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 […]
Tag: yabori
Gotoh (AKG) on Nano-Mugen’s Return & Asian Music
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 […]
Fuji Rock Dream? Concerty Makes it Easy! Guide Included🌏️
“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 […]
What is Tapeworms’ New Album “Grand Voyage,” Blending Shibuya-kei and French Touch? | Characters Introduce in a Column!
Tapeworms, a trio from Lille, France, blends the charm of electronic music and indie-pop. In this column, two unique characters, music expert Dr. Aria and music novice Slime Punipon, will unravel their music, new album “Grand Voyage,” and cultural background, from France to their current stay in Tokyo. This article is a new attempt to […]
Who is the Korean Indie Band Orange Flavored Cigarettes with 1.8 Million Plays?!
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 […]
Who is Faerybabyy, the so-called Fantasy Gal Post-Punk?
This time, we introduce the new artist Faerybabyy—based in California. She has been drawing significant attention in the United States with a unique blend of post-punk, surf goth, and hypnagogy punk. Here in Japan, she is even referred to as a “Fantasy Gal Post-Punk” artist. ファンタジーギャルポストパンクfaerybabyyさんの新作リリックビデオ。faerybabyy- lobotomy song lyric video https://t.co/NcsPw9GaM6 @YouTubeより https://t.co/Xt19ybWRUc — lEjEwO […]
Meet Matt Hsu: The Multi-Instrumentalist Breaking Barriers with Obscure Orchestra
A groundbreaking musical experiment is taking shape in the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra is, in other words, the musical utopia that John Lennon envisioned in “Imagine. With 25 members, Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra is a ripper blend of orchestral arrangements and punk spirit, pushing beyond conventional genres and musical boundaries. At […]
Launching New Project ‘Jingle Jungle Range Town’ Featuring AI Characters!
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 […]
Rising Tokyo Band ‘mozu’ Featured! Aria and Punipon Launch Their Music Column “Rangetown Notes”
Hello everyone, I’m Aria Somnambula! I’m excited to announce that I’ll be starting a music column called “Rangetown Notes” in collaboration with BELONG Media/A-indie. I’ll be writing this column together with my research partner, Punipon, a virtual life form (I’m a bit nervous as this is my first time writing a music column…). For those […]
China’s new rock band “Orange Ocean” makes its first visit to Japan!
The rock band “Orange Ocean (橘子海)” from Qingdao, China, announced that they will hold their first tour in Japan in March 2024. The guest for the Tokyo performance (March 6, Shibuya WWW X) is the four-member band “TENDOUJI” that advocates EASY PUNK, and the guest for the Osaka performance (March 8, Shinsaibashi JANUS) is the […]