Hokkaido city pop, Tokyo funk rock and a gem of the “Shibuya-kei” microgenre ✨
Get ready for a colourful canvas of bright pop, funky rock and majestic piano.
This edition features the upbeat tones of articulated named Hokkaido city pop outfit “First Love is Never Returned”, along with a classic shibuya-kei track from the mid-2000s.
Also featured is a funky number from Tokyo’s OKAMOTO’S, a recent single from Bitei Matsuki’s melodic hard bop jazz-infused pop and to finish things off, a serenely beautiful piece written and composed by the Kotringo, the immensely talented singer-songwriter recognised and praised by none other than the late great composer Ryuchi Sakamoto. 🎹
“OKACHIMACHI FRIDAY NIGHT” by First Love is Never Returned
🎶 city pop, rnb 📍sapporo 🗓️ released on 9th august 2023
The poetically named “First Love is Never Returned” (#FLiNR) are a fresh young 5-piece pop and rnb group from Sapporo conceptualised mainly by vocalist Kazuki Ishida, having studied his craft in New York City.
After releasing 3 singles since their first in 2018, FLiNR re-grouped in December 2022 following the public restrictions imposed across Japan following the COVID-19 outbreak, still widely anonymous. However, the band have experienced a meteoric rise to online popularity and demand for live appearances throughout 2023 so far, following the release of 3 new singles and their first EP.
The latest of these singles is this summer’s “OKACHIMACHI FRIDAY NIGHT”. Carried by a disco beat and infused with a modern interpretation of the jazzy chords and funky guitar ditties of Japan’s 80’s pop scene, the song captures the electric atmosphere of a Friday night in Okachimachi, an area of Tokyo known for its bustling shopping streets and delicious food.
Having appeared as a “RISING STAR” at this year’s Fuji Rock Festival, this may not be the last you hear from this vibrant young band.
Visit their website here and discover more of their music here.
“Tandem” by HALCALI
🎶 pop, shibuya-kei📍tokyo 🗓️ released 3rd september 2003
Hailing from Meguro (Tokyo), HALCALI were a J-pop duo consisting of two female vocalists, “Halca” (AKA Haruka) and “Yucali” (AKA Yukari).
Formed in 2002, the duo enjoyed commercial success in Japan just a year afterward with their debut album, “Halcali Bacon”. Dressed in an iconic fast-food-inspired album cover, the album reached #5 on Japan’s Oricon music charts, making it the first album by a female hip-hop artist to ever enter the chart’s top ten in Japanese music history.
Close friends at Elementary school, Haruka and Yukari formed HALICALI as the result of hip-hop group Rip Slyme’s special auditions to become a “female hip-hop unit”. From there, “Tandem” (released in January 2003) was their debut single, featuring on several Japanese TV stations (as well as MTV) and serving as the second track on “Halcali Bacon”.
Driven by a kitsch and eccentric beat, characteristic of Tokyo’s Shibuya-kei” micro-genre of the late 1990s, “Tandem” made for a rather fun debut single from the duo. The part-sung, part-rapped lyrics are high-octane and encourage listeners to move (references to the way of living and moving “in tandem” being referenced in several ways).
An incredibly upbeat and catchy song, it’s a gem of its era.
Listen to more of HALICALI’s music on YouTube here.
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“Itsumo Endless” (Always Endless) by OKAMOTO’S
🎶 rock, funk rock 📍tokyo 🗓️ released on 25th january 2023
A versatile four-piece deriving influence from a multitude of genres, OKAMOTO’S were formed in 2006 by classmates at a Tokyo high school. The group are all fans of the influential Japanese avant-grade artist Tarō Okamoto and as a result, each adopted his surname as their own stage name, thus forming “Okamoto’s” - taking a leaf from the book written by legendary American punk outfit The Ramones.
The group consists of Shō Okamoto (vocals) - (son of American jazz saxophonist Scott Hamilton), Kōki Okamoto (guitar), Hama Okamoto (bass) and Reiji Okamoto (drums).
Since making their major label debut in 2010, their career so far has cultivated an extensive catalogue of studio albums and a number of impressive feats, including credits on a song featured in the legendary anime series Naruto Shippuden as well as overseas recognition, having performed across the US.
“Itsumo, Endless” comes from the group’s latest album, “Flowers”, released in January 2023. It’s an exceptionally funky track and features an outrageously intricate slap bass line from Hama, flawless drums from Reiji, syncopated funk guitar infusions from Kōki and some gorgeous jazzy piano chords to complete a rich sound. Shō‘s lyrics articulate an endless foray into pursuing a love interest.
Discover OKAMOTO’S via their website here and via their YouTube channel here.
“Lifetime” by Bitei Matsuki
🎶 pop, jazz📍shizuoka 🗓️ released on 11th january 2023
Projecting a clean and fresh brand of jazz-inspired pop through the persona of a cat (depicted via striking artwork), Bitei Matsuki has swiftly developed a firm online following since his first release in 2020. Matsuki creates a unique style of melodic and polished pop songs that are inspired by and infused with the influence and characteristics of hard-bop jazz music.
After beginning to play jazz and playing piano aged 20, Matsuki went on to study pop music and began recording music at home in late 2018.
“Lifetime” was the first of three singles that Bitei Matsuki has released this year (be sure to check out “Persona” and “Rays of Belief” - both excellent songs). Frankly, its chorus has been in my head for the past week. Featuring a wonderful weave of different melodic progressions, featuring an excellent guitar solo, “Lifetime”’s lyrics appear to surround a sense of restlessness and the desire to find a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Bitei Matsuki polishes this smooth and memorable song with beautifully understated vocal harmonies and intricate jazz-piano fills.
Dive into Bitei Matsuki’s music via his social channels here.
“to stanford ” by Kotringo
🎶 pianist, singer-songwriter📍osaka 🗓️ released on 10th september 2008
In 2005, young pianist Rieko Miyoshi (AKA Kotringo) submitted a demo tape to the radio show of the legendary late Japanese composer Ryuchi Sakamoto. Her talent caught his interest and the rest, as they say, is history.
A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in California, where she majored in Jazz Composition and Performance, Kotringo has released 14 studio albums. Her stage name is a blend of the Japanese words for birds (kotori) and apple (ringo).
I discovered Kotringo’s beautiful music after a friend shared a live concert she performed in Argentina (if you’re reading, thank you very much to that good friend). The piece she performed combined masterful piano with heartbreakingly gentle vocals to create an incredible sound. The song performed was “to stanford”.
The majestic piano progressions carry the song as if it is floating, whilst Miyoshi’s angelic vocals sing of a warm moment of reflection on a train journey on a Saturday afternoon. I was stunned upon first listen and I continue to find this a particularly moving piece to this day.
Visit Kotringo’s website here.
Thank you for reading! I hope you discovered some music you may have liked in this edition.
If you have any thoughts on how I can improve this newsletter and your experience with it, please get in touch at themusicofjapan@gmail.com.
Halcali brings back a lot of nostalgia for me, as these girls emerged just when I was diving into Japanese music. It’s a shame they didn’t quite succeed when they moved to Sony...
Thanks, all of this was new to me. I enjoyed the track by Bitei Matsuki