Tokyo's Coolest Sound radio show on La Face B: "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" vol.21

This is Tokyo's Coolest Sound's own radio show, which is featured on La Face B (Facebook page), an Internet radio based in Montréal (Québec, Canada). It brings you some favorite songs and artists that you've read about in these pages. Tune in at the times below at http://airtime.lafaceb.live:8000/lafaceb.mp3. Happy listening!

"Tokyo's Coolest Sound" (vol.21) was aired at http://lafaceb.live on November 11, 2021 from 20:00 (EDT = Montréal/New York).
* Japan time: November 12, 2021 from 10:00 a.m.

This episode was not archived as-is, but it was replayed at the times below:

EST (Montréal/New York) —: Fri. Nov. 12 at 16h, Mon. 15 at noon, Tue. 16 at 8h, Wed. 17 at 4h, Thurs. 18 at 0h
Japan time —: Sat. Nov. 13 at 6h, Tue. 16 at 2h, Tue. 16 at 22h, Wed. 17 at 18h, Thurs. 18 at 14h

Listen to the Spotify playlist of most of the songs (some replaced according to Spotify availability), or scroll down this page to find music videos and individual songs, and also listen to the narration.

Below is the full tracklist with liner notes, and narration parts that you can listen to.

1. kimriri "crush on you" (2020)

kimriri (Instagram) is a high school student in Tokyo, who began making songs and posted her first on SoundCloud in May 2020. She then did her first release as a cassette tape single in November 2020. That single with the song "crush on you" is available digitally on Bandcamp.

Also check out kimriri's Instagram and Twitter to stay tuned of her activities.

Update (2022/2/23): "crush on you" has been released officially on digital platforms! Find it on , Spotify, OTOTOY, etc.

2. h-shallows + kazuhiro nishiwaki "Thinline" (2021)

This is a collaboration unit of h-shallows (aka Miki Hirose (Twitter)) and kazuhiro nishiwaki, who released a cassette tape album titled "we never sing the same song" earlier this year. The song "Thinline" appears on that album. It's available on cassette and digitally via Bandcamp.

While also playing in a number of different bands, such as one called The Moment of Nightfall which also recently released a cassette EP, guitarist Miki Hirose also plays in the recording band of Three Berry Icecream's new album from which a song is heard later on the show. Since h-shallows + kazuhiro nishiwaki's songs aren't on Spotify, on the radio show's Spotify playlist you'll find a song by one of Miki's previous bands named Smokebees. The song "Playpark" featured Mayumi Ikemizu (Three Berry Icecream).

Miki's upcoming live appearances include playing support guitar in two shows both on November 20. The first is with Three Berry Icecream at Shibuya Loft Heaven early afternoon (already sold out), and another one with band CAUCUS at Shinjuku Nine Spices from 6pm (details).

<a href="https://galaxytrain.bandcamp.com/album/we-never-sing-the-same-song">we never sing the same song by h-shallows + kazuhiro nishiwaki</a>

🎙 Listen to Narration I
Presenting: kimriri, h-shallows + kazuhiro nishiwaki, Francis

3. Francis "Sessomatto" (2021)

After four years of work, Francis (the solo project of Makoto Ori) has completed and released his brand new album "Bolero" (Bandcamp, Spotify, , YouTube Music)! This song features scat by Tomoko Kunimi (of nimit & co., Wack Wack Rhythm Band, Sloppy Joe), and a keyboard solo by Hirohisa Horie (Neil & Iraiza). Watch the music video below.

It had been 27 years since Francis' previous solo album "bUrNing BEar!" (Bandcamp, Spotify, (World), (Japan), YouTube Music). In the recent years he had also released two mini-albums in collaboration with Haruko Tajima: "Jamón, jamón" and "Zero Gravity Love".

A 7" of two songs from the album, "Repulsion" and "Coquette Marionnette", will be released on December 22. There's also a music video for "Repulsion" which be watched further down this page.

4. nicely nice "Time Of The Departure" (2021)

nicely nice is the solo project of Seiki Satō, the composing member of microstar. Sung by himself, this brand new 7" single "Time Of The Departure" is a catchy and spacey pop song. With for B-side a cover of Testpattern's "Beach Girl", the single was released this month for Record Day and is so far only available on vinyl.

A full-length album by nicely nice, titled "The Adventures of Nicely Nice" will be released on vinyl on November 27. Don't miss it if you're in for a dreamy synth-pop journey! Both the single and LP come with a download code.

Tokyo's Coolest Sound just recently did an interview with Seiki Satō and band The Courettes whose latest album he did the mixing, in a Wall of Sound style.

5. NUBACK "Down The Line" (2021)

NUBACK, the solo project of Dai Nakamura (BANK, Vacation Three, ex-Arch), just released a new EP titled "Sorekara" (Bandcamp, Spotify, , YouTube Music). Along with the title track which is sung are included three instrumentals, the last of which is "Down The Line".

NUBACK's 7" "When The Party Is Over", released on German label Growing Bin Records earlier this year, can be found at Jet Set, Juno (UK) and Growing Bin (Germany), etc. Other recent releases are EP "Still Life" (Bandcamp, Spotify, ), and one under the name Blank Music titled "My Name is Blank" (Bandcamp, Spotify, ).

<a href="https://tooyoungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sorekara">それから Sorekara by NUBACK</a>

🎙 Listen to Narration II
Presenting: nicely nice, NUBACK, Three Berry Icecream

6. Three Berry Icecream "Another World" (2021)

Three Berry Icecream, the solo unit of Mayumi Ikemizu (a former member of band Bridge), will be releasing a brand new album on November 27, titled "Three Berry Icecream". It's actually the first full-length album by Three Berry Icecream that was recorded over a short span with support musicians as a band, namely Osamu Shimada (The Caraway, Swinging Popsicle), Kiyotaka Sugimoto (orangenoise shortcut), Yasushi Sakurai (Corniche Camomile), Hisashi Iwabuchi (Sloppy Joe), Miki Hirose (h-shallows), as well as more guest musicians. The album was mastered by Seiki Satō (nicely nice, microstar).

"Another World" is the first song from the album to be available in advance digitally (, Spotify, YouTube Music, all platforms).

Meanwhile, for more of Three Berry Icecream's music, check out the recent split-cassette with Funny Little Dream (Indonesia), and also the vinyl LP "The Selection of Three Berry Icecream" (2020).

7. Miho Tsujibayashi "Letter" (2019)
(Japanese title: 辻林美穂「手紙」 "tegami")

This song is by singer-songwriter Miho Tsujibayashi (Twitter), from her 2nd album titled "Ombre" (, Spotify, YouTube Music).

Since that album, Miho also released in 2020 a series of 9 songs in collaboration with illustrator Natsumi Teraoka, which when put together they depict a story of one day. These can be enjoyed on YouTube, or found on iTunes, Spotify and OTOTOY.

Also, this year she took part singing on an EP by Koh-Gaku, titled "Opto 2: Tsujibayashi Miho" (Bandcamp, Spotify, , YouTube Music).

🎙 Listen to Narration III
Presenting: Miho Tsujibayashi, POLY

8. POLY "PRIDED" (2021)

POLY is the solo project of Chihiro Yasuda (a member of band Klang Ruler), a multi-artist who creates music and fashion. The song "PRIDED" is her latest solo track, released earlier this year digitally (Spotify, ) and then also on 7" on Typ!cal Records last month. It was arranged by Chocoholic. POLY wrote the music and lyrics and also did the jacket artwork.

Follow POLY's Instagram where she often shares covers and latest info. The band Klang Ruler she's part of also just released a new song on November 10, titled "Bibbidi-Bobbibi (feat. Rinne)" (Spotify, , YouTube Music).

Typ!cal Records keeps coming up with excellent releases of worldwide artists. Check out the label's website and Typ!cal Records' Bandcamp.