#30 Haruno Filia Vocalid remains one of the most intriguing instruments available in the world today, and 2018 saw plenty of artists — many of them outside of Japan — use it in thrilling ways (check Kira’s The Introduction for one good example). Domestically, Haruno’s Filia stuck around in our minds the most this year,…
J-pop is a mess right now. The biggest challenge at the moment is sifting through everything to figure out just what’s going on, and if you zeroed in squarely on what charts say is doing well, I wouldn’t blame you for feeling underwhelmed. Yet dive into the vast middle and you’ll find all sorts of…
Turning back towards the ’80s, when it comes to Japanese music, is (or, depending where you stand, still is) the in style. But the areas explored in Japan proper and abroad are very different. Outside of the country, there is a new-found embrace of Japanese ambient and neighboring sounds, highlighted by the recent attention given…