Muque’s latatest album features artwork from Give Me! Tomotaka, a character designer whose work is really world renonwned.
Just how unique Japanese band muque (pronounced “muku”) is depends on whether you like hip hop funk or not. They have just released a new song, ‘desert,’ which brings more acoustic to tech, and if you like new wave, it’s a tune to listen on the radio–or digital airwaves as they’re broadcast today!
This four-piece band featuring members Asakura (vocals and guitar), Lenon (bass), takachi (track making and drums) and Kenichi (guitar) is a relatively young bang. They formed in 2022 and are based out of Fukuaka. Their sound is mostly arranged by takachi, who says he combines what he likes from American and British music into a crazy fusion.
‘Boom Boom Back’ has already been shared and published by local dancers and choreographers in the lead up to the actual single release date, creating a wave of mystery and excitement to all BESTYs (BE:FIRST fans) who wondered if this was the group’s latest single.
Releasing 13 February 2023 on all major digital streaming platforms.
After the remarkable achievements in 2022, which includes officially debuting as a group, music chart topping hits, as well as performances at prestigious events from the likes of 2022 Asia Artist Awards, the 65th annual The Japan Record Award, and the 73rd NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen (Kouhaku Song Festival; Apple Music link), Japanese group, BE:FIRST are back with their first single of 2023, ‘Boom Boom Back.’
From the Press Release:
With a new year, BE:FIRST welcomes a new approach with a global team on ‘Boom Boom Back’ which includes US-based artist and music producer, Grant Boutin and music producer, Luke Shipstad, songwriters Will Jay and 3onawav, who proactively provide music to great artists in South Korea as well as otherAsian countries. This brand-new infectious single expresses the sincere, yet greedy determination to aim even higher, despite already achieving high accolades.
‘Boom Boom Back’ is a hybrid Hip Hop danceable track which is mixed with a 90s flavor, a touch of 2000s teen beat, and current sensibility of musical beats. In terms of choreography for the music video, BE:FIRST worked together with dancer and choreographer, KAITA, as well as KAZ the FIRE. KAITA previously worked on their Hip Hop number, ‘Milli-Billi’, which was taken from their first album ‘BE:1’. With ‘Boom Boom Back’, it is a promise that this is going to be another ‘must-see’ dance performance. The music video is scheduled to premiere on BE:FIRST’s official YouTube channel at 7PM (Singapore time) on 13 February 2023, Monday.
＜BE:FIRST / Boom Boom Back -Music Video-＞
Celebrating the new digital single release, BE:FIRST will have a series of live streams on their social media accounts. This is the first comeback for BE:FIRST since the release of their debut album, ‘BE:1’ last August.
‘Boom Boom Back’ has already been shared and published by local dancers and choreographers in the lead up to the actual single release date, creating a wave of mystery and excitement to all BESTYs (BE:FIRST fans) who wondered if this was the group’s latest single. On TikTok, the #BBBチャレンジ (#BBBChallenge in English) was published without revealing the group or song title, and has created a massive buzz on social media even before the official announcement from BE:FIRST.
To date, this has garnered over 5.0 million views alone, establishing BE:FIRST’s digital first approach and commitment to their love for music and dance. BE:FIRST published their TikTok videos for ‘Boom Boom Back’ on 26 and 27 January 2023. Get excited for their new release and await for what is coming next from BE:FIRST.
Dante Basco‘s wicked sense of humour, or love of his own family dynamic in The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, defines much of his life in the streets of Pittsburg, California. The question of how much was real life versus fictionalized has me wondering how this Wonder Years type of film came about. Or should that be Malcolm in the Middle? They’re definitely boyz n the hood, in the non-traditional New York sense, with a touch of hip hop in an excellent soundtrack that I hope gets an album release.
This slice of life comedy about four Filipino brothers is very likable. I want to be part of their pamilya. Between their independence and dependence, their stories look at different sides of dealing with life’s many hurdles. A lot of it deals with inter-personal relationships outside of the homestead. I doubt they are parodies of themselves, but Dante, Dionysio, Derek, and Darion Basco are distinct personalities, and it wonderfully gets played up through the eyes of a camera lens.
This work draws from Japanese folklore, and this supernatural world has modern tonality embedded in the lyrics. The songs take ideas from Hyakki Yagyo – The Night of One Hundred Demons and transform the images, stories and lore from this Asiatic world into evocative melodies that’s both a meditative and a clubbing experience.
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Not everyone will know of Millennium Parade, an arts collective from Japan whose music can’t be easily pigeon-holed. They are led by Daiki Tsuneta, frontman of J-Pop band King Gnu, and can be categorized as New Wave or Trip Hop. The debut self-titled album is a fresh exhilarating experience for me, and their sound is similar to but not quite like the sound from the virtual band’s Gorillaz. But anime fans will know them because they’re the composers of the opening song, “Fly with Me” for Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045.
This work draws from Japanese folklore, and this supernatural world has modern tonality embedded in the lyrics. The songs take ideas from Hyakki Yagyo – The Night of One Hundred Demons and transform the images, stories and lore from this Asiatic world into evocative melodies that’s both a meditative and a clubbing experience. On the cover, a “Tezutsu Hanabi” (the oldest form of Japanese fireworks, encased in bamboo and held by hand) which was traditionally used to protect from evil spirits, and was also used to pray for a good harvest, is held by Ebisu (one of the 7 Gods of Fortune).
WARPs UP, a four-piece dance group with members from Japan and China and fans in both territories, have announced their latest song, ‘Hali Gali’, which is now on YouTube and as a limited release in China.
The music video for ‘Hali Gali’ is directed by filmmaker Kenichiro Shimizu (PELE) and Tokyo-based creative group REALROCKDESIGN, which also produces large-scale outdoor festivals and sensory entertainment show STAR ISLAND. Shimizu, working with Daito Manabe (Rhizomatiks), was the videographer and editorial director on British artist Squarepusher’s ‘Terminal Slam’ video. His works have garnered acclaim for their innovation and creativity, with ‘Terminal Slam’ receiving the Computer Animation Category Honor Award at Austria’s Ars Electronica Award 2020.
Just how unique Japanese band muque (pronounced “muku”) is depends on whether you like hip hop funk or not. They have just released a new song, ‘desert,’ which brings more acoustic to tech, and if you like new wave, it’s a tune to listen on the radio–or digital airwaves as they’re broadcast today!
Releasing 13 February 2023 on all major digital streaming platforms.
