Last Updated on 2025-11-25 by a-indie
Live Shows and Future Prospects
Solo Live Concept
—Maririn: Digression aside, are there plans for solo live shows?
Kohei Kamoto: Not at this point. Around January or February, I’m thinking about borrowing a gallery to do a one-man show, or rather my own event.
—Maririn: I’m curious what form recreating this album live would take. Like how much you’d perform yourself, etc.
Kohei Kamoto: What I’m thinking now is rather than recreating the album as-is, I want to break it down a bit. I think it would be more interesting to gather trusted musicians, have them listen to the songs, and then “remake”—or not remake, but “redo” them for live performance.
What Solo Production Brought
Impact on Band Activities
—Maririn: Through this solo production, I think you newly discovered things and gained new capabilities. How do you think those will influence DYGL and other musical activities?
Kohei Kamoto: When you start creating yourself, you really understand what you can and can’t do, what you want and don’t want to do. In that sense, I think it becomes easier to put out ideas in DYGL too. Conversely, for things I’d been forcing into DYGL before, I now have the option of doing them myself. Not just DYGL, but in other activities too.
—Maririn: Things like “I want to do this but it doesn’t fit this band’s work” can now be sublimated in solo work.
Kohei Kamoto: Yes. Among 4 or 5 members, even without forcibly asserting “I want to do this,” I now have a place where I can do it myself, so in the band I think I can make music and perform more naturally, like “I can contribute these kinds of ideas.”
Who Should Listen
—Maririn: Who especially do you want to listen to this work “Dangle Candle”?
Kohei Kamoto: Same as what I say with DYGL, but of course I want everyone to listen. Speaking personally, since I went with all English lyrics, I hope it becomes music that can be heard not just in Japan but in Asia, Europe, America, and various places.
Influential Works
Musical Influences
—Maririn: Thank you. I just remembered—earlier you mentioned getting inspiration from picture books and films, but were there any musical works that strongly influenced this production?
Kohei Kamoto: Koda and I made a playlist together and added various songs. Rather than direct influence like picture books and films, what I thought I could imitate “as technique” were American groups like Standing On The Corner and solo artist Homeshake. Rather than strongly rock music, there was a lot with sampling or leaning slightly toward R&B and hip-hop.
Prospects for Next Work
—Maririn: If there’s a next work, would it be quite different from this one?
Kohei Kamoto: I feel it would change quite a bit. I have various things I want to try, and if Koda works with me again, I want to talk and decide what kind of thing to make.
Recent Interests
The Philosophy of “No Man’s Sky”
—Maririn: Finally, are there any films, books, or other works you’ve seen recently that left an impression?
Kohei Kamoto: Can it be a game? I might have mentioned that DYGL members only play “Smash Bros. (Super Smash Bros.)” on Switch, but when tired of that, I play “No Man’s Sky.” It’s incredibly interesting. It’s a space game with infinite things to do, a highly free game where you can do anything. I started after finishing the album, but thought “this connects to the album’s concept.” Dialogue where you can’t understand what’s being said is somehow philosophical. Even when you die and respawn in the game, philosophical words appear. That’s interesting. It was after completion, but I felt it connected to my album.
Kohei Kamoto Album Release
Debut Solo Album “Dangle Candle”
Release Date: November 26, 2025
Label: Thaian Records
Tracklist:
1. MoL
2. Friends
3. Wonder
4. Sleep
5. Piano
6. Car
7. Space Cowboy
8. Ego and Soul
9. Bon Voyage and May the Stars Guide You
10. Bossa on the Moon
View on Spotify
Kohei Kamoto Profile
Kohei Kamoto is active as a DYGL member while also participating as a band member for Yuma Abe in domestic and international tours and production. He self-produces everything from songwriting to recording, mixing, and artwork, creating works that fuse DIY spirit with delicate sensibility. In November 2025, he released his debut solo album “Dangle Candle.” The tracks, written entirely in English lyrics, are constructed based on natural word choices born from overseas living and tour experiences, and a musical background that crosses genres. By incorporating ambient-like sound imagery and spatiality, he presents a worldview that doesn’t just stay in your ears but expands like painting landscapes.
Maririn (@Igor_Bilic)
A music lover who handles event planning and media interviews.
After staff experience at DaisyBar, hosts the personal project “SECOND SUMMER OF LOVE.”
As a writer, has published interviews with Suchmos, Ykiki Beat, Never Young Beach and others for BELONG Media.
Furthermore, with background including new artist discovery at record companies and major label experience, continues pursuing the music scene from multifaceted perspectives.
Articles written for A-indie are here
- is a music media platform run by BELONG, a Japanese music organization. We publish music articles with a focus on indie music.