tricot Celebrate their Ongoing UK and Europe Tour with the Release of New Song "Aquarium"!

‘Aquarium” Digital Jacket Cover

Four-member rock band tricot, who are currently touring 20 towns in 10 countries on their UK/European tour, have released new song ‘Aquarium’.

‘Aquarium’ is a straight-ahead, bright and poppy song with a twist, built on the foundation of tricot’s characteristic unusual time signatures. It is a song about ditching the presumptions around what love and relationships are supposed to be. Curiosity, guilt and other emotions do not necessarily need to have negative connotations, and this idea is expressed through a positive musical arrangement. The lyrics are filled with metaphors and declarations, with lines that roughly translate as “It takes an ugly shape, for real”, “The world is in reverse, and I can’t be trapped by other people’s assumptions”, and “I will unbuckle my armor and hesitate no more” – somewhat unusual phrases that ride an energetic J-rock sound.

A lyric video for ‘Aquarium’ has also been released on tricot’s YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the song has already received airplay on radio stations in the UK such as Good Music Radio and KFM Radio, along with other stations in Germany and the US, creating a strong welcome for the band in each country.

This is tricot’s first overseas tour since their successful shows in the UK in 2018. Performances in London and Amsterdam sold out ahead of the tour, while shows in Belgium and some other places were upgraded to larger venues after tickets sold out.

Fans who attended the concerts on the tour so far have posted excited comments online in various languages, such as “That was the best show of the year”, “It was a technical and incredible performance” and “tricot’s music can’t be beat”.

Be sure to check out the lyric video for ‘Aquarium” below along with the track here!

Ken's Ongaku Go For September 2022!

With the fall leaves coming upon us that also means a brand new Ongaku Go is also with us. 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.   

“about the future” by Tavito Nanao
Tavito Nanao is a bit of enigma for me as I had only listened to one track in his discography prior to his Long Voyage album release earlier in the month. While the album as a whole was a delight to go through, I pretty much reintroduce myself to Nanao’s style, “about the future” really had stood out to me. Either it’s the message that he is trying to convey in his lyrics or the very minimalistic style of composition that Nanao used for this track, it was an instant hit for me. While this is a very small slice of his discography overall, I really look forward into diving into all his tracks and falling in love all over again.

Be sure to check out the video below and the track here!

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“Puzzle” feat Mukai Taichi by Rung Hyang

Honestly as soon as I saw the name of both Rung Hyang and Mukai Taichi in the artist list I knew that I was going to really like this release. Hyang’s collaborative work is always absolutely fantastic, and when you add the amazing vocal prowess of Taichi, there is no chance that I wouldn’t love this. Even if “Puzzle” is the only release done by the duo, I am glad to have been able to listen to it.

 Be sure to check out the music video for “Puzzle” below along with the song here!

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“Cypher” by Soulflex

Speaking of things to just jive with, Soulflex’s latest album Beat Tape overall is absolutely fantastic and I was impressed by the overall feel of the album. One of then things that had really stood out to me from the album was the pair of tracks “Cypher” and “Spinach” and while it’s located differently on the album track listing, it felt like it was meant to be back to back of each other. The former specifically really stood out to me due to the overall consistency of the song and had felt like the band was firing on all cylinders, even if there were no vocals throughout the song. While I’m not sure if this will be the last release of the year done be Soulflex, but it was a damn good one to end the year on.

Check out “Cypher” below along with the track here!

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“Look Around” by YeYe

YeYe is always such an interesting project to go back to when she does release something, and the Hamidete! album is such proof of that. While it might not be the strongest song of the release, “Look Around” has its charm of wonderment that just oozes from it. Hashiguchi’s vocals just leave this haunting performance that lingers well after I had listened to it and had left such an impression on me that I haven’t felt since “Yure Yure” back in 2018. YeYe has really kept herself busy throughout the last couple years and I can’t wait to hear what she has cooked up next.  

Be sure to check out “Look Around” here!

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“Hitori no Yoru” by TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Yeah, I know I’m am just as surprised by this development as you, if you were to ask if I’d be picking a Korean artist’s track in my Ongaku Go in the beginning of the year I’d call you crazy but here we are. All jokes aside, “Hitori no Yoru” is absolutely amazing, and that is reliant on one thing and that is their vocals. I already know that TOMORROW X TOGETHER has some amazing vocals. If you just strip down the composition to a ballad like state and have the boys do their work, it will be a win all the time. Although I do know that this isn’t a common occurrence for them, I will take this as a small win of them winning me over.

Check out “Hitori no Yoru” below along with the track here!

Music Corner Week 120: Miram

Miram is a singer/songwriter from Fukuoka who got her start in the industry in 2020. Like other female solo artists of this era, her similarity to the girl with the guitar appeal of Aimyon is apparent. Her unique singing vocals of being a soft cute idol like appeal is just one of the ways that let Miram stand out form the pack.

Another thing to absolutely appreciate is the simplistic way she leads out her composition. From the acoustic guitar lead “Even For Me, In the Summer”, “Low Flying“ and “Oboreru” which really relies on the more smoky side of her vocals, to the more modern pop-rock style of composition of “Warm Shine” and “Ducky”, Miram really can mold to any style for all listeners to enjoy.

Miram has released two albums, six digital singles, and two EPs. You can check out on her official website, Twitter and Instagram along with the music video for her track “Even For Me, In the Summer” below!

MIYAVI Launches 20th Solo Debut Anniversary Project “20th & Beyond”!

Nicknamed the “Samurai Guitarist”, MIYAVI is an artist who has an active career both in Japan and

overseas. In recent years, he starred in the movie Kate and did voice acting for the Netflix animated

series Arcane, which also features his music in the soundtrack. Additionally, he gave the opening

performance at the National Stadium when the soccer team Paris Saint-Germain came to Japan. Also,

on Sado Island, MIYAVI collaborated with Kodo, a taiko drumming troupe that keeps traditional

Japanese music and arts alive through their performances, and this week, the movie Hell Dogs, which

he was cast in, hits Japanese theaters nationwide on September 16. He’s a dynamic artist whose work

goes beyond borders and any one genre.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of his solo debut, MIYAVI is launching a 20th anniversary

project titled “MIYAVI 20th & Beyond” on October 31. This project will not only celebrate his 20 years in

the music industry, but also show how he will further evolve as an artist. For the first part of the project,

MIYAVI will be releasing his first ever anime song cover album. The album will be called

“MIYAVIVERSE - Anima -” and will feature five carefully selected anime songs that are also much-

loved overseas. They will be reborn anew with MIYAVI’s signature sound and are sure to shake up the

new audiovisual world.

MIYAVI Launches 20th Solo Debut Anniversary Project “20th & Beyond”!

The project includes MIYAVI’s first anisong cover album and world tours—the first being in North

America. Following the NA tour, in December MIYAVI will hold “Electric Xmas 2022”, a special

Christmas live show, in three Japanese cities!

The tracks for the album have been announced and will include signature songs “The Galaxy Express

999”, “Get Wild”, “Soul's Refrain”, and “Eternal Wind ~Hohoemi Wa Hikaru Kaze No Naka~”, as well as

the recent hit “Blue Bird”. New artist photos were unveiled with the album’s announcement and visuals

that match the theme of each song will be announced later.

In October, MIYAVI will start his world tour commemorating his 20th anniversary with a large-scale

North American tour, similar to last year. And if fans weren’t already excited enough, it was announced

that in December, he will be performing “Electric Xmas 2022”, a special Christmas live show that will

be held in Nagoya, Osaka and Yokohama. Enjoy Holy Nights with MIYAVI and the commemorative

songs of his past 20 years. Also, stay tuned for updates on the rest of his world tour after the new year!

Please continue to pay close attention to MIYAVI’s increasingly passionate global activities and catch

all the particulars of the 20th anniversary project as new information is released.

Generation Z’s newest Japanese icon LANA releases new track ‘Get It (feat. ZEN & KESSO)’, a rallying anthem for the rising generation!

“FLAME (feat. LEX, Saru jr.Fool & taisyov” Jacket Cover

LANA, who set the music scene alight with her song ‘FLAME (feat. LEX, Saru jr.Fool & taisyov)’, has released a new digital single, ‘Get It (feat. ZEN & KESSO)’ on all digital music streaming platforms. The track hits hard, with deep lyrics that draw on LANA’s own background delivered with her unique vibe and outstanding singing ability. The single brings together young rising stars from the scene: The beats were produced by KESSO, a beatmaker who has been attracting attention for his work with artists such as Young Dalu and Big Mike, while acclaimed young Yokosuka-based rapper ZEN makes a guest appearance on the mic. 

A music video has also been released, which features footage shot on the streets of guest rapper ZEN’s hometown of Yokosuka.

LANA was born in Shonan, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She began uploading music to SoundCloud in 2020, and quickly became a hot topic on social media. LANA soon began receiving offers from both inside and outside of Japan, and started to produce music as a trackmaker and rapper, while appearing as a guest on numerous tracks. While her sound is based on hip-hop and R&B, she is a borderless and genreless talent with a unique sense for melody, and a husky singing voice that is unforgettable – making her one of the most promising and acclaimed newcomers in Japan’s music scene.

Be sure to check out the music video for ‘FLAME (feat. LEX, Saru jr.Fool & taisyov)’ below along with the streaming link for the track here!