The J-Music Advance Party (February 2025)
Love is in the air—and so is great music!
Oh hey, you made it! Sweet! And welcome to this month’s J-Music Advance Party! If you’ve been here before, you probably already have your go-to spot, so feel free to head on down to the event area—I’ll catch up with you all in a bit.
BUT if this is your first time joining us, stick around for a minute while I give you a quick rundown of the question that’s probably on your mind—
What is The J-Music Advance Party?
The J-Music Advance Party is a monthly publication where I quite simply talk about bands and artists that I personally plan on listening to this month (and subsequently recommend that you too as well) in advance of their upcoming albums and releases in the style of an album “pre”-launch party of sorts.
These could be bands who have an album coming out that I’m excited for, or they could also be an artist whose discography I feel warrants further exploring starting with their new EP. Whatever the case may be, these are releases that I’m both looking forward to and that I hope to put on your guys’ radar if they weren’t there already.
Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter if you haven’t yet by hitting the button underneath and secure your invite!
We kicked off the year by welcoming some new Party-goers, which had me absolutely jazzed. Always love seeing the room get even livelier! 😊
▸ tiny yawn
Our opening act for this month’s Advance Party is none other than “reiwa-kei” (reiwa era style) post rock band tiny yawn!
Formed in 2017, Tokyo-based four-piece tiny yawn has steadily built a cult following over the years, both in Japan and overseas, thanks in large part to their affinity for math rock. Much like shoegaze (something we touched on in a previous Advance Party) math rock has found somewhat of a foothold in Japan, giving rise to standout acts (namely tricot, as well as JYOCHO in recent years) that, in turn, continue to inspire a new wave of up-and-coming bands. In line with that, much like Japanese shoegaze, Japanese math rock quickly became a niche favorite among Japanese music fans in the West hence tiny yawn’s notoriety as a promising prospect within the genre.
With that in mind, it’s interesting to note that, rather than labeling themselves as a math rock band, tiny yawn describes their music as leaning more toward post-rock—a genre that, unlike the clearly defined intricacies of math rock, is broader and more exploratory in nature. In line with that, apart from math rock, the band also cites other influences such as “neo-soul” and “90’s/midwest emo”, interlacing and weaving them together to ultimately form their sound as it currently exists.
True enough, the deeper you dive into tiny yawn’s music, the more evident it becomes that their approach is gentle and free-flowing, prioritizing emotional resonance above all else. And without giving too much away, their most recent EP, euphoria (which just dropped this week) reinforces this even further despite being a modest release of only four tracks—including the above YOUTH, which is a song that by itself I think perfectly encapsulates what tiny yawn is really all about.
euphoria, as mentioned, came out this week on February 5, 2025. Give it a listen here!
▸ CLW
Up next, give it up for five-piece alt rock band CLW!
Compared to tiny yawn, who at least provide a fair amount of information about themselves on their homepage, there’s not much out there on the five-piece CLW, also based in Tokyo, aside from the members’ names and a brief description of their sound, which they define as “2000s alternative rock.” That said, even before I learned about that, my first impression of CLW (and I’m sure this might be the case for some of you discovering them now) was that they were deliberately going for a more retro-inspired style. Whether it’s their aesthetic, the way their PVs are shot, or simply their music itself, there’s a clear nod to the past in everything they do.
I’d actually be curious to know whether CLW is specifically referring to Japanese alternative rock from the 2000s. Personally, their sound immediately brought to mind alt rock bands like school food punishment and aquarifa: with the former being firmly within the 2000s and the latter sitting on the fringe between the late 2000s and early 2010s (and who, in turn, may have also drawn inspiration from sfp).
On one hand, calling sfp “retro” does sting, if only just a little (lol). But on the other, I think it’s pretty cool that CLW is bringing this style of alt-rock back. I kind of grew up on it myself, so seeing a modern take on the sound does take me back. At the same time, there really aren’t many “new” bands making this kind of music anymore, which ironically makes what they’re doing feel both unique and refreshing in today’s Japanese music scene. On that note, CLW is as new as they come, with only a handful of singles to their name. They just dropped their second EP this week as well, so for my fellow Japanese alt-rock enjoyers who haven’t checked them out yet—now’s your chance.
CLW’s second EP, 呼吸 (Kokyuu), dropped on February 5, 2025. Stream it here! And for those who prefer physical copies, good news: CLW has Western fans covered with their English store. Check it out!
▸ エイプリルブルー (aprilblue)
Please put your hands together for our next performing act, April Blue!
For Tracy Hyde’s departure from the Japanese music scene in March 2023 undoubtedly left a massive hole in the hearts of shoegaze and dream pop fans, both in Japan and the world over. As a band that stood at the forefront of Japanese shoegaze for over a decade, they were widely regarded as one of the genre’s quintessential acts, if not one of its most recognizable names.
Though the band’s own ethereal soundscapes will be sorely missed, they are not entirely lost. Diehard fans are to recall that during FTH’s run, the band’s guitarist and songwriter, Suga Azusa (aka ‘Natsubot’), founded shoegaze/dream pop band AprilBlue, after a chance encounter with vocalist Funasoko Haruka on 2018 alongside other members coming from other tonally adjacent bands. Of course, that’s not to say AprilBlue’s music is a 1:1 replication of FTH, nor do I think that was ever the intent. Notably, AprilBlue’s sound is much less “noisy” in comparison and, in a lot of respects, leans more toward the radio-friendly side, with many even regarding them as a band that bridges the indie scene with J-pop.
That being said, I’d say AprilBlue comes the closest they’ve ever been to those ethereal soundscapes with their second full album, yura, which just dropped this past week (lots of releases lately, huh? lol). It also marks their first full-length in five years, making it a long-awaited return for fans. True to its namesake, tracks like Hiraite and Yoru dake ga shitteiru (linked above) featured on the album evoke a sense of floating—as shoegaze/dream pop is wont to do—pulling listeners back into what is surely to some an all-too-familiar “fuzzy” wall of sound
AprilBlue’s second full album yura released on February 5, 2025. Listen to it here!
▸ Blurred City Lights
Japanese shoegaze fans are eating good this month with back-to-back shoegazers on the Advance Party stage—let’s give a warm welcome to Blurred City Lights!
Earlier I talked about there not being much about a band available on line when I was going over CLW, but that experience pales in comparison to what little there is to find out about Blurred City Lights. The most that I was able to gather for this feature is that they are shoegaze/dream pop three-piece (formerly a two-man band) hailing from Nagoya. That’s pretty much it. Yet, despite that, BCL does appear to have endeared themselves a great deal to more “hardcore” Japanese shoegaze fans closely following the scene for new and up-and-coming acts, as well as to those who were lucky to have come upon their debut album which came out around this time last year, fostering a tightly-knit fanbase both in and out of Japan.
The band operates with the tagline “the blurred city lights will surely shine on you” (‘boyaketa machi no hikari wa, kitto anata o terashi dasu’), which I think perfectly encapsulates their sound. It’s like a warm, fuzzy glow from a not-too-distant past, both familiar and foreign at the same time, inducing to the listener a false sense of nostalgia as you reminisce about city lights in your memory, all blurring together into a hazy dreamscape.
Close to a year after their debut album, Blurred City Lights returns with their second full-length release, Utopia/Dystopia—a split album divided into two distinct halves. Each side features seven new tracks, with the exception of sumire from Dystopia, which is actually a very welcome re-recording of a track from their debut single. Though I imagine the album’s division to be more narratively thematic than anything else, I personally found a noticeable tonal distinction between the two halves, with Utopia carrying a slightly brighter, more uplifting energy, while Dystopia leans into a drearier, more melancholic sound in comparison.
Utopia/Dystopia will hit streaming platforms on February 15, 2025, BUT for those looking to support the band directly, you can actually purchase the album and listen to it today on BCL’s Bandcamp! Check it out here!
▸ 礼賛 (raisan)
And now for our closing act, for the final time tonight, please give a round of applause to the one and only Raisan!
It’s by some stroke of luck that I’m once again talking about one of Kawatani Enon’s projects for the Advance Party, after just having done so last month for indigo la End’s MOLTING AND DANCING (check out the January 2025 issue here if you haven’t yet!). Then again, I guess that also just speaks to how hard the man works. For all that’s been said about Kawatani outside the Japanese music world, there’s no denying that he’s a true craftsman of the game. Credit where credit’s due in that regard, especially since it’s probably easy to overlook just how much work he puts in, given how many projects he’s juggling at this point. It’s almost hard to keep track of them all. And that’s not even counting the many one-off collaborations he finds himself a part of.
Formed in 2021, Raisan is one of Kawatani’s more full-time gigs, bringing together yet another unique mix of talent—something he’s done to great success with bands like Gesu no Kiwami Otome and Genie High. Alongside his longtime collaborator Kyujitsu Kacho on bass (who’s practically a staple in all of Kawatani’s ventures), he enlists the help of star support guitarist Kinoshita Tetsu, GOTO from DALLJUB STEP CLUB on drums, and radio announcer-turned-vocalist Saya (aka CLR), whom he had previously worked with on his Biteki Keikaku project.
One thing I’ve found fascinating about Raisan the more I’ve listened to them is that they might actually be the least “Kawatani-esque” of Kawatani’s projects. What I mean by that is, and like I mentioned in my MOLTING AND DANCING feature, Kawatani’s signature style is usually easy to pick out, whether it’s in his guitarwork or the intricate arrangements of his compositions. While CLR may have adopted some of his vocal cadence in the verses, Raisan’s sound doesn’t quite share the same layered intricacies you’d typically find in an indigo la End or GesuKiwa track. Raisan comes across as a refreshing take on Kawatani’s sound signature in that regard, and if their more recent outings are anything to go by, that approach isn’t changing anytime soon.
Raisan is set to come out with their second full length album SOME BUDDY on February 26, 2025.
That’s gonna do it for the J-Music Advance Party for February!
Here’s a quick recap of all the releases featured for this month:
Which release are you most excited for this month? Likewise, which bands and artists are you looking to listen these next couple of weeks? Let me know all of that down in the comments!
Before I let you guys go, just a quick heads-up—I’m actually part of CD Japan’s affiliate program! So if you’re planning to purchase or pre-order a physical copy of any of these albums, I’d really appreciate it if you used my CD Japan affiliate links 😁
Likewise, if you’re looking to support CLW or Blurred City Lights while snagging a copy of their latest releases, you’ve got some solid options! CLW has an English store where you can order a physical copy of Kokyuu, and if you’re after Utopia/Dystopia, you can grab the full digital versions over on BCL’s Bandcamp page!
The next Advance Party is gonna be on March 9, 2025! Are you looking forward to any releases next month? Check back here to see if they get featured!