Part 6: Eclectic, Electric and Alive: Japan’s Take on Emo
The international Emo scene during the 2000s kept the ethos of the genre alive and well through its Mainstream period in the Third Wave, but perhaps no country has done more for Emo’s preservation than Japan. Everyone knows what envy did for Screamo and the variety of Japanese Math Rock bands out there, but some Emo goes a step further with their Japanese influence. J-Rock was a popular mixer, but other genres such as Math Rock, Post-Hardcore and even Post-Rock were integrated with the traditional Emo sound to astonishing results. This next section features Emo songs that are most likely to be used in an anime intro.
ART-SCHOOL - Charlotte (4/5/2002)
ART-SCHOOL - Requiem for Innocence (11/27/2002)
ART-SCHOOL are Alternative Rock legends in Japan with deep roots playing Midwest Emo. On their first album, Requiem for Innocence, you’d be hard-pressed to find any obvious Alternative influence. If anything, this is a Noise-Pop-esque approach to Japanese Emo, carrying the flag for bands like Eastern Youth.
On this album, the production is dirty, the riffs are simple and the vocals are brimming with youthful passion. ART-SCHOOL would metamorphose, incorporating Shoegaze and Dream Pop into future releases. By 2007, Emo was in the rearview mirror for this act as they transitioned into more Alternative and later Indie Rock.
Burger Nuds - Symphony (8/27/2003)
Extremely upbeat and J-Rock-influenced, Burger Nuds debut LP Symphony is about as warm as you can get for an Emo album. The Indie Rock and Alternative appreciation is notable, but Emo seems to be among their biggest influences. Burger Nuds doesn’t do anything extraordinary here, but the tenderness with which they play is admirable.
The band would stop releasing music for over a decade until their second LP released in 2017!
Balloons - 9:40 p.m. (10/1/2003)
Allegedly, Balloons formed as a band in 1996, but 9:40 P.M. is actually their debut album. During all that time, the band must have been hard at work refining their sound as they’re one of the smoothest Japanese Emo bands I’ve heard so far. In large part, this is due to the Indie Rock influence, the timbre of which is reminiscent of British Indie artists of the time, as well as the proficient twinkly Math Rock riffs. The vocalist is more than serviceable but often withholds his voice for the pure melancholy of the instrumentals.
Balloons would release two more full-length albums and an EP, though the Emo influence on these releases is a lot less prominent if it exists at all.
Kiwiroll - その青写真 (12/3/2003)
Taking influence equally from Japanese bands like Number Girl and American bands like Fugazi, Kiwiroll plays messy, noisy and disorienting Emo fused with Post-Hardcore on this record. The brooding, heavy guitar tones balance perfectly with the clean Emo passages, setting up perfect loud / quiet interplay. The vocalist belts out the lyrics with passion and carelessness, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of desperate loneliness.
The band had steadily been releasing music since 1998, but this album, translated to English as “The Blueprint,” is perhaps their best. They would come out with one other Third Wave release, and it would be the last original material the band would ever release.
Blgtz - Blueprint for Unmanned TV (2/18/2004) (See Also: Part 5)
This record could likely have belonged in the Post-Rock section; there are only seven songs, but they each average over six minutes in length and feature plenty of instrumental atmosphere. That said, there also appears to be this enigmatic force of something else, especially in the off-kilter vocal delivery that sort of just screams “Japan.”
Between melancholic sections of spacey guitar playing are fits of Midwest Emo fury, accented by noisy chord progressions and an unhinged singing voice. If you want to listen to Japanese Emo for what makes it “different” than Western Emo, this is a great example.
Kiwiroll - 4Count (12/3/2004)
Veltpunch - Question No. 13 (12/14/2004)
After releasing their first album in 2000 with significantly less Emo influence, Veltpunch returned in 2004 with quite possibly the creepiest album cover in Emo history. On Question No. 13, Veltpunch provides supercharged Emo music with some fun J-Rock on the side, as a treat. The result is catchy and crude full-length that isn’t afraid to be as noisy as it is memorable. The band would still utilize Emo in their music, but would sway much closer to Alternative and Power-Pop following this release. Simply put, this rocks.
He - Further Shore (2/16/2005)
Japanese Math rockers He released their very first EP in 2005 with copious amounts of Post-Hardcore and Emo influence. The production is fairly raw, but the musical ideas on offer are nuanced and well-executed, especially regarding the raucous guitar playing, switching often from heavy, syncopated chord progressions to slidey, bendy and otherwise playful riffs. For Math Rock fans, this one should feel right at home.
He would go on to release several albums and a split with susquatch. Although good, I’d have to do some real hair-splitting to put the rest under the Emo umbrella.
Toe - The Book About My Idle Plot on a Vague Anxiety (9/31/2005)
First of all, what kind of name is toe?! Second of all, are they even Emo? I mean, they’re a combination of Math Rock and Post-Rock, which winds up radiating Midwest Emo vibes. This sort of reminds me of The Jesus Years in that way. Maybe we should just make Instrumental Emo an official genre, but I digress. Third of all, how in the WORLD did this band get SO popular? Like, ridiculously popular, one of the biggest bands in this entire project. Nonetheless, I think everyone needs to hear these guys at least once.
With an absence of vocals, the drummer actually takes center stage, demonstrating his otherworldly ability. However, the guitarists also get to show off with nonstop riffs and picturesque twinkles. If this isn’t Emo, it will absolutely still hit the same spot, especially if you like instrumental music. The band has several other LPs and EPs if this sound works for you.
Blgtz - Document of the Moment by Minus Generation (10/26/2005)
A year after their debut LP, Blgtz would release their second LP, roughly translated as Document of the Moment by Minus Generation. The eccentric Post-Rock / Emo fusion that Blgtz played with on their first album is expounded upon; the band crafts ethereal soundscapes, encapsulating formlessness and wistfulness in the open air. The band still turns it up for those pensive moments of aggression, especially with the singer going balls-to-the-wall with his voice.
The band would only release one more studio album but would have several more EPs recorded.
Ling Tosite Sigure - #4 (11/9/2005)
Ling Tosite Sigure makes music for Post-Apocalyptic-themed Anime Intros, and I cannot stress how much of a compliment that is. Emo, Post-Hardcore and J-Rock come together for this eclectic AnimEmo, featuring noisy instruments, blistering mathy passages, explosive youthful vocals and a wall of emotion coming at you at all times.
Behind the music is a trio of musicians, two of whom switch off between masculine and feminine vocals. Though they released three demos prior, #4 is their debut LP and they absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one. They’d go on to have a prolific career, some of which might be covered a bit further down…
Malegoat - Plan Infiltration (2005) 💎
Beloved in the Emo community due to its remastered rerelease in 2011, Plan Infiltration was originally released as a six-song EP all the way back in 2005! With strong Japanese Math Rock roots, this Emo album was forward-thinking and is among the greatest Proto-Revival releases of all time.
Combining proficient guitar twinkling with exploding passion results in some of the best songs to come out of the Japanese Emo scene. The band would go on to have splits with artists like Empire! Empire! and Into It. Over It., the latter of which was released in 2022.
Akutagawa - Akutagawa (2/9/2006) 💎
On their debut LP, Yamagata natives Akutagawa unleashed unto the world a minor Emo masterpiece. The little-known self-titled album greatly diversifies its sound by integrating multiple genres: the dark, heavy Post-Hardcore guitar tones, the near-Screamo bouts of insanity, the grandiose Post-Rock soundscapes, the mindbending time signature shenanigans of Math Rock, all of these combined with the very best of Emo songwriting to craft nearly an hour of unique music.
Not one song on this album sounds alike, each taking cues from different genres while maintaining that air of catharsis that only Emo can provide. There’s a lot of instrumental-only time on this one, but the vocalist is more than capable of keeping up with the ever-shifting dynamics.
Ling Tosite Sigure - Feeling your UFO (7/19/2006)
Feeling your UFO showcases a top-notch band evolving and maturing in real time; although cut from a similar cloth to their acclaimed debut LP, this EP replaces some of that youthful energy from #4 with world-weariness and a better-developed sense of songwriting. The five-song record is still quite boisterous, but the noisiness is cut down slightly in favor of melodic interplay, though the vocal performance is perhaps more unhinged than ever.
The overt J-Rock influences are less severe on this album, allowing the raw Emo and Post-Hardcore to flourish with little distraction.
Pegmap - Have a Nice Day (12/13/2006)
On their debut LP, Pegmap delivers scathing Emo goodness with noisy, dissonant guitars, pounding drums and passionate vocals. All of the Midwest Emo tropes that we love are present here, so when the band quiets down for a softer song or section, it stands out particularly nicely against the noisier dynamic. Elements of J-Rock pepper this release, giving some parts a certain anime intro vibe.
Even though the first couple of tracks are the main attraction here, this album is filled with really good Emo from top to bottom.
The cabs - 2 Song Demo (2006)
A small look into what would become an excellent Emo Revival band.
My Name Is… - 東京プラスチック (2006)
Utilizing a Screamo approach to writing music, this band is boisterous, dissonant and spastic. Vocally, they don't actually do much screaming. If you enjoy Screamo, you will probably love this album.
susquatch - Water Plant (5/2/2007) 💎 (See Also: Part 9)
With four years between this EP and their first demo, susquatch has shifted direction quite drastically on Water Plant. The distorted guitar tones of their demo, which borrowed heavily from that Second Wave sound, return, juxtaposed by twinkly guitar tones that would go on to define the Emo Revival just years later. Heavyhanded elements of Japanese Math Rock make their way onto this EP, showcasing the band’s playful side quite often. The vocalist’s passion is evident, even in all of the lyrics, which, if you’re having trouble discerning what they say, are actually in some broken English/Japanese fusion.
The group would find their biggest success right at the forefront of the Emo Revival with their 2009 debut LP In This World. The LP would ditch the rawer, distorted guitar tones for cleaner, more Indie-leaning ones, so if you like your Emo to have some crunch behind it, check this one out!
Pegmap - See You (8/8/2007)
Pegmap returned after their debut LP one year later with another stellar full-length outing. All of the scintillating musical elements from Have a Nice Day return with a renewed sense of balance. The cacophony of distorted guitars, powerful drumming and fiery vocals are juxtaposed next to twinkly riffs, a restrained rhythm section and quiet, somber singing. Midwest Emo tropes? Yes, but that’s really why we’re all here, right?
The album as a whole is more refined than their original: whereas Have a Nice Day opened up with the two very best tracks on the album, See You is a far more even sonic journey through waves of crescendos and comedown. The band would release another album and an EP in 2012 before calling it quits.
Ling Tosite Sigure - Inspiration is DEAD (8/22/2007) 🎩
After seemingly capturing lightning in a bottle with their explosive debut EP and refining their Emo songwriting abilities on Feeling your UFO, Ling Tosite Sigure returns with an absolute banger of an album. Taking even more cues from Post-Hardcore, Inspiration is DEAD cranks the mania of their first album up to the stratosphere. If it were not for the prominent J-Rock elements keeping the general tone of the music upbeat, this would be quite the dark album, somewhat reminiscent of the Progressive Post-Hardcore bands of yore like Fall of Troy. Hell, some tracks would have what I dare would call a “dancey” rhythm section!
This band’s monumental popularity during this time was warranted as they were the crown royalty of J-Rock / Emo. Fans still debate which album of theirs is best, and that includes pretty much every future release from this band. I highly recommend checking out at least one album from this group.
Bronbaba - Kinder Book (12/19/2007)
Bronbaba play depressing bummer Emo with heaping spoonfuls of Indie Rock and Slowcore influence, somewhat in the same vein as bands like The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up. The leisurely tempo, lower-register vocal performance and the overall depressive nature of the songs belie how beautiful and evocative the tracks are. Nothing on this album will set the world on fire, and that’s okay - Bronbaba is perfectly content to sit on the ashes and share their story.
Blgtz - Blgtz (7/23/2008)
Sora - Miminari to Sono Wake (8/23/2008)
Beginning life as a Screamo band in 2003, Sora would drop pretty much all screaming in favor of melodic vocals on this debut LP, roughly translated to Tinnitus and Its Reasons. Though Sora lost some of their edge in the transition, they retained the melancholy, the aggression and the dynamism, pushing these in even further directions at times. I get reminded of Empire! Empire! while listening to this: the grandiosity, the range, the technicality, all of it falls into place exactly as it’s supposed to.
Sora would come out with another marvelous album in 2012 before calling it quits. Bands this good are only meant to last so long…
Folio - The Curve Causes a Shiver (9/26/2008) (See Also: Part 9)
This album arrived right at the forefront of the Emo Revival in late 2008, and it was released at the perfect time. The Curve Causes a Shiver is a very familiar album to Emo Revival fans, featuring glorious guitar twinkles, syncopated Math Rock drumming and somewhat whiny vocals. If you’re tired of hearing all of this Third Wave stuff and really can’t wait for the Fourth Wave, give this a listen.
