KIRINJI Brings A Brand New Explosion of Sound With Upcoming Release!

Band project KIRINJI announced the they will be releasing a brand new single, “爆ぜる心臓” (“Hazeru Shinzo”), July 28. KIRINJI graduated from the band system at the end of 2020 and from 2021 on became a variable and loosely connected music group led by founder Takaki Horigome. “Hazeru Shinzo” will feature Awich of YENTOWN as its first vocal collaborator since the band’s beginning of this solo venture. The lead track is currently set to become the theme song for the movie 鳩の撃退法 (Hato no Gekitaihou), which will be released in Japanese theaters in August. Participating on the track will be band era member Manabu Chigasaki, Shun Ishiwaka, and Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi on bass, drums, and baritone sax/shibusashirazu, kuricorder quartet, respectively. The jacket cover was designed by Yori Oshima, an art director familiar with KIRINJI's work.

In addition to the title song “Hazeru Shinzo”, the new work will also include “再会” (“Saikai”), which was available digitally in April, and a vocal version of the popular song "恋の気配” (“Koi no Kehai”) which was only sung during the band era of KIRINJI. The single will drop with two editions: a CD-only standard edition and a limited edition which will include a bonus DVD. The DVD will include both the music video for “Hazeru Shinzo” along with the lyric video of previously released “Saikai”. To hype up the release of the movie and the single, studio SHOCHIKU released a small preview of “Hazeru Shinzo” alongside several clips of the film as well.

As we look forward to the upcoming release be sure to check out the teaser for the track along with the pre-order links for the single below!

Standard edition

Limited edition

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"Hazeru Shinzo feat. Awich" Standard Edition Jacket Cover

"Hazeru Shinzo feat. Awich" Limited Edition Jacket Cover

KIRINJI「Hazeru Shinzo feat. Awich」

CD

・爆ぜる心臓 feat. Awich

・再会

・恋の気配

Limited Edition DVD

・ 爆ぜる心臓 feat. Awich ＜Music Video＞

・ 再会 ＜Music Video＞

Latest Lyric Video Reconnects KIRINJI With Fans!

“Saikai” Digital Jacket Cover

To celebrate the release of their latest single “再会” (“Saikai”) across all music streaming platforms, popular band KIRINJI released the lyric video for the track on their YouTube channel. KIRINJI graduated from the band system at the end of 2020 and became a "variable and loosely connected music group" led by Takaki Horigome in 2021.

“Saikai”, the first release of the new system, is a song with a bright and danceable track which fans can’t help but jive to the beat to. The lyrics illustrate the wish to reunite with important people during these difficult times, and with that blend it brings out the best feature of KIRINJI’s sound in recent years. This sound creation exquisitely blends a certain live instrument for an out of this world sound that must be listened to. Continuing from the band era, Manabu Chigasaki participated in the bass performance, and the mix was handled by Masahito Komori; this was Komori’s first time participating in KIRINJI's work.

The lyric video was directed by Eisuke Shirota, who also worked on the videos for "AIの逃避行 feat. Charisma.com” (“AI No Tohiko feat. Charisma.com”) and "時間がない" (“Jikan ga Nai”). It features a basic room with various objects, like a laptop and desk, featured throughout. The lyrics flow in a dancing typeface while the scenery and lights of the movie are projected. You can also check the English translation of the lyrics by selecting the subtitles option.

Be sure to check out the lyric video in question below along with the digital streaming link here!

Ken's Ongaku Go For April 2021

With April blown by, it is now time for a brand new Ongaku Go. We at OTY would like our readers to know what was filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms with Apple Music featured on this site.

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“Mixtape” by Tomita Lab

This one is kind of a cheat as it is a 10 minute long track but can be broken up into four or five depending on where you break it. It plays like one traditional mix tape with several genre shifts in its runtime and really flexes on Tomita Lab’s thought and creative process. While some might feel that it’s long and conjoined very weirdly with no real theme, I feel like that’s the point as each break feels like a fresh breath of air and drew me in with every transition. I had previously known Tomita Lab’s previous work with another vocalist I hold to the highest regard, Naz, but with “Mixtape” I’ll definitely be looking toward to more of his work in the future.

Be sure to check out a snippet of the track in a preview video below along with the track in its entirety here!

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 “PIECE” by TENDRE

I knew this was going to be on my Ongaku Go just after me first listen and what a way to make his major label debut with Universal. While not changing too much of the norm of what I expect from a Tendre song, its lyrics really brought me in along with the composition that is just out of this world. “PIECE” is an amazing major label debut and I have no doubt that TENDRE will have several releases planed for the year, but with tracks like this I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the future. 

Check out the music video for “PIECE” below long with the song here!

“ad meliora” by THE CHARM PARK

Inspired by our interview we did with this amazing artist, I played this track on a loop along with his album Bedroom Revelations. I have loved the chill vibe and slow composition that this track had and it reminded me why I had THE CHARM PARK as one of my favorite artists a couple years back. I look forward to any work that this artist releases and “ad meliora” wasn’t any different.

Be sure to check out our lyric video for “ad meliora” below along with the track here!

“Saikai” by KIRINJI

I was surprised by how fast KIRINJI would drop another release due to it becoming more of a music project for Takaki Horigome instead formally being a band. I had my trepidation about it at first, but after just listening to the first 30 seconds my fears were quickly alleviated. With Horigome’s vocals on point and not missing a beat with this track, it just takes the listeners on a magical wonderland of sounds of city pop infused flavor. The composition is something else that really stands out for me as it doesn’t sound like traditional KIRINJI, yet still holds that nostalgic feeling at times. I have already listened to “Saikai” a dozen times over and it shot to my top five of the year already, and will likely stay there. 

Check out the lyric video for “Saikai” below along with the track here!

“JELLY FISH” by SHE IS SUMMER

Butting into my boys only club of artist for this month of Ongaku Go, we have SHE IS SUMMER who was riding high with both the release of her brand new album DOOR and celebrating Mico’s fifth anniversary with this project. “JELLY FISH” brings out the best of Mico’s vocal work and range and had reminded me why I fell in love with her in the first place. Its unique composition is superb with a trance like beat that listeners can get lost in. Although Mico had just released this, I expect more releases to celebrate her anniversary and I can’t wait to hear more in the future. 

Check out “JELLY FISH” here!

Ongaku To You Best of 2019!

2019 has been an amazing year for the Japanese music industry as a whole, as it not only brought in the new era of Reiwa for Japan but also the wealth of talent used to kick off the era. With the year coming to an end, we at Ongaku to You have crowned our top five songs of 2019 (listed in no particular order).

Luna’s Picks

1. “LEMONADE” - I Don’t Like Mondays

This song randomly popped up on YouTube as a recommendation and it stuck with me and made me fall in love with a band I had never heard of until this year. LEMONADE resonated with me because its melody, composition, and the lead singer’s vocals make such a great mix. This is a great summery feel-good track for me. 

2. “Never Grow Up” – CHANMINA

“Never Grow Up” speaks to me as I feel similarly like this about myself. I relate to the lyrics and the song had an impact on how I view things. CHANMINA's vocals are so good here because she exhibits her range’s full potential. The chorus catches listeners with its hook and it has a very memorable composition.

3. “EKTO” - m-flo

“EKTO” has the perfect combination of LISA's vocals and VERBAL's rap. The composition of this track is amazing and the piano work at the beginning always gets me—it’s simply beautiful. The chorus catches me every time; when LISA sings "you never really loved me, loved me. Love is so lonely", it sticks with you. The song as a whole flows perfectly and that’s what I love about m-flo. Their lyrics, composition, vocals, and rap… they truly make it all flow to perfection. 

4. “BANANA” – CREAM

“BANANA” is a track I have been addicted to since I heard it. It's the perfect summer jam and has that catchy melody that is all too irresistible and just makes you want to move to it. MINAMI's vocals are so smooth and Staxx-T's rap blends with them perfectly. Every time “BANANA” comes on I always have to sing to it and crank it up. This is also the song that got me super into CREAM. It's a great summer song although I can definitely listen to it all year round. 

5. “20” – eill

This track speaks to me because I vividly and fondly remember what it was like to be twenty. This still relates to me as eill talks about fighting to make your dreams come true. Even though I'm not twenty anymore I still carry that feeling. I feel like I will be forever young; maybe not forever twenty, but I'm still young, free, and fighting for my dreams. The melody and eill's vocals make this such a feel-good song for me. 

Favorite New Artist: I Don’t Like Mondays

This is a group I came across through their song “LEMONADE” and I started checking out all their other songs after that one. They are super talented and have amazing compositions and vocals. Their song “TONIGHT” is a favorite of mine. They have made an impact on me as they are such a feel-good band.

Artist of the Year: M-flo

M-flo made my #1 artist of the year for several reasons. For one, I got the pleasure of meeting them and speaking with DJ Taku and VERBAL in person. They are amazing guys and have done so much throughout their career. I have so much respect for them and what they do. Two, they are amazing live! These guys can put on a show and get you dancing. Three, their album KYO was on fire! KYO is one of my top albums of the year. The tracks they compiled for the album are well executed and compiled, each track flows perfectly. M-flo had an amazing year and to me, they are my artist of the year. They have gotten me the most excited for a release.

Gray’s Picks

1. “Puzzle” - MADKID

This song is by far and away the song I have listened to the most over the course of the year. It's such a fun, catchy number that always leaves me wanting more. I love how the vocals sound on this track and the rapping is just simply amazing it never fails to get me up and dancing. This song has really made my year and it is the second song I ever heard by MADKID. It was “Puzzle” that really made me want to go back and listen to more of their music and it was at that point that I had become an official fan of the group. 

2. “The Call” - Color Creation

Honestly this was a tough call—no pun intended—because putting this here would mean leaving out the ever amazing "Let it Snow", but at the end of the day there was no other song I could see not being on here. The vocals on this track are just impeccable, I fell in love with this song the very first listen, and it has been on repeat ever since. These guys just absolutely killed it for it just being their fourth single, and I just look forward to the future of this insanely talented group. 

3. “Hot! Hot! Hot!” - Tohoshinki

Back in the summer this song fell on the perfect spot because I was looking for some fun summer songs and hadn't quite heard one yet. Then out of nowhere this song appeared and just lifted up my life. There were a few more summer songs that I eventually did find but this one was by far my favorite. It is just such a fun number and a great tune and never gets old. It is such a delight and was a must to add to my top five.

4. “Time On You” - Rude-Alpha

Rude-Alpha dropped one of the most beautiful songs I've heard all year on his last single "Life". While I was devastated that his single didn't chart this is a perfect opportunity to highlight to a lot of people that they were missing out on this great song. It clocks in at only 2 minutes and 20 seconds but within this time he manages to convey emotion most songs can't achieve in full four-minute tracks. The rap in this song is exciting as well and the composition is simple but powerful.  

5. “Special Love” - lol

Up until recently lol had been pretty quiet for 2019 and yes, while they have had a few songs that I liked, there weren't many that I loved. However, even in a slow year this song has really stuck with me and found a very special place in my heart. It's the kind of song I feel lol does best and yes, it's a sappy love song but it's got a great sound to it and its melody is actually at a very nice, fast pace. Honaka proves song after song she is the backbone of this group with her outstanding rap breaks. In my opinion, if lol ever breaks up, Honaka could launch a career as a solo rapper with ease.

Favorite New Artist: Rude-Alpha

Rude-Alpha has been such a fun discovery to make. I became a fan the very first time I heard "Good Bye Baby". I just fell in love with that song and went back and listened to more of his music and I really feel he is an underappreciated talent. I know he is young and hope he hits his break soon. The guy really has the talent and I can't wait for that to happen. 

Artist of the Year: Color Creation

What a year it's been for these guys. Back in February they dropped the insanely great song "Let it snow" and in May they dropped their very first album First Palette which was not only amazing but performed really well on the charts. Then in November they dropped "The Call". These guys have had a fantastic 2019 and for me as a fan it was amazing to be a part of it and support them. I look forward to 2020 and to the future of Color Creation. 

Ken’s Picks

“EXPOSE ‘Burn out!!!!’” - RAISE A SUILEN

While this might be a change from what I usually listen to, RAISE A SUILEN has been a phenomenal surprise in the past year. With a masterful fusion of rock and trap, “EXPOSE ‘Burn out!!!!’” shows off just what RAISE A SUILEN can do. While this is a B-side for their second single, RAISE A SUILEN's best songs are their B-side tracks and "EXPOSE 'Burn out!!' is one of the best representations of that.

“Yes we are” - Sandaime J-Soul Brothers

“Yes we are” proved a phenomenal start to the year for SDMJSB and LDH on as a whole with superb vocals, composition, and choreography with everything just clicking. Watching the music video is an additional treat for this track to show just how brilliantly SDMJSB is the future of this brand. While I had some hesitancy switching to any other track they released this past year, “Yes we are” as a whole has been just unforgettable.

“花が咲く道” - THE CHARM PARK

With just impeccable vocals THE CHARM PARK creeped into my heart with just one track. With its emotional lyrics and alluring composition this made me a fan of someone I hadn’t even heard of before my Music Corner. While it was difficult to just choose one of the amazing tracks he produced this year I had to fall back on the track that made me fall in love with him in the first place.

“ANYWAY” - TENDRE feat. YeYe

2019 was a big year for TENDRE in my opinion, coming off the heels of his success from his album Not in Almighty and the release of two amazing digital tracks at the beginning of the year. While not the track that turned me back to TENDRE, “ANYWAY” encompasses everything I liked about him without him going overboard, so to speak. With a more smooth and relaxing composition, “ANYWAY” gives off that sense of wonderment and exploration.  

“Killer tune Kills Me” - Kirinji feat. YonYon

With Kirinji they are one of the many things I absolutely love about the Japanese music industry, and that started several years back. With this recent revival that they have gone through they bring that hint of 80s and 90s style with a more modern feel. With a simple yet playful melody the band brings out, “Killer Tune Kills Me” brings the strength of Erino Yumiki’s vocals—which is already impeccable—to the forefront, combined with the support of YonYon’s Korean and Japanese tracks, making this a more standout hit.

Favorite New Artist: THE CHARM PARK

For me, THE CHARM PARK has just been a standout artist and ever since I discovered him I find myself going back to his tracks. Whether it be “花が咲く道”, “Ordinary”, or “Stars Colliding”, Charm has just enticed me and soothed my ears many times over. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for him.

Artist of the Year: TENDRE

Talk about a comeback from last year where, during my original write-up from Indie Corner, he was dead last. With his album Not the Almighty dropping, my opinion of him started to change at the beginning of the year—needless to say, the one-two punch of "Variety" and "Choice" were released. Then, his In Sight EP solidified my love for him more than ever before.

We thank all the artist that had produced works this past year and look forward to the next year!

KIRINJI Announces 20 Year Anniversary Compilation Short Movies Created in Collaboration with both Warner Music and Colombia Japan

KIRINJI has released the compilation albums Melancholy Mellow - Amai Yuutsuu - 19982002 and Melancholy Mellow II - Amai Yuutsuu - 20032013 on November 7, to commemorate the 20th anniversary since their major debut. 

In conjunction with these compilation discs, two short movies have also been made available for viewing on YouTube. 

In charge of the directing, editing, and screenplay was photographer Eda Yuka (pictured left), who also directed the film, Shoujo Kaikou, which has been showing in art-house movie theaters throughout the country. The original screenplay was written for the compilations’ release, taking inspiration from KIRINJI’s songs, as well as from the Melancholy Mellow theme which is also the releases title. 

The two girls featured on the album covers (Fukukawa Kotone and Ando Niko) are the main characters. 

Director, screenplay writer, and editor, Eda Yuka gave the following statement regarding the compilations’ release: “I applied to the films, the concept of the band’s desire to present a new KIRINJI to the next generation. The theme of balancing respect for all of their work up until now, as well as their aspirations looking forward was very difficult. However, I think that their work up ahead will probably be something universal that anybody can enjoy. Right now, as the Heisei Period is ending, I would greatly appreciate it if many people would take a look at these films.

Purchase your copy of Melancholy Mellow - Amai Yuutsuu - 19982002 and Melancholy Mellow II - Amai Yuutsuu - 20032013 here and here. Check out the short films below!