The top 10 japanese artists to watch in 2024
Japan saw its first year of full activity following the pandemic in 2023, which was characterized by a huge number of tourists, historic performances, and a flood of talented up-and-coming musicians that gave the nation’s music sector a boost.
The year has flown by, and now we’re concentrating on musicians who are expected to revolutionize Japanese music in the following year.
In no particular order, here are our picks for the top 10 Japanese artists to watch in 2024:.
1. East Of Eden
East of Eden is a symphonic rock group that was led by violinist and producer Ayasa. They released their much-awaited debut mini-album, “Forbidden Fruit, 1st Piece,” on March 20, 2023.
East of Eden became a formidable symphonic force thanks to Ayasa’s compositional prowess, the powerful vocals of Akane Minato, guitarist Yuki, bassist Wakazaemon, and drummer Mizuki.
A promising musical marvel was born in 2023, but 2024 will determine their future.
2. HOME
Having formed in August 2023, HOME is an indie rock trio from Okinawa that is starting to gain popularity around Asia with its unique style.
Even though HOME has only been a band for around four months, they have already released their debut EP, “HOME EP,” and played at music festivals in Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. These indie upstarts’ first releases have turned out to be some of the most refreshing blends of synthy dream pop, doo-wop, and alt-R&B.
The EP’s release parties are slated for March 2024 in Tokyo and Osaka. We believe HOME will keep redefining Japan’s indie soundscapes.
Aina The End, End The year 2023 with “Sail” Single
3. Emma Aibara
Blending her Japanese-American roots, Emma Aibara emerged as a solo artist in 2022, drawing from a six-year rock band stint as frontwoman of Velvet Sighs.
Uniquely infusing emo and breakcore, her music intertwines distorted guitars with the iconic ‘Amen Break’, creating a distinctive sonic identity.
As an emerging trailblazer in the emobreak and scenecore genres, Emma is set to showcase her sound alongside fellow up-and-comers at SXSW 2024 in March.
4. Paledusk
Paledusk, the Fukuoka-born quintet, dominated metalcore in 2023 with killer collaborations, international tours, and festival appearances, confirming their status as true innovators in the genre.
Consistently elevating their sound to new heights and blending multiple genres within their experimental metalcore structure, Paledusk have successfully dismantled the barriers separating musical genres. Thus, they’ve been able to seamlessly coexist in the realms of hip-hop and metal.
As 2024 approaches, we anticipate the release of ‘PALEHELL’, their first EP in over three years.
5. TORO
Formed in 2023 with the singular mission to “revive rock,” TORO have certainly fulfilled that goal, as evident in their self-titled debut album.
With sounds akin to those of iconic 90s and early 2000s alt-rock bands such as Ash, Feeder, and Nirvana, TORO effortlessly expresses their own aggressive rock attitude with a combination of English and Japanese lyrics, making their intentions for taking their sound global loud and clear.
Yumi Matsutoya Present 50th Anniversary Collaboration Best Album “Yuming KANPAI!! ~Yumi Matsutoya”
6. Knosis
The power of the experimental metal project led by Ryo Kinoshita (ex-Crystal Lake), Knosis, will be on full display in 2023.
Their November EP, ‘The Eternal Doom’, is an emotionally charged exploration of experimental metalcore that delves into elements of industrial metal, 90s/00s extreme metal, nu-metal, metalcore, and screamo, all elevated by Ryo’s trademark hostile vocals.
Since its formation in 2022, Knosis has been reshaping the metalcore mould, and if the last year is anything to go by, this project is set to become a dominant presence.
7. BALA
Bala, the five-member collective from ASOBISYSTEM, has rapidly established itself as a cultural authority since its inception in April 2022.
Comprising members Manon, Sunny Only 1, Kano, and Merry, each active in Japan’s music, fashion, and art scenes, Bala aims to connect Gen Z youth culture with a global audience. Their debut track, ‘barla’, produced by Shinichi Osawa and co-written by Kenmochi Hidefumi of Wednesday Campanella, echoes Y2K style with a late ’90s house sound.
With a commitment to breaking stereotypes and fostering global expression, Bala aims to redefine Tokyo’s cultural landscape in 2024.
Classic Ivory 35th Anniversary Orchestral Best Album by Miki Imai
8. CVLTE
Even though 2022 was a rather peaceful year for the Sapporo alt-rock trio, 2024 looks to be anything but.
With the release of three new singles in 2023—”scorpion,” which is quite powerful, and “me, myself, and I,” which was just released and serves as a tease for their future album “DIGITAL PARANOIA 2052″—CVLTE has established themselves as one of the most well-known bands in Japan by 2024.
With their upcoming album release and newfound momentum from their incredible performance at Bring Me The Horizon’s “NEX FEST” and their first-ever Zepp gig, CVLTE is the alternative band you should be watching.
9. Ohzora Kimishima
Ohzora Kimishima is a pioneering audio visionary who has become increasingly well-known in 2023. Kimishima has demonstrated a genre-defying sound by releasing two full-length LPs in a span of just nine months, including a wide spectrum of genres from progressive metal to electronic waltz.
He skillfully pulls off a laid-back lounge-rock atmosphere while utilizing glitchy electronics and loud distorted guitars in his most recent album, “no public sounds,” which is named after a message seen when accessing deleted Soundcloud tracks. The result is an unsettling but undeniably captivating listening experience.
Kimishima is going to make a big impression in the years to come with his innovative style of charting that defies traditional conventions.
10. Age
The alternative rock up-and-comers age (鋭兞), who formed during a fortuitous Shibuya street session in 2019, aim to be THE breakthrough band of 2024.
With their punk energy and diverse sound, which draws inspiration from bands ranging from Rage Against the Machine to Franz Ferdinand, Age has emerged as the more edgy alternative in the growing Japanese blend acts such as King Gnu and VAUNDY.
The band is positioned as one of the most notable acts of 2023 because to the interesting and constantly developing character of their music, which contributes to their attractiveness.