Good indie music in Asia✨
Text: Tomohiro Yabe “This is impossible.” In early April, when BELONG Media founder Tomohiro Yabe sent an email to London indie label Bella Union about a listening session, that’s what people around him whispered. The project to deliver the album by “Goddess”—the new project of Fay Milton, a member of the four-piece women’s post-punk band […]
My conversation with Masafumi Gotoh of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was a reunion for me, yabori (Tomohiro Yabe), after 10 years. My musical journey began here, encountering AKG’s music and opening the door to Western music by listening to ASH’s “Burn Baby Burn” from the Nano-Mugen Fes compilation CD. And now, NANO-MUGEN FES. 2025, revived after […]
Miso Extra is a British-Japanese singer-producer with roots in both Japan and the UK. She layers Japanese and English rap over eclectic beats, blending sounds from K-Pop to UK garage and R&B, creating ear-pleasing music that has garnered praise from talents like Thundercat and Fabiana Palladino. Furthermore, Miso Extra’s “POP” has ranked high on J-WAVE […]
“I want to go to Fuji Rock in Japan someday!” Have you ever hesitated because of language barriers or distance, despite holding onto that thought? “Concerty” is the tool that gives you the courage to take a step towards that dream. Not only can you search for nearby concerts while you’re there, but it also […]
Dirty Projectors, a leading American indie rock band based in Brooklyn, released their 5th album “Bitte Orca” in 2009. It’s an undisputed masterpiece that still garners support even after more than 10 years. Participating as a former member on this masterpiece “Bitte Orca” was the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Deradoorian, whom we interviewed this time. Although […]
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Mei Semones, originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a Japanese mother. Having studied guitar performance focusing on jazz at Berklee College of Music and possessing experience as a Japanese kindergarten teacher in Brooklyn, Mei Semones is a young artist featured by media outlets like Rolling Stone and Paste in 2024 and is scheduled to […]
Sahara Grim is an artist based in Los Angeles with roots in India and Japan. She recently released the album “Fable.” This work features Luke Temple, the frontman of Here We Go Magic, as the producer, and blends diverse music genres from R&B and soul music to indie-pop, ambient music, surf rock, Brazilian jazz, and […]
Formed in Korea in 2020, orange flavored cigarettes (commonly known as ofc) is a noteworthy band whose debut song has reached 1.8 million plays on Spotify, despite being unknown newcomers. The quartet, consisting of dani (Vo.), gurl (Gt.), hotch (Ba.), and chan (Dr.), has gained popularity beyond borders with their unique worldview and musicality, much […]