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New, interesting Japanese non-pop, non-J-rock music?

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R

radios shipping overview

Member
I'm keeping this out of the existing threads so I can get more eyeballs. Some of my favorite Japanese artists are those who sort of exist on the fringe and do their own thing: Boredoms, UA, Acid Mothers Temple, Melt Banana, Tha Blue Herb, Afrirampo, Susumu Yokota, Rei Harakami, Ryuichi Sakamoto, OOIOO. The problem is that I haven't found that kind of independent spirit and creativity in the younger generations yet (artists in their 20s-30s). (Nakata's various acts are cool and well-produced, but I wouldn't call most of it groundbreaking - just very solid and polished. )

What young Japanese acts are doing interesting things these days?
 
R

Regiruler

Member
Does japanese metal count? Galneryus is very good and still putting out albums, but they've been around for a while
 
S

Sallokin

Member
Tricot are amazing. Hadn't heard the new album, so wow, I'm excited to dig in. Definitely bookmarking this thread.
 
F

faridmon

Member
The Mirraz
Amazing City Club
Kyuuso nekokami

EDIT: Just saw you mentioning Afrorampo, You should check Owarikara out. The same vain, although no rapping!
 
S

Steamlord

Member
Yeah, tricot is good stuff. AND is awesome.

They're not "recent" since they haven't been active since the mid-2000s, but eX-Girl is awesome and fun. Especially their first two albums with the original drummer.

And Midori of course.

Don't know of any other similar stuff from more recent years though so I'm interested to see other people's answers.

EDIT:

SomedayTheFire said:
Toe released a great new record there a couple of weeks back. Hear You.
Click to expand...

Somehow I missed this post. New Toe album? Fuck yes, I had no idea.
 
K

kiri

Member
Kei Owada
kotringo
DE DE MOUSE
Asphault Frustration
dustbox

Maybe some of those might interest you?
 
M

MegaPanda

Member
School Food Punishments
La La Larks

Same main person behind both bands (Yumi Uchimura) and their music always seemed different & original to me
 
B

Bubble Metropolis

Member
Not really recent so you may already know them, but OLH (Omokage Lucky Hole) are probably my favorite Japanese band. This song is called "I wrote the name of the boy I like in my arm with a compass needle". I'm not sure if they appeal as much if you can't understand the lyrics, but I dig them musically as well.

Arukara are a band that veers more into J-Rock than something like tricot, but they're musically and lyrically very compelling. I guess they've been around for a while, but I hadn't heard of them until last month when I stumbled upon a free live show they were doing. This song in particular caught my ear.
 
D

DashReindeer

Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
I am in the same boat as OP. Used to love the stuff coming out of Japan 10+ years ago, but since then I have sort of fallen out of touch with anything interesting from that scene. Will be checking out any and all recommendations for music that has anything in common with the artists OP mentioned or any of these:

Otomo Yoshihide
Kikuchi Naruyoshi
ROVO
Ground Zero
Kazutoki Umezu
Cornelius
Tsuneo Imahori
Tatsuya Yoshida
Ruins

Damn, I used to care so much about music, and now I have no idea what's going on. Guess I am officially old.
 
I

Infinite

Member
jiji said:
I'm keeping this out of the existing threads so I can get more eyeballs. Some of my favorite Japanese artists are those who sort of exist on the fringe and do their own thing: Boredoms, UA, Acid Mothers Temple, Melt Banana, Tha Blue Herb, Afrirampo, Susumu Yokota, Rei Harakami, Ryuichi Sakamoto, OOIOO. The problem is that I haven't found that kind of independent spirit and creativity in the younger generations yet (artists in their 20s-30s). (Nakata's various acts are cool and well-produced, but I wouldn't call most of it groundbreaking - just very solid and polished. )

What young Japanese acts are doing interesting things these days?
Click to expand...

MegaPanda said:
School Food Punishments
La La Larks

Same main person behind both bands (Yumi Uchimura) and their music always seemed different & original to me
Click to expand...

DashReindeer said:
I am in the same boat as OP. Used to love the stuff coming out of Japan 10+ years ago, but since then I have sort of fallen out of touch with anything interesting from that scene. Will be checking out any and all recommendations for music that has anything in common with the artists OP mentioned or any of these:

Otomo Yoshihide
Kikuchi Naruyoshi
ROVO
Ground Zero
Kazutoki Umezu
Cornelius
Tsuneo Imahori
Tatsuya Yoshida
Ruins

Damn, I used to care so much about music, and now I have no idea what's going on. Guess I am officially old.
Click to expand...

did we read OP?
 
H

hobblygobbly

Member
Not sure if this counts for what you're asking but MONO is a Japanese post-rock band (as a result, also no vocals). They're my favourite band. I also don't know of any other Japanese post-rock band. All their songs are lengthy as well.

Mono (stylised as MONO) are a Japanese instrumental rock band, formed in 1999 in Tokyo. The band consists of Takaakira Goto (electric guitar, glockenspiel), Hideki Suematsu (electric guitar, glockenspiel), Tamaki Kunishi (bass guitar, electric guitar, piano, glockenspiel), and Yasunori Takada (drum kit, glockenspiel, synthesizer).

The band's style of music is influenced by the genres of experimental rock and shoegazing, as well as by both the classical and contemporary classical periods of classical music, and also by noise and minimalism. Mono's sound is characterised by the lead and rhythm guitars of Goto and Yoda respectively, both of whom make extensive use of reverb, distortion and delay effects. The band's live performances are noted for their intensity, both in the playing and in the dynamics.

mono-band.jpg
Click to expand...

Live performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCGPKmnZOTY
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ofue5LKu4
and (4 mins, short song in comparison) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj4nX9NCxgY
Website http://www.monoofjapan.com/en/releases.php

I listen to them all the time, I love their build ups and stuff too with their climax.
 
L

LucidMomentum

Member
Uyama Hiroto is amazing if you like Jazz and Hip-Hop.

Also not mentioning Nujabes seems like a crime, despite it not being new.

Japanese Shoegaze is also amazing. Tokyo Shoegazer and Kinoko Teikoku are my faves.

hobblygobbly said:
Not sure if this counts for what you're asking but MONO is a Japanese post-rock band (as a result, also no vocals). They're my favourite band. I also don't know of any other Japanese post-rock band. All their songs are lengthy as well.



Live performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCGPKmnZOTY
Website http://www.monoofjapan.com/en/releases.php
Click to expand...

This is my jam.
 
D

DashReindeer

Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
Infinite said:
did we read OP?
Click to expand...

Um? I suppose I was unclear? Asking for recommendations for music similar to the bands/artists OP listed or the additional ones I listed which I happen to like as well. These are not recommendations for OP, but I guess me being selfish by giving examples of other great Japanese experimental music from 10+ years back and asking for more recommendations for myself.
 
F

FloppyDelux

Member
Boris(drone)
Sigh(death metal)
Coffins (death metal)
onmyouza(metal)
church of misery(doom)
the mad capsule markets(industrial punk rock metal
AA=(industrial punk rock metal
versailles ( metal)
Jupiter( metal)
Femme Fatale (goth)
Wagakki Band( folk rock)
 
L

Luminaire

Member
If you want something very heavy and very interesting and more on the metal/deathcore side of things, Nocturnal Bloodlust is amazing.

If you're more interested in the electronic/dance?/trance-ish kinda of scene, CAPSULE is great.

It really depends on what genres you're interested in, there's a lot of new and interesting stuff out there.
 
C

Chainsawkitten

Member
  • Boris
    Drone Metal, Noise Rock, Stoner Metal
  • Envy
    Screamo, Post-Rock
  • Gauge Means Nothing
    Screamo
  • Heaven In Her Arms
    Screamo
  • Kashiwa Daisuke
    Electronic, Modern Classical
  • Midori
    Art Punk, Jazz Fusion
  • Mono
    Post-Rock
  • Swarrrm
    Grindcore
  • Texas Pandaa
    Dream Pop
  • The Gerogerigegege
    Noisecore
 
S

Steamlord

Member
Oh yeah, 385 is a good band that sounds a lot like Midori. They're certainly not as good as Midori, but they scratch the same itch.

And Wakusei Abnormal is pretty cool catchy psych/rock/pop. Their first album is the most "out there," and the next two albums get progressively safer, which is disappointing. They're still pretty decent though.
 
S

Sami+

Member
Illion is super cool, but definitely rock. Alternative/post or whatever, tbh I don't really understand the denominations all that well. It's the lead singer of RADWIMPS' (who are also amazing btw) solo project.

My favorite song of his is BEEHIVE, which opens with the main guitar melody playing in reverse which is dope. It's good shit, very highly recommend. Would get a link if I wasn't at work rn.
 
R

Rooster12

Member
jiji said:
I'm keeping this out of the existing threads so I can get more eyeballs. Some of my favorite Japanese artists are those who sort of exist on the fringe and do their own thing: Boredoms, UA, Acid Mothers Temple, Melt Banana, Tha Blue Herb, Afrirampo, Susumu Yokota, Rei Harakami, Ryuichi Sakamoto, OOIOO.
Click to expand...

If you enjoy Japanese hip hop like that then there's tons of that stuff, for example:

Fullmember

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGuJJzB73FM

The Otogibanashi's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePkX_duCmW0

Michita

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0LqRxyd1KI

DoubleDouble

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf7ti-TYrh4

Nagan Server

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1zVhXvTmL0

Basi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew3OuevQNDM

Gaku MC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTlUyI04qk4
 
J

Jawbreaker

Member
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra:
"Utsukushiku Moeru Mori"
"Ginga to Meiro"
"Stroke of Fate"

Jellyroll Rockheads:
Wake Up, Music

Envy:
"Further Ahead of Warp"
"A Warm Room"

Bleach03:
"He (Hips)"
"Sun Dance, Moon Dance"
"Not Peter"

YMCK:
"Milky Blue"
"また歩き出すために"
"Magical 8Bit Tour"

Plus-Tech Squeeze Box:
"Dough-Nuts Town's Map"
"A Day in the Radio"
"Starship.6"

Potshot:
"In My Heart"
"Reply"
"Since Yesterday"

Hyper Hindu Squatters:
S/T

Gallhammer:
"World to be Ashes"
"Crucifixion"
"Speed of Blood"

Coquettish:
"Sadness and Tears"
"Caffeine-aholic"
"Do It Ourselves"

Boris:
"Statement"
"Korosu"

Heaven in Her Arms:
"Butterfly in Right Helicoid"
"Wound Dehiscence"
"Veritas"

Assfort:
1997 EP
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
You'd be better off just coming to the Japanese music thread. I'd recommend a bunch of the Virgin Babylon stuff to you. Since you like Sakamoto, check out Kashiwa Daisuke.
Larsa said:
I'm not doing my duty if I'm not always recommending Shinsei Kamattechan. It's my favorite band. I'm not sure what you would classify them as, noise-rock/pop I guess?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqE3oaJmVS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qovS8CWlb5M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZH17Se-WQ

These all have the same person singing.
Click to expand...
Listen to Larsa.
 
R

radios shipping overview

Member
Yeah, people posted about a lot of stuff I already listed in the OP, or bands that have been around a decade or more, or bands otherwise not relevant to the OP... so I'm mostly doing my own research. toe are really fucking great, though.

Kikagaku Moyo are a really fantastic psychedelic band. I want to hear more from them. https://geometricpatterns.bandcamp.com/

A lot of what's on Call and Response Records seems pretty cool, too: https://soundcloud.com/callandresponse
 
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