The J-Music Advance Party (May 2025)
May I interest you in some cool releases this month?
Heyo! Come on in! Welcome, welcome! Lemme get your coat for ya! I’m so glad you could make it to this month’s J-Music Advance Party! If you’ve been here before, you probably know the drill by now, so go ahead and head down to the events area and I’ll catch up with you in just a sec. However, if you’re a first time Party-goer, please allow stay with me for a bit as I explain to you real quick ー
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 a 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!
Last month brought in the biggest wave of new subscribers we’ve seen yet here at the Party. Here’s to breaking that freshly minted record all over again this month!
▸ ブランデー戦記 (brandy senki)
Not to bury the lead any longer — here they are, the highly anticipated Brandy Senki!
For those of you who know me from the blog and have been following along over at leap250.blog (feel free to follow if you aren’t already dong so!), you probably already have a good sense of just how excited I’ve been for this upcoming Brandy Senki release. I actually named them my personal Band to Watch in 2025 during the yearly Roundup Awards, with this debut album squarely in mind, especially since it was announced around that time as the perfect capstone to what’s been, frankly, a meteoric rise for the band. This, of course, comes on the heels of their absolutely stellar second EP 悪夢のような1週間 (akumu no you na isshukan), which we just so happened to cover back in the August 2024 issue of the J-Music Advance Party. If you recall, I mentioned how it felt like the band was still trying to find its footing at the time, despite their debut single racking up a million views within just a month of release (and now sitting close to six million as we speak). What I didn’t expect, though, was Brandy Senki pulling off a full-on makeover, in an impressive rebrand of both their image and sound that came alongside the EP release. And honestly? It’s been one of the best “glow-ups” I’ve seen from a band in recent memory.
If I had to pin down what really changed for Brandy Senki, I’d say it’s that they found character. And I mean that not just in terms of their look, but also in how they’ve leaned into a more thematic approach with their music. There’s a distinct visual they’re chasing, and you can tell they’ve been fully committed to bringing it to life. Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that every Japanese band or artist needs that kind of thematic focus to find success, but honestly, I’d argue it tends to help a lot more than it hurts in most cases. And help it did, with the band seemingly picking up right where they left off, now finding themselves in prime position to be one of 2025’s most memorable breakout acts, riding the momentum of back-to-back (to-back!) stunner singles leading up to what’s shaping up to be a huge first full album debut.
All that said, I do feel like I need to address the elephant in the room when it comes to the actual contents of the album. I’d be remiss not to, especially since I try to consider this kind of thing for pretty much every release I cover here in the Advance Party. Specifically, I want to talk about the album’s official tracklist. Not only does it include the aforementioned singles (which is fair and expected), but it also pulls in tracks from their recently released EP, and even some songs from their indie days, including the one that racked up millions of YouTube views I just mentioned earlier. That leaves us with only three brand-new, album-original tracks. Now, I’m honestly of two minds about this. On one hand, I get it. There’s a clear intent to make this a self-contained album, a neatly packaged introduction to the band and honestly, I’m not against them revisiting their older tracks for that purpose (I wouldn’t even mind if they went ahead and re-recorded them). But where it gets a bit more questionable for me is in pulling songs from last year’s EP, which I feel is ground we didn’t need to retread so soon. To be fair, the band only recently signed with UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN, so there’s some logistical reasoning behind the move… but yeah, I’m still a little on the fence about that choice.
We’ll just have to wait and see how it all pans out. Brandy Senki’s self-titled debut album, BRANDY SENKI, is set to drop on May 14, 2025.
▸ Aivy
Not to be outdone, here come the four-piece with “a technical band sound and refreshing vocals that will add color to your everyday life” — Aivy!
I distinctly remember the first time I stumbled upon a song by Aivy. It was Iruka to Suisei from their sophomore album Shikaku-teki Jouhou ni Okeru Mikansei no Tokei (which, by the way, I highly recommend you check out when you get the chance). What struck me right away was just how entrancing the melody was, paired beautifully with vocalist Kamo’s uplifting tonality. And as I dove into the rest of the album, I quickly realized this wasn’t just a one-off; that same signature sound runs consistently not just through the album, but across Aivy’s entire body of work. They describe it as a “technical band” sound, and I’d say that’s a pretty fair assessment, one that really comes through in their melodically intricate song structures. A lot of that can be credited to guitarist and Mesar House music scholar Johnkota, who not only serves as Aivy’s main composer but also plays support guitar for a whole host of notable acts like Nakimushi, Empty old CIty, and Namida Ai, just to name a few.
Of course, Johnkota is only one part of the Aivy equation. While he’s largely responsible for the “technical band sound,” the “refreshing vocals” that define their music come courtesy of vocalist Kamo and her rich, emotive voice. Interestingly, the band’s journey to its current lineup wasn’t exactly smooth. In past interviews, they’ve shared how their earlier days featured a different vocalist who left rather abruptly before the group could even gain traction, leaving them in a bit of a limbo. But Johnkota, determined to bring his creative vision to life, kept pushing forward. One day, he happened upon one of Kamo’s song covers she’d uploaded on her channel, and that was the spark. He reached out, asking if she’d be interested in trying out for his band. And well, the rest is history. Fast forward to now, and Aivy’s lineup has since delivered two EPs and two full albums, steadily carving out their place in the scene.
Aivy is gearing up to keep the momentum going with their upcoming third album and honestly, given the band’s track record so far, it’s hard to imagine it being anything but a rock-solid release. Throughout their indie run, they’ve built a reputation for consistency, anchored by a sound that’s already quite refined. But what’s been especially exciting is watching their growth in real time. If their more recent tracks are any indication, Aivy has started to weave more synth elements into their music, adding yet another layer of depth to their already intricate arrangements. It’s a move that’s really elevated their sound to new heights, and I can’t help but wonder just how far they’re planning to push that evolution on this next record. Count me in as I’m genuinely excited to hear what they have in store.
Aivy’s third full album I know that will be coming out on May 14, 2025. Don’t sleep on this one!
▸ Hakubi
Up next, all the way from Kyoto, give it up for Hakubi!
I’d say my “relationship” with Hakubi is a pretty interesting one, to say the least, mainly because of how I ended up becoming a fan. On my blog, I run this series called the Spotify J-Music Playlist Draft (yeah, it’s a bit of a mouthful, I know, lol), where the whole idea is to test how well Spotify can actually recommend me songs I’d like. Here’s how it works in a nutshell: Spotify has a feature where it tries to suggest songs to include in any given playlist using its built-in algorithm. Taking advantage of this, I built a playlist of tracks I personally enjoy, so I could then have Spotify suggest songs it thinks would fit based on its contents. Every other week, I go through those recommendations to see if those songs actually would vibe with my taste. We’re now in the third season of the series, and it’s honestly been such a fun way to “gamify” my music discovery. Not only has it helped me stumble upon fresh new artists, but it’s also led me back to bands I totally missed out on over the years.
Now, you might be wondering, what does all that have to do with Hakubi? Well, funnily enough, the band has actually popped up in the Draft multiple times, at one point even holding the record for the most appearances in the series’ history. But here’s the thing: just showing up in the Draft doesn’t automatically mean I’m sold on an artist right away. Remember, the whole point of the series is for me to figure that out for myself. And honestly? I wasn’t immediately on board with Hakubi. In fact, the very first time one of their songs got tossed my way, I passed on it. But Spotify, being the persistent algorithm that it is, kept slipping their tracks into the mix every so often. And over time, with more and more exposure, I slowly but surely started warming up to Hakubi’s sound, so much so that they eventually made their way onto my Monthly Recommendation Roundup.
And now here we are, with Hakubi making their way onto the Advance Party as I chat about their upcoming EP. Funny how things come full circle, huh? Safe to say it’s definitely because through my exposure to the band’s earlier works that I have become able to appreciate how much the band has grown musically over the years. Like, when I listen to Crawl (linked above) or Mou Hitotsu no Sekai and I compare it to songs that I came across on the Draft, it’s kinda the little things I used to nitpick just aren’t there anymore. The tempo feels spot on. Vocalist Katagiri’s got total command of her vocals. Everything’s just tightened up across the board. It’s been awesome watching them come into their own, and I think this next release is only going to further cement the maturation of their sound. I’m especially hyped for the three new tracks we’ve only heard snippets of so far in the EP trailer. The track 2025 in particular sounds like it’s going to be a fun one.
Hakubi is set to come out with their second EP 27 on May 21, 2025! Don’t miss it!
▸ 長瀬有花 (nagase yuka)
Give it up for our next performing artist stepping onto the Advance Party stage, a true voyager charting new paths across the cosmos, Nagase Yuka!
It used to be that my only real exposure to Nagase Yuka was through her song covers, where I kind of lumped her in with virtual artists like KAF or Harusaruhi from KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO, both of whom I’ve followed more closely over the years. And while I don’t think that’s an entirely off-base comparison, since they do share similar spaces, it didn’t take long for me to realize there’s so much more to Nagase than I initially gave her credit for. I’d chalk that realization up to two key things. First, a shoutout to commenter and friend of the newsletter, CJ, who recommended her music to me in both a previous Advance Party and one of my Monthly Recommendation Roundups. I always invite you guys to drop your own recommendations in the comments section, whether it’s on the blog or the newsletter, and whenever you do, I make sure to check them out. Honestly, I love hearing what you’re all into just as much as I love sharing my own picks, and more often than not, I end up discovering someone new to follow, as was the case here.
Second (and this one’s kinda funny), even before she was recommended to me, I already had a recording of her first one-man live, Eureka, saved in my archive. I can’t even fully remember if someone tipped me off that it was going to be available for a limited time to celebrate her birthday, or if I just happened to stumble upon it. A little fun fact I probably haven’t shared yet on either platform: whenever I come across a full live recording, I grab it without hesitation. The reason? I like to stockpile concert recordings so I can bring them with me to watch on flights, especially one long-haul flight I take every year that clocks in at a grueling fourteen hours (so yeah, I need something to keep me entertained, lol). It was actually on one of those recent flights that I finally got around to watching Nagase Yuka’s live and, without a doubt, that’s when I officially became a fan.
I think what surprised me the most after watching that live performance was realizing that Nagase even performs live like that in the first place. I mean, up until then, I genuinely thought she was purely virtual, like most other artists in that space. But nope, she’s very much an active presence on stage. That said, maybe because of the air of mystery surrounding her and the way she presents herself, there’s still this slight sense of detachment, like she exists somewhere between worlds. A fleeting, 2.5D presence, if you will. I like to think that feeling carries over into her music too, both in the ethereal quality of her voice and in the experimental, hard-to-pin-down nature of her sound. She’s always pushing into new territory, and you can never quite fit her into just one box, which I think is part of what makes following her so exciting. Take her upcoming concept album, for example. It’s described as something produced “in the mountains” and as “a work that attempts to give form to concepts such as liminality and surrealism.” Now, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to what exactly to expect from that, but I do have a hunch. Based on the one track we know will be on it (hikari) and a teaser of Nagase wielding an electric guitar (which is a first for her, at least in this kind of setting), I’m thinking we might be in for a more band-oriented sound this time around.
The concept album Mofu Mohu will be coming out on May 23, 2025. I have a good feeling about this one.
▸ The Floatings
Lastly, closing us out, please put your hands together for The Floatings!
If you happened to catch the February 2024 issue of the Advance Party, or if you’ve been following the Monthly Recommendation Roundup on my blog before that, you might remember me talking about the dark pop act BURNABLE/UNBURNABLE (or B/U, for short). I actually became a pretty big fan of the project when I first stumbled upon it one day, of all places, on Spotify’s “Teen Culture” playlist, back when their track Dareka no Furi wa Mou Akita was making the rounds on SNS. What really drew me in, more than anything, was just how subliminally dark the song was, both thematically and atmospherically, all while leaning into these Trap-inspired beats that just worked so well for the vibe that vocalist re:caco and her team were going for. That said, given the sort of experimental nature of their sound, reception to their music ended up being a bit mixed, with some tracks naturally pulling in more attention than others. I had really hoped that with the release of B/U’s first full album, the project was about to hit an upswing, but after dropping just a single in the aftermath, things went quiet, with B/U seemingly going into hiatus.
Unbeknownst to me though, something was already quietly set in motion behind the scenes. Not long after, vocalist re:caco came out and announced that she’d taken on a new project, one I honestly never would’ve expected from her, given the kind of music she’d been making up until then, but one I couldn’t help but be intrigued by all the same, especially considering the kinds of sounds I tend to gravitate toward: she’s now the frontwoman of a band.
And not just any band at that, by their own definition, a “Tokyo neo gazer” band with a “genre-crossing sound mainly influenced by the ’90s UK/US scene.” Sure enough, listening to what they’ve put out so far, you can absolutely hear the dream pop and shoegaze influences shining through, with all the familiar sonic staples: grainy distortion, that ambient veil of noise, all right in line with the retro-cool aesthetic that’s been bubbling up across Japanese music these past few years. What’s most fascinating, though, (at least for me personally) is hearing re:caco sing the way she does here, especially if you’re like me and used to hearing her in more R&B-leaning tracks. There’s this bright, clear, and resonant quality to her voice that just floats over the The Floating’s sound. Like sunlight breaking through the fog. Hearing how well she fits in a band setting like this, it honestly makes me wonder if this was her true calling all along. Either way, I’m genuinely excited to hear more of her in this context, and the fact that we’re getting a whole album pretty much right out the gate feels like such a gift.
The Floatings are set to drop their debut full album Flowering on May 28, 2025. One thing worth pointing out, the band is on Bandcamp. If I were you, I’d definitely keep an eye out over there; who knows, they might have something special lined up for the release.
That’s gonna do it for the J-Music Advance Party for May!
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 to those who didn’t know; 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 listed below, I’d really appreciate it if you used my CD Japan affiliate links 😉
Mofu Mohu [USB Drive] [Limited Edition] / Yuka Nagase
(…yes, you read that right, it’s a flash drive, lol)
The next Advance Party is gonna be on June 8, 2025 Are you looking forward to any releases next month? Check back here to see if they get featured!
Definitely looking forward to the Brandy Senki album, the anticipation has been steadily growing every time I saw them featured on the monthly roundup lol. Though it’s a shame the album is only gonna have three album original tracks, that’s pretty shocking ngl. Still am gonna look forward to them though, and with how many music videos they’ve been pumping out I wouldn’t be surprised if all three of those tracks end up getting an MV. Hopefully at least one of those tracks manages to reach the heights they achieved with 27:00, if they do It'll be worth it for me.
Will always appreciate how the advance party so often gives me a heads up on albums I didn’t even know were on the way even though I follow the artists. That’s the case with Aivy here, I love what I’ve heard from them thus far, especially with a song like MUSIC that’s way too fun of a listen, yet I had no idea they were coming out with their 3rd full length album. Who knows how long I would have gone without knowing it existed if it weren’t for the advance party, now I’m so hype for it!
Ooooh, nice to see Hakubi on here coming out with new stuff. I’m similar to you in that I think they’ve grown on me a lot over the past year or so, and I'm not too sure exactly why that is. Now this new EP of theirs is going to be their first release where I get to experience it as it releases rather than months/years after the fact and I couldn’t be more excited. The trailer they dropped for it has got me excited for every single one of the new tracks, but especially Error and shiawase, those sound like they’re gonna be pretty special.
Yuka mention! Ya love to see it! Also saw this advance party get retweeted by Yuka’s staff account so congrats on that too! Mofu Mohu is looking like it’s shaping up to be a real turning point for Yuka in many ways. Like you mentioned, the band sound on hikari is way more prominent than it's ever been before so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the sound she leans into for this album, but since Yuka is such an enigma I can’t say anything is ever for certain with her, since as you mentioned her sound tends to be so hard to pin down. Based on the credits though this album is going to be the most involved Yuka has been in the creation of the actual songs, with credits on lyrics and/or composition across the majority of songs, and that fact alone has already got me incredibly hype, can’t wait to hear what’s she’s cooked up this time around.
Very very nice to see that The Floatings are releasing an album so soon after you’ve introduced them to me on the monthly roundup, I don’t have to wait to be blessed with a ton of new music lol. Their music is so incredibly different from re:caco’s work on BURNABLE/UNBURNABLE, yet they’ve managed to hook me in all the same. From the tracks you’ve shared they seem to nail that mix of shoegaze and dream pop so perfectly, it ends up being nothing short of beautiful. So excited to hear that upcoming album of theirs, I’m so certain they’re gonna deliver some absolute gems.
As for my own recommendations:
Viviα - In Veins, the Traces of Emotion (May 14th)
https://youtu.be/J4mrnR8SfPA
https://linkco.re/0uhrTcQ2?lang=en
Up-and-coming singer-songwriter and vocaloid producer Viviα is releasing her 2nd album soon and even though it hasn’t even been half a year since her first album released I’m still so excited for this one because she’s just that talented (and the trailer sounds fantastic)!
TAMTAM - Where They Dwell (May 23rd)
https://tamtam.bandcamp.com/album/where-they-dwell
A new album that barely got announced a day or so ago but it’s already releasing in less than two weeks! Love everything I’ve heard from TAMTAM thus far, they’re always such a pleasing band to listen to and I’m sure it’s gonna be no different this time around either.