Good indie music in Asia✨
When you observe the music scene for a long time as a media outlet, you occasionally encounter moments that stir your heart beyond reason. This doesn’t happen when you discover meticulously calculated artists. It happens when you find raw diamonds—awkward yet luminous once polished—where impulse has taken direct form. What is GIRLFRIENDZ On January 21, […]
There are bands that are difficult to describe in one word when asked, “What kind of music do you play?” the hatch from Sapporo is exactly that kind of band. Just when you think it’s intense hardcore, beautiful piano resonates, and Latin rhythms move your body. Their new album『333』has become an album where their chaos […]
Since the release of their debut EP “XIEXIE” in 2021, we’ve been following the remarkable journey of Tokyo’s four-piece alternative band, xiexie. Building on a foundation of lo-fi indie pop while incorporating elements of psychedelic, chill, and soul music, they have achieved remarkable success through their distinctive musical additions and subtractions. Their activities extend far […]
Working in parallel with band activities to create solo work is not merely an expansion of expressive outlets—it’s also a process of facing oneself and distinguishing what one can and cannot do. What DYGL’s Kohei Kamoto reveals in his debut solo album “Dangle Candle” is a record of just such a contemplative journey. Encouraged by […]
yagihiromi, a member of Nitroday who has also gained attention as a support musician for ART-SCHOOL, will release her debut solo album 『lemma』 on November 19. Inspired by Showa modernist literature, the seven tracks combine ethereal beauty with experimental elements, traversing electronic, folk, abstract, and avant-garde territories while weaving her inner world into sound. Additionally, […]
It’s been a year and a half since their last release. Sisters In The Velvet have finally dropped their highly anticipated new EP, “Mother’s Octave.” For this release, they took on the thrilling challenge of recording in one take—without even using a metronome. Jazz-like improvisation was added to the mix, along with a statement against […]
Two-piece band flip-flops, based between Hokkaido and Tokyo, has announced the release of their 5th album ‘catch me up’ on October 15. This latest work further evolves the “far-east emo” concept established in their previous album, featuring alternative tunings on all tracks and incorporating songs that blend Japanese and English lyrics. An exclusive preview held […]
Recently, I was casually browsing through Japanese records from the 70s to 80s at a used record shop. Among the Japanese-language jackets, there was one record that stood out as distinctly different – it was entirely in English. I thought it might be a foreign artist mixed in, but surprisingly, it turned out to be […]
Silence can sometimes become more eloquent poetry than anything else. Michiharu Shimoda started his career under the name SILENT POETS with wordless instrumentals. SILENT POETS, whose name became even more widely known through providing music for the game ‘DEATH STRANDING’, has completed their first album in 7 years, ‘HOPE’. During these 7 years, the world […]
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 […]