
We aim to create an experience where each song becomes more three-dimensional, not just by listening but by exploring the background, stories, and artists’ roots.
The Catalyst for Introducing AI Characters
The introduction of AI characters stemmed from the “limitations as a music media” that our editorial team felt when reflecting on our past activities.
We identified two main challenges: limited two-way interaction with readers and information becoming too specialized for beginners to understand.
To address these challenges, we decided to incorporate AI technology to provide fresh perspectives.
In designing the characters, we prioritized approachability.
This led to the creation of “Dr. Aria Somnambula,” a neuroscientist well-versed in indie music, and “Punipon,” a humorous slime-type virtual life form.
These two characters balance expertise and accessibility – Aria as the knowledgeable expert and Punipon as the curious beginner asking questions from a newcomer’s perspective.
Through AI-enabled interactive exchanges, we aim to create an experience where readers feel like they’re participating in the conversation.
Our editorial team has been experimenting with AI technology since 2023, testing various ideas.
Particularly, while exploring how music articles could evolve, we became convinced that the dialogue format between Aria and Punipon would serve as an ideal “gateway to indie music” for readers.
This style allows us to provide in-depth information for music enthusiasts while remaining approachable and interesting for beginners.
While there are many ways to enjoy music, this project aims to create opportunities for readers to enjoy music more deeply.
When music’s resolution increases, you can discover new insights and emotions in songs that might have previously just played in the background. We’ll help bridge these discoveries together with Aria and Punipon.
Now, let’s explain the project and character details in more depth.
Aiming to Create New Value in Indie Music
Today, we are officially launching our new project “Jingle Jungle Range Town” utilizing AI technology.
This project aims to discover new music experiences and reach new listeners by using AI perspectives and fictional characters to explain increasingly complex indie music in an accessible way.
Project Overview
“Jingle Jungle Range Town” will develop with these three main objectives:
1. Gaining new perspectives through AI characters’ music explanations
2. Achieving two-way communication through reader participation
3. Discovering new indie music creators and potential listeners
Main Story Introduction
Meet Dr. Aria Somnambula, a fictional neuroscientist who dreams of sharing indie music’s charm with people worldwide.
With experience playing in a multinational indie band during university, she now conducts research aiming to merge music and science.
While working on AI assistant development, an unexpected experimental failure led to the creation of Punipon, an iridescent slime-type virtual life form.
Although lacking musical knowledge, this peculiar being chose a microwave as its home and, surprisingly, formed a great partnership with the doctor through its humorous personality.
Together, they launched the reader-participatory music column “Jingle Jungle Range Town,” beginning a new musical exploration journey.
An unpredictable musical adventure is about to begin, weaving together Dr. Aria’s expertise and Punipon’s unique perspective.
For main story details, please visit here.
New Character Introductions
Dr. Aria Somnambula: A neuroscientist who played in a multinational indie band during university. Currently pursuing research to merge music and science while dreaming of spreading indie music’s charm worldwide.
Punipon: An iridescent slime-type virtual life form born from a failed AI assistant experiment. Full name: “Puniponia Puniponino Punipolis Ndulbe.” Though lacking musical knowledge, it maintains a humorous personality and resides in a microwave.
Introduction of Key Initiatives
This project will develop three main initiatives:
Music Column “Range Town Notes”
“Range Town Notes,” a music discovery column by Dr. Aria and Punipon, focuses on exploring and explaining emerging artists whose profiles aren’t widely known yet.
We will accept artist submissions from readers on an ongoing basis. When necessary, we’ll conduct direct interviews with new artists to uncover their musical roots and analyze their appeal in depth. We also plan to premiere new songs alongside the column features.
For our first edition, we’re featuring mozu, an indie band active in Tokyo. A preview of their new song will be available for a limited time (Monday, November 25 – Sunday, December 8).
Tokyo’s Rising Band mozu Featured! Aria and Punipon’s Music Column “Range Town Notes” Launches!
https://belongmedia.net/2024/11/23/rangetown-notes-mozu/
Launch of Range Town Newsletter (Email Magazine)
We’re launching “Range Town Newsletter,” our official email magazine that will deliver weekly summaries of BELONG Media/A-indie every Sunday.
The content will include Dr. Aria and Punipon’s introductions to BELONG’s new articles of the week, playlist updates, and latest news announcements.
Registration is now open, and current BELONG Magazine subscribers have already received early invitation emails.
To subscribe to the newsletter, please enter your email address and name in the registration form below.
Range Town Newsletter Registration Form
Social Media Presence
The Range Town project’s social media will feature Dr. Aria’s introductions to songs and artists from the “BELONG Recommend Songs” playlist, interview article announcements, and occasional jingle tweets by Punipon. Please follow our project’s social media at the URLs below:
X (formerly Twitter): Jingle Jungle Range Town (@JingleJungleRT)
Spotify Playlist: BELONG Recommend Songs
How to Participate
1. Participating in Music Columns
Readers can recommend artists (self-nominations welcome) for feature articles, share feedback, and provide comments on articles.
Please participate through our recommendation form linked below or by using the hashtag #レンジタウン on social media.
The recommendation form contains about 10 questions and takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
Access the “Range Town Notes” Artist Recommendation/Application Form here
2. Upcoming Developments
The next Range Town Newsletter will announce:
・New Initiative: Monthly subscription column (500 yen) “Living in Music’s Margins – Professional Indie Navigation Tips Nobody Taught You”
・Annual Best Singles Feature
・Interview with BELONG’s Editor-in-Chief: Background on AI Character Implementation
・Development Schedule for 2025
Project FAQ
Closing Words
Our editorial team is excited to see what emerges from this new fusion of indie music and technology.
Through this project, under our new vision of “increasing the resolution of encountered music,” we aim to deliver more three-dimensional perspectives on artists’ creative backgrounds, roots, and the emotions embedded in their works.
“Jingle Jungle Range Town” aspires to be more than just AI characters explaining music—we aim to create a new platform contributing to the development of the indie music scene.
Our editorial team will work enthusiastically to bridge the gap between artists and readers. We look forward to your continued support.
Tomohiro Yabe
Editor-in-Chief, BELONG Media/A-indie
About BELONG Media/A-indie
BELONG Media is an indie music media outlet that started in 2012. We cover indie music from around the world, including Japan and overseas. In 2021, we appeared as a guest on J-WAVE’s “SONAR MUSIC.” In 2022, we launched “A-indie,” an English-language sister site focusing on Asian music.
- BELONG Media: [https://belongmedia.net/]
- A-indie: [https://a-indie.com/]
- x(BELONG Media): [https://x.com/BELONG_Media]
- x(Jingle Jungle Range Town Project): [https://x.com/JingleJungleRT]
- Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/belong_media]
- Link List: [https://linktr.ee/belong_media]
- Contact regarding this matter: BELONG Media/A-indie Email: [belongmagazine1967＠gmail.com](Please change “＠” to “@”)
Writer: Tomohiro Yabe (yabori)
Editor-in-Chief of BELONG Media/A-indie. Started writing a music blog “Timeless Masterpiece” in 2010, which became the predecessor of BELONG.
After writing for “only in dreams” hosted by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION’s vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, he studied music business at a music vocational school.
Has been writing about Japanese and international music for over 10 years.
Previously worked at a music CD rental shop with over 100,000 album titles, specializing in garage rock, psychedelic rock, and Japanese indie rock.
Using these experiences, he has published 26 issues of “BELONG Magazine,” a music magazine focused on “roots rock.”
Currently writing articles based on SEO strategies learned at a web development company. His hobby is watching “Kaiken! Nandemo Kantei-dan.”
You can find his previous articles here
Twitter: @boriboriyabori
- is a music media platform run by BELONG, a Japanese music organization. We publish music articles with a focus on Asian indie music.
[…] If you’re interested in learning about how we came to join BELONG Media/A-indie, please check out this article. […]