Posted on November 18, 2020 at 20:56. | Event held on Monday November 23, 2020 at 19:00 (JST)
XTAL "Aburelu" (10")
Trackmaker XTAL's 2nd solo album, "Aburelu" (out digitally in May), has just been released on 10" vinyl! This comes from new label 813 Records. The album explained in the artist's words: "First of all, I don't use any rhythm instruments...
Posted on November 18, 2020 at 00:47. | Released on November 18, 2020
ZEUS a.k.a. Kensuke Okuda "sore wa, Wednesday" (Download)
ZEUS, the new solo project of guitarist/keyboardist Okuda Kensuke (Nona Reeves), has just released another brand new song which is sung by hitomitoi! The new song has touches of techno-pop and city pop. This follows two songs released in...
Posted on November 18, 2020 at 00:17. | Released on November 18, 2020
Posted on November 17, 2020 at 00:20. | Event held on Saturday November 28, 2020 at 17:00 (JST)
Fujin Club "The Gold Rush" (Download)
Based in Sado Island (off the coast of Niigata prefecture), the always charming yet mysterious housewives unit Fujin Club has just released a brand new song digitally. Titled "The Gold Rush" (or in Japanese, "kimi ni yawaragi"), it follows...
Posted on November 15, 2020 at 12:35. | Released on November 11, 2020
Posted on November 12, 2020 at 21:35. | Event held on Thursday November 12, 2020 at 21:30 (JST)
Ryusenkei / hitomitoi "Talio"
Ryusenkei (project of Cunimondo Takiguchi) and hitomitoi have teamed up to produce the city pop-themed soundtrack of the currently ongoing NHK TV series "Talio". After releasing the song "kanashii kurai Diamond" digitally last month (Spotify, ), here comes the full...
Posted on November 10, 2020 at 00:23. | Released on November 11, 2020
Salome no Kuchibiru "Sound of Salome Mizuno Satoshi hen", "Sound of Salome Tachibana Kyōko hen"
Kayō rock group Salome no Kuchibiru, who are about to disband after 18 years of history, are releasing two compilations of their favorite songs. Each contains 16 songs, selected respectively by leader Mizuno Satoshi and singer Tachibana Kyōko. Also be...
Posted on November 8, 2020 at 21:14. | Released on November 4, 2020
Posted on November 6, 2020 at 21:58. | Event held on Saturday November 7, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
Aina Hirose "17"
This is the first solo album of Hirose Aina (official Twitter), following a mini-album titled "Schedule of Afternoon Hours" (2018, Spotify, , YouTube Music). In addition to songs produced by city pop artist Seki Yoshihiko, there are songs written by...
Posted on November 4, 2020 at 22:04. | Released on November 4, 2020
fox capture plan "Discovery"
Piano-led jazz-rock instrumental trio fox capture plan has just released a brand new album! This is their 8th album, the follow-up to "Capturism" (2018). Included are the songs "yakan kōro" and "New Era", both first released digitally last year, as...
Posted on November 4, 2020 at 21:14. | Released on November 4, 2020
Various Artists "Join The Pac - Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Album -"
Following the release of Pac-Man tribute songs as three digital EPs earlier this year (vol.1, vol.2 & vol.3), here finally comes the awaited Pac-Man 40th anniversary album! Included are all of the tracks from those three EPs, plus songs by...
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 22:01. | Released on October 28, 2020
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 11:41. | Event held on Tuesday November 3, 2020 at 13:00 (JST)
Record Day 2020
Record Day 2020, ran by Japan's long-running record factory Tōyōkasei, is just about to happen this November 3rd. Being on the same day as Japan's "Culture Day", it's a day off well spent doing record shopping. Record Day items are...
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 01:59. | Released on November 3, 2020
Posted on November 2, 2020 at 20:56. | Event held on Wednesday November 4, 2020 at 19:00 (JST)
Interview: Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi
Original interview text by Takashi Ikegami Translated from Japanese by Patrick Benny (Tokyo's Coolest Sound) Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi (below "Mimi") is an interesting artist from actually many perspectives. First, there is the one where she expresses original works as the...
Posted on November 2, 2020 at 00:25.
Posted on October 31, 2020 at 11:59. | Event held on Saturday October 31, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
Naive Super "Memories Of Moonage Nightlife feat. Maki Nomiya" (7")
Naive Super, the solo unit of Yushi Ibuki (keyboardist of Pictured Resort), has just released a first 7" of two collaboration songs, featuring Maki Nomiya and sugar me! Both songs were released digitally earlier this year. The A-side features...
Posted on October 31, 2020 at 01:59. | Released on October 31, 2020
Posted on October 30, 2020 at 00:27. | Event held on Friday November 6, 2020 at 20:00 (JST)
Childish Tones feat. Beni Usakura "God Bless the Girls" (CD/10")
Childish Tones (Twitter) has just released a full-length album, titled "God Bless the Girls", and it's the first featuring singer Beni Usakura (Twitter, Instagram)! Following the early-bird cassette edition released for Cassette Store Day, here it comes on CD and...
Posted on October 28, 2020 at 23:59. | Released on October 28, 2020
Posted on October 28, 2020 at 22:08. | Event held on Saturday October 31, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
Tokyo's Coolest Sound radio show on La Face B: "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" vol.10
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...
Posted on October 28, 2020 at 21:52.
Posted on October 28, 2020 at 21:39. | Event held on Sunday November 15, 2020 at 19:30 (JST)
Maika Loubté "Show Me How" (Download)
Maika Loubté has a brand new song out today digitally! "Show Me How" is currently being used in a TV commercial for the Mazda MX-30, which even shows Maika driving the new car! Watch it below. She can also...
Posted on October 28, 2020 at 19:38. | Released on October 28, 2020
World Standard "Shikisai Ongaku"
World Standard, the solo unit of Suzuki Sōichirō that debuted 35 years ago on Hosono Haruomi's label Non-Standard, is releasing a brand new 12th album! Not only had it been 10 years since his previous full-length — "Silencio" (2010, Amazon,...
Posted on October 26, 2020 at 21:40. | Released on November 28, 2020
Posted on October 25, 2020 at 21:12. | Event held on Sunday November 1, 2020 at 17:30 (JST)
RSD Drops Day 3: Elekibass, bjons, SAKA-SAMA, marble≠marble
This Saturday October 24 is Record Store Day's third and last "RSD Drops Day", which this year gave a chance buying the exclusive items online on the day of release in addition to physical shops. Online sales will start from...
Posted on October 23, 2020 at 13:31. | Released on October 24, 2020
Posted on October 22, 2020 at 21:28. | Event held on Saturday October 31, 2020 at 16:00 (JST)
Crazy Ken Band "Now"
Crazy Ken Band has just released a brand new album titled "NOW"! I believe it's their 20th album! Included are a great bunch of brand new songs, as well as renewed versions of songs from the recent "Ivory ep". CDJapan...
Posted on October 21, 2020 at 00:19. | Released on October 21, 2020
Tokyo Beethoven feat. Chiharu Muto "yureteta buranko" (Download)
Tokyo Beethoven (Twitter, Instagram), the project of Tanaka Tomoyuki (FPM) with art director Chihara Tetsuya (of design agency Lemonlife), has a new single out now digitally! This time the featured singer is Chiharu Mutō (ex-E-girls, ex-Flower, now navigator of...
Posted on October 18, 2020 at 13:10. | Released on October 17, 2020
Posted on October 18, 2020 at 00:38. | Event held on Wednesday October 21, 2020 at 20:00 (JST)
Cassette Store Day 2020: Childish Tones feat. Beni Usakura, Learners
Today is a rainy Cassette Store Day in Tokyo. Luckily the items are available online too, at a few of the participating shops at least! Here are just a few picks that Tokyo's Coolest Sound readers might not want to...
Posted on October 17, 2020 at 12:51. | Released on October 17, 2020
Posted on October 16, 2020 at 21:00. | Event held on Wednesday October 28, 2020 at 19:30 (JST)
Tetsuro Yafune "Optimist Winter / If You Want To Meet" (Download)
Pianist and singer-songwriter Tetsurō Yafune has just released two new songs digitally! It had been 5 years since his previous solo release, album "The Romantist" (2015, Amazon, HMV). Featured musicians are Suzuki Katsuto on bass, Kakizawa Ryūsuke on drums,...
Posted on October 15, 2020 at 22:12. | Released on October 15, 2020
Ryusenkei / hitomitoi "kanashii kurai Diamond" (Download)
Ryusenkei (project of Cunimondo Takiguchi) and hitomitoi made the music for new NHK drama series "Talio" that just started last week. The plot is about a fired lawyer and a crook who join forces to help people take their...
Posted on October 14, 2020 at 23:25. | Released on October 14, 2020
Posted on October 11, 2020 at 23:17. | Event held on Sunday October 18, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
Nao☆ (Negicco) "gift songs", "Nanohana + Best☆Friend" (12")
Negicco's leader Nao is releasing a brand new mini-album this week! Included are songs written by Matsuda "Chabe" Gakuji (Learners, Neil and Iraiza), Chocolat & Akito, the band apart, and Lee HwangDae, and also one with lyrics written by...
Posted on October 11, 2020 at 22:45. | Released on October 13, 2020
waiai "Palm & Radio feat. HALLCA" (Download)
Producer waiai (SoundCloud, has just released a new track featuring HALLCA, who also wrote the lyrics. The song, which can be heard on YouTube in the lyric video below, is available via Bandcamp and also on Spotify. HALLCA has...
Posted on October 11, 2020 at 00:27. | Released on October 7, 2020
Posted on October 10, 2020 at 21:01. | Event held on Saturday October 24, 2020 at 18:00 (JST)
Bronze "Aquarium" (Download)
Korean city pop producer Bronze (브론즈) has just released a brand new album titled "Aquarium". Featuring a variety of vocalists, one of the songs is sung by hitomitoi! The whole album also seems to have a great vibe, so be...
Posted on October 9, 2020 at 23:59. | Released on October 9, 2020
Posted on October 9, 2020 at 00:38. | Event held on Wednesday October 14, 2020 at 19:30 (JST)
Zoomgals "Status Ailment Just Alive" (Download)
Zoomgals is a recently formed collaboration unit of six girl rappers: Namichie, Marukido, ASOBOiSM, AKKOGORILLA, valknee and Haruko Tajima! They have just released a brand new track and music video, titled "Status Ailment Just Alive", of which the music...
Posted on October 7, 2020 at 21:31. | Released on October 7, 2020
sugar me "Wild Flowers"
Singer-songwriter sugar me is releasing a brand new album, her first original album since "Around the Corner" (2015) which had been followed by cover mini-album "6 femmes". Featured musicians include Horie Hirohisa (Neil & Iraiza) on keyboards, Kamiya Jumpei (Akai...
Posted on October 5, 2020 at 21:35. | Released on October 7, 2020
Hiroshi Fujiwara "slumbers 2"
Hiroshi Fujiwara (Instagram) is releasing a brand new album titled "slumbers 2", the follow-up to "slumbers" (2017) (Spotify, , YouTube Music). The new album, which is described as alternative city-pop, vaporwave and neo-soul, is sound produced by Watanabe Shunsuke (Schroeder-Headz)...
Posted on October 5, 2020 at 21:13. | Released on October 7, 2020
plantar & Maika Loubté "Moon Flower" (Download)
plantar is the brand new solo project of Nozomu Satō (aka M. Lemon, of caméra-stylo, Fujin Club, conte (previously Orangeade), Madame Croissant). His first release is a collaboration with Maika Loubté, and it's out digitally on French label Menace....
Posted on October 2, 2020 at 23:59. | Released on September 29, 2020
"Stand Strong feat. Libro, Pocyomkin, Bose & Chozen Lee" (7")
"Stand Strong" is a skateboard-themed movie directed by Hisashi Kikuchi, known for his music video and TV commercial works, and written by pro-skateboarder Shin Okada. This song of the same name is the movie's theme song, and it features...
Posted on October 1, 2020 at 23:08. | Released on October 7, 2020
Posted on September 28, 2020 at 22:24. | Event held on Friday October 2, 2020 at 20:00 (JST)
STAMP "Jailhouse feat. SKY-HI" (Download)
Famous Thai singer STAMP (official Facebook page) has teamed up with rapper SKY-HI for a Japanese version of his song "Jailhouse Rap" (original sung in Thai). This is the 2nd collaboration of the two, following a song by SKY-HI...
Posted on September 28, 2020 at 00:07. | Released on September 18, 2020
Posted on September 27, 2020 at 22:44. | Event held on Sunday October 11, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
Philosophy no Dance "Don't Stop the Dance"
Funky idol group Philosophy No Dance has just done their major debut on Sony, with this new single titled "Don't Stop the Dance". The title song's lyrics were written by Hyadain. There are two limited editions, the "type A" which...
Posted on September 27, 2020 at 22:37. | Released on September 23, 2020
HALLCA & yuca "Catch your night" (Download)
Singer-songwriters HALLCA and yuca (SoundCloud) have just released a first collaboration song! The track was made by Mexico-based producer Skule Toyama (Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Twitter). Check it out on your favorite download/streaming platform, or below via YouTube Music. HALLCA &...
Posted on September 27, 2020 at 17:20. | Released on September 27, 2020
Posted on September 27, 2020 at 16:43. | Event held on Sunday October 11, 2020 at 16:30 (JST)
RSD Drops Day 2: Pizzicato One, Toki Asako, Avec Avec
Record Store Day's second of three "RSD Drops Days" is being held on September 26. In addition to the items being sold in physical shops from the morning, online sales are allowed from 13:00 on release day. Below are just...
Posted on September 25, 2020 at 20:57. | Released on September 26, 2020
Emiri Kanou "Asaninare" (Download)
Emiri Kanou is back from the hiatus she had annnounced last April, and she has just released a brand new song today! This time she takes a bit of a new approach by adding some real instruments, in contrast...
Posted on September 25, 2020 at 20:56. | Released on September 25, 2020
Tokyo's Coolest Sound radio show on La Face B: "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" vol.9
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...
Posted on September 24, 2020 at 00:19.
valknee "Diary" (Download)
Rapper valknee (Twitter) released a new mini-album titled "Diary". Check out the music videos for "Super Kawaii Oshi" and title track "Diary" below! Two remixes were also released in the following months: "Fake Balenciaga (Ryoko2000 Sweet 16 Blues Mix)" (,...
Posted on September 23, 2020 at 13:29. | Released on September 23, 2020
Posted on September 21, 2020 at 12:36. | Event held on Monday September 21, 2020 at 13:40 (JST)
the oto factory "paraíso" (Download)
5-piece band the oto factory (Twitter, SoundCloud) has just released a brand new album! With a theme of "imaginary vacation", the album includes a song that features singer hitomitoi. The release follows album "date course" (2016, CDJapan), since which digital...
Posted on September 21, 2020 at 00:37. | Released on September 20, 2020
Posted on September 20, 2020 at 01:27. | Event held on Wednesday September 23, 2020 at 20:45 (JST)
MANON "World's End feat. dodo (LUV STEP REMIX) - Remix by Hiroshi Fujiwara" (7")
MANON (Instagram)'s latest single "World's End feat. dodo" is being released on vinyl! Here the A-side is the remix by Hiroshi Fujiwara (who is about to release a new solo album of his own on October 7), while the B-side...
Posted on September 19, 2020 at 21:33. | Released on October 28, 2020
Posted on September 15, 2020 at 21:35. | Event held on Wednesday September 16, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
VIDEOTAPEMUSIC "The Secret Life of VIDEOTAPEMUSIC" (12"+Download code)
VIDEOTAPEMUSIC is releasing a vinyl edition of his 4th album "The Secret Life of VIDEOTAPEMUSIC" (2019) (Spotify, ), but not without a twist. Several of the songs were re-mixed, the order changed, and the jacket also renewed for 2020. Also...
Posted on September 15, 2020 at 20:10. | Released on September 18, 2020
Posted on September 11, 2020 at 20:48. | Event held on Friday September 18, 2020 at 21:00 (JST)
Haruko Tajima "Still Summer" (Download)
New wave gyaru Haruko Tajima, known for her self-produced tracks and music videos, has just suddenly dropped a brand new song titled "Still Summer"! It's now available on streaming platforms. Also check out the video below! Haruko Tajima "Still...
Posted on September 11, 2020 at 20:45. | Released on September 10, 2020
Posted on September 9, 2020 at 20:48. | Event held on Thursday September 10, 2020 at 19:30 (JST)
Tokyo Beethoven "Nippon kuishin Boy feat. Momo" (7")
Tokyo Beethoven, the project of Tanaka Tomoyuki (FPM) with art director Chihara Tetsuya (of design agency Lemonlife), is releasing a 2nd 7" single featuring Momo of Charan-Po-Rantan. Like the previous release from last March, "Colorful Tokyo / uchuu wa...
Posted on September 8, 2020 at 23:57. | Released on September 16, 2020
Perfume "Time Warp"
Perfume continues to celebrate their 20th anniversary, as well as the 15th since their major debut. Following the live Blu-ray/DVD that has just been released, here comes a brand new single! The B-side was previously released digitally at the end...
Posted on September 8, 2020 at 22:10. | Released on September 16, 2020
