Music Corner Week 133: Touya Kobayashi

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Touya Kobayashi is a singer and songwriter who started as an independent artist but, in November of 2021, he signed on to Univeral J to make his debut. The very first single Kobayashi released was his song “Dryer” in August of 2020 and went on to release four more singles, “Happy End No Maesetsu”, “Otona ni Naru Mae ni”, “Chairo no Sweater”, and “Arifureta Love Song”. While he was independent he released his mini-album Otona no Kaidan, which was after he had released his song “Chairo no Sweater”. “Kimi no Inai Hajimete no Fuyu” would go on to be his debut song with Univeral J, and he has since released four more digital singles, an EP, plus he dropped his first album, Hiragi, in February of this year.

“Chairo no Sweater” was the very first song I heard by Kobayashi and it has left an amazing impact on me. “Chairo no Sweater” does an excellent job of showing off his amazing vocals and the piano work is equally amazing. The whole piece comes together really well and is an amazing song. “Hafimari” is the first track in his album Hiragi and, while there are no lyrics to this number, the composition is so well done that it is a shame how short this track is. “Aiganakya” is the second track on his album and I really like this song too, since it’s a more upbeat track. “Chairo no Sweater” is still my favorite song of his, but I’ve had a blast checking out everything he has to offer.

Touya Kobayashi is very active on his official Twitter and his official website stays up to date on all the latest news. Lastly, be sure to check out his song “Chairo no Sweater” in the video below.

Gray's Ongaku Go For April 2023!

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Picking up after Ken and Luna, we’re down another month in 2023 and we at Ongaku to You would like our readers to know what has been filling our ears for the past month. Each track is available across all digital music streaming platforms with Apple Music being featured on this site.

“ForEVER” by PSYCHIC FEVER From Exile TRIBE

This is a new group in the ever-growing Exile TRIBE, and “ForEVER” is their latest release. I’ve got to say, this is an amazing song. The vocal performances are done well and the melody of this ballad works smoothly with the vocals here. PSYCHIC FEVER debuted last year and I just missed it completely but I need to go back and check out more of their work.

Check out “ForEVER” by PSYCHIC FEVER From Exile TRIBE here and in the video below!

“LONELY LONELY” by ALI

ALI is back doing what they do best and it is amazing. “LONELY LONELY” has this nice jazz feel to it that keeps me coming back for more. ALI is a band that I like more and more as time goes by, just a consistent output of great songs. 

Check out “LONELY LONELY” by ALI here and in the video below!

“Come Again” by 8LOOM

I discovered this group by accident, and while they may not be a real group, I absolutely love what I heard and I wish they would come together to form an actual group. “Come Again” is done well and sounds better than most other boy groups out there. There is some real magic in these guys and I can’t recommend them enough.

Check out “Come Again” by 8LOOM here and in the video below!

“Funky Jumping” by Da-iCE

This is a fun song released by one of my favorite groups. “Funky Jumping” is the second release that Da-iCE has put out this year. This is more traditional for the group than their previous release, and it’s so nice to hear these guys drop a fun track like this. Can’t wait to see what they do next.

Check out “Funky Jumping” by Da-iCE here and in the video below!

“Kimi Dakeno Hanamichi” by =LOVE

=LOVE has been on a hot streak with their last few releases, and this just continues this awesome run these girls have been on. At the pace =LOVE is going, they are going to outshine my love for Hinatazaka46 really soon. I love this song and can’t wait to see what they do next.

.Check out “Kimi Dakeno Hanamichi” by =LOVE here and in the video below!

Music Corner Week 129: Chilli Beans.

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Chilli Beans. is a three-member rock band that formed in 2019 whose members consist of Moto who is the main vocalist, Maika who is the bassist plus she helps contributes vocals and lastly there is Lily who is the guitarist but she also contributes to the vocals for the group. Each member of the group are proficient singers in addition to having a background in Western pop music and the members come together to write the composition, lyrics, and arrangement of each song. In 2021 Chilli Beans. release their very first EP which was their “d a n c i n g a l o n e” EP and in 2022 they released their first album titled Chilli Beans. Their latest release is their “mixtape” EP which feature their song “Rose” which is a collaboration for Music Corner Alumni Vaundy. 

The thing that really attracted me to Chilli Beans. was their compositions for their songs. They have a pretty distinct sound that really pulls the listener in, also the vocal work done in all the songs is always very good. Their song “lemonade” might be my favorite track since it’s a bit more on the up beat side but in their relatively small discography I found every track to be very enjoyable. “rose” with Vaundy is another highlight for me, Vaundy always does great collaboration and this is no exception. 

Chilli Beans. stays very active on their Twitter feed, and their official website stays up to date on all the latest news. Lastly, be sure to check out their song “rose” in the video below.

Wez Atlas Drops Second Mini Album

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Wez Atlas has released their 2nd mini album called, “This Too Shall Pass”.
The title, “This Too Shall Pass” literally means that current situations and things won’t last forever and will pass with time, and it shows how Wez has grown recently as a person. The theme of his last album, “Chicken Soup For One”, was all about “the troubled matters in daily life” and “healing through music”. This same theme has gotten much deeper and more developed.
There are many unique, highly talented creators involved in making this new album.
These creators include VivaOla, Kota Matsukawa, starRo, nonomi and uin. VivaOla is his best friend and producer. Kota Matsukawa runs the creative label w.o.u and also produces Salasa. starRo is a Grammy award nominee. nonomi is a backing DJ at Wez’s life performance. uin produced Skaai.
Please check their skilful rap music on the various tracks which are written in Japanese and English accordingly.
Wez has been very active in 2022 as he released 5 singles and joined 6 works from other artists who are from inside and outside of Japan as a featuring artist. He has gained many playlist covers on Spotify. He is going to has just joined the event SXSW 2023 and his preceding single “Damn!” was selected for the Spotify official playlist “New Music Friday” in Asian countries.
Wez is the one of a new generation of rappers who are expanding their stage worldwide.
His MV for “Life’s A Game”, which was produced by VivaOla and Kota Matsukawa, has been released so please check it out!

[ Wez Comments from Wez Atlas ]
My 2nd mini-album “This Too Shall Pass” is finally out!! This was another very personal project for me following Chicken Soup For One, and it feels like a good ending to that chapter of my life. I struggled, lamented, and overcame. I feel ready now to take on the next chapter. Life’s a game, Ima get up and play it!!!
Huge thanks to VivaOla, Kota Matsukawa, starRo, nonomi, uin, Shiota Hiroshi (Salt Field Mastering), Kazumi Watanabe, Misato Iwamoto, Daisuke Taira, Kyoko Utsue, Shogo Kikuta, and everyone else that brought this project together with me!

“This too Shall Pass” Jacket Cover

“This Too Shall Pass” by Wez Atlas

Tracklisting

1. Life’s A Game(Prod byVivaOla/ Kota Matsukawa)

2. Damn!(Prod bystarRo)

3. Dandelion(Prod bystarRo)

4. Go Round(Prod bynonomi)

5. Cul-de-sac(Prod bynonomi)

6. It Is What It Is(Prod byVivaOla/ Kota Matsukawa)

7. Me Today(Prod byuin)

AmPm Travel Around The World In Upcoming Album!

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On March 17, AmPm released ‘Sweet Escape feat. RAENE’, the sixth advance release from their upcoming album themed on global travel – this time set in Amsterdam. 

Having made their debut in 2017 with the hit single ‘Best Part of Us’, Japanese masked production unit AmPm has won fans all around the world. Back on March 17, AmPm released ‘Sweet Escape feat. RAENE’, the sixth advance release from their upcoming album themed on global travel – this time set in Amsterdam. 

The single is a collaboration with RAENE, a singer and songwriter based in London, England. Fusing an R&B base with elements of alternative pop, this acclaimed up-and-coming artist was featured in BBC Introducing’s “Top 25 Most Played Artists of 2020”.  The lyrics express RAENE’s own experience of visiting Amsterdam, a city steeped in dance music culture, while the music leans into the current drum & bass revival.

‘Sweet Escape’ brilliantly layers RAENE’s sweet and feminine yet strong vocals into a rich and unforgettable melody, creating a track that is both comforting to listen to and endlessly danceable. Be sure to check out “Sweet Escape” on all streaming platforms; the music video is available at the bottom of this article.