One Eye Closed Brings in A Squall with Latest Collaboration!

Popular “mixture rock” band One Eye Closed have released their new single, “Squall” featuring guest vocals from AJ Rebollo of ISSUES. One Eye Closed combine sounds and grooves rooted in rock, metal and pop with touches from the world of Vocaloid, hip hop and jazz to create a fresh and exciting new style that's also reminiscent of emo, nu-metal and J-rock classics.

Mixed and mastered by Яyo Trackmaker of visual kei pioneers girugamesh, “Squall” offers a new sound to their already diverse discography utilising that special essence found in Japanese rock. The track and its accompanying video are filled with imagery of a journey traversing through a snowstorm, supporting its theme of perseverance.

Speaking about the band's collaboration with ISSUES' AJ Rebollo, vocalist REI says:

"All members were fans of ISSUES before we even formed. With that shared love for ISSUES and bands-alike between us four, we started playing together. I believe that our fans can definitely feel that influence in our work. When I was writing the vocals, I was actually envisioning a part with strictly unclean vocals. I then thought, “wouldn’t it be cool if AJ Rebollo from ISSUES could do the unclean vocals here?” Long story short, since we were huge fans of AJ’s guitar work, composition skills, and amazing vocal work, we shot him a message and now the band is ecstatic and honored to have AJ be a part of this song that means a lot to us."

Driven by storytelling, honest lyrics, dynamic playing, and strong live performances, One Eye Closed is one of the driving forces in the underground J-rock scene from Tokyo. In the blink of an eye, the band has gone global. Their blinding debut EP Cain – self-released at the end of 2019 – not only saw the band gain attention from Japan's underground rock scene, but also from music fans around the world when one if its tracks became the ending theme to a video game. EP track “Low” features in 'Best of E3 2019' finalist 'No Straight Roads' on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.

One Eye Closed continued the narrative flows set out in Cain with follow up EP Abel in the late summer of 2020, showcasing further the bilingual singing talents of REI, effortlessly able to mix soaring vocal hooks with rap and r'n'b influences; the mysterious and creative guitar prowess of 'none'; the energy of funky bass groover Yasu; and the dynamic power of Kay on drums. The band released their debut physical full-length Adam & Eve on JPU Records in 2021, a compilation of songs from their Cain and Abel EPs, along with three brand new tracks.

Be sure to check out the music video for “Squall” below along with the streaming link via JPU Records here!

Luna's Ongaku Go For February 2022!

Picking up after Ken and Gray, we’re down our second month in 2022, 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.

---

“Kimi ni Fureta Toki Kara” by Nissy

The first time I heard “Kimi ni Fureta Toki Kara”, I was immediately hooked by Nissy’s smooth vocals, the piano at the beginning, and the lyrics. Nissy always has songs that I love but this is the first one that has immediately pulled me in and I could not stop listening to it. “Kimi ni Fureta Toki Kara” reminds me of a R&B-Pop fuscion track with its slower composition and Nissy’s vocals have such a soothing feel to them that syncs perfectly. The chorus is catchy and you cannot help put sing and sway along to this track.

Check out “Kimi ni Fureta Toki Kara” here and the music video below.

---

“Doreni Shiyokana (I Got Options)” by Awich

I always enjoy Awich’s music and “Doreni Shiyokana (I Got Options)” was a pleasant surprise as this track is a little more toned down than many previous ones such as “Gila Gila” and “Kuchi ni Dashite”. The beat in this track gives a reggae/hip-hop infused flavor with some pop; I love that the beat isn’t as “hard” as her other tracks giving off a unique feel. “Doreni Shiyokana (I Got Options)” does have some explicit lyrics, however, it does not take away from the song by any means plus it is very befitting of the lyrics as well. With the release of Queendom on March 4th, I am looking forward to what Awich has in store musically.

Check out “Doreni Shiyokana (I Got Options)” here and the music video below!

---

“Ex-GIRLFRIEND/Lovers Again” by CRAZYBOY

I was pleasantly surprised to see that CRAZYBOY released a new album on January 21st of this year called HIP LIFE: POP LIFE. “Ex-GIRLFRIEND/Lovers Again” grabbed me with its opening piano and then transitioning into a heavy bass beat. I love CRAZYBOY’s deep vocals as he takes this track slower than his usual songs. The track is a nice fuscion of hip hop and pop, which can be heard when it goes from the first verse to the chorus, bringing a unique flavor to “Ex-GIRLFRIEND/Lovers Again”.

Check out “Ex-GIRLFRIEND/Lovers Again” here and the music video below!

---

“Wake Me Up” by milet

I have been anticipating milet’s 2nd album since its announcement and it did not disappoint. “Wake Me Up” was used as one of the promotional tracks for visions and I fell in love instantly with its melody, lyrics, and milet’s vocals. I’m glad to see milet showing off her vocal range as the deepness in her voice isn’t as present but more poppy and fluid than usual. “Wake Me Up” is also more of an upbeat pop track and it really does wake me up, especially the chorus with its composition and easy to sing-a-long lyrics.

Check out “Wake Me Up” here and the music video below!

---

“M.O.B” feat. JNKMN by Yayoi Daimon

As soon as Yayoi Daimon announced she would be releasing her first self produced EP, I was excited as she is an amazing artist and to create all of her own music is such an accomplishment. “M.O.B” feat. JNKMN is the lead track on My Own Boss - EP and hit everything I love about Yayoi Daimon. The composition is on point and fitting with the lyrics. Her words are relatable and fitting to Yayoi Daimon’s musical style. I want to point out how the opening of this song is ear catching as it carries a Latin influenced vibe. I also love how Yayoi uses her vocals and also raps in it, adding variety and uniqueness for a memorable track.

Check out “M.O.B” feat. JUNKMN here and the music video below!

---

ayaho and Junichi Soga Joins Together in A Very Sweet Collaboration!

The TV anime Deaimon, a story of bonding through wagashi (Japanese sweets) set in an old confectionary store in Kyoto, will finally begin airing on April 6 in Japan. This past week it was announced that the ending theme of this anime, which will be performed by the special unit Deaimon (ayaho + Junichi Soga), will also be released as a single on April 20. The ending theme, “Koko ni Aru Yakusoku,” is an original song written and composed by ayaho, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Kyoto who gained popularity through social media, with arrangement by Junichi Soga, an up-and-coming sound creator. 

You can hear a sample of “Koko ni Aru Yakusoku” in the recently released trailer for Deaimon, so please check it out!

Gray's Ongaku Go For February 2022

Picking up after Ken and Luna, we’re down our first month in 2022, 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.

---

“Red Carpet” by GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE

I’ve had Up and Down on repeat since it dropped and thanks to songs like this that I can’t put down the album. So much fun that it keeps me coming back for more.

Check out “Red Carpet” here and the video below!

---

“Be yourself” by Takaya Kawasaki

Takaya Kawasaki is a recent discovery of mine, and his latest track is awesome and fun to listen to. This light, fun track has put a big smile on my face and it has been one of the highlights in the past month.

Check out “Be yourself” here and the music video below!

---

“Dakara So No Maeni” by lol

This really catchy track just dropped, and it is such a joy to be talking about my group again. It's nice to see lol can still drop tracks like this. As always, I’m excited to see what they do next. 

Check out “Dakara So No Maeni” here and the lyric video below!

---

“Sangatsu Kokonoka” by Little Glee Monster

This track just dropped, but I feel like I should really highlight it. This is a bit different for Little Glee Monster since the song functions more like a solo track with the other girls just providing backup. Towards the end, they all sing for a bit, but still, this is mostly a solo song and it works really well.

Check out “Sangatsu Kokonoka” here and the music video below!

---

“Santa Monica Lollipop” by FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE

Another song that just dropped, but this track is a lot of fun. I’m ready for summer and this song screams California sun, which sounds so nice right now. 

Check out “Santa Monica Lollipop” here and the music video below!

Check Out SKY-HI’s First Single of 2022, ‘JUST BREATHE’, A Collab with Stray Kids Production Unit 3RACHA!

“JUST BREATHE feat. 3RACHA of Stray Kids” Digital Jacket Cover

SKY-HI has released his first single of 2022, a collaboration with production unit 3RACHA. The track, “JUST BREATHE feat. 3RACHA of Stray Kids”, was released this past week across all digital streaming platforms. 3RACHA is a production unit made up of Bang Chan, Changbin and HAN; they are a sub-unit of ultra-hot Korean boyband Stray Kids.

“JUST BREATHE feat. 3RACHA of Stray Kids” is an experimental, dramatic track produced by UTA, who has worked with artists from Japan and abroad such as Daichi Miura, BTS, AI and TWICE. SKY-HI, Bang Chan, Changbin and HAN worked together to produce the lyrics and toplines.

Each drawing on their own unique style, the four artists express their “reason to exist” through the lyrics, a theme that is in sync with these difficult times. As the track progresses from one phase to the next, the technical and emotional rap lyrics in Japanese, Korean and English leave a deep and lasting impression, echoing what so many of us feel – in sometimes shocking ways.

Along with the new single, the music video for “JUST BREATHE” has also been released. For this fully-CG video, a playable game program was created to resemble a driving videogame, with the “player” controlling the movement of a buggy ridden by SKY-HI and 3RACHA as well as a motorbike ridden by SKY-HI, moving through a virtual space while synchronized with the sound frequency of the drum line. The video makes use of cutting-edge tech to fuse the chaos of the modern world with the track’s dynamic vision.

Keep an eye on SKY-HI and 3RACHA, so you don’t miss the changing of an era. Be sure to check out the music video for “JUST BREATH” below, along with the streaming link for the track here!