Japan Underground – the long-running event by JPU Records celebrating great Japanese music – returns on Saturday, 31 January 2026, with a special, ultra-intimate edition featuring mikina of the EDM-driven idol group ExWHYZ. The event will take place at The Kings Arms in Hanwell, West London, and tickets are available here. In previous years, Japan…
Tag: music
SUMMER Releases New Single and Music Video “Little Kitty”
Dancer and singer SUMMER, an artist known for her spring-like movement and refreshingly warm voice, has just released her newest single and music video, Little Kitty, a delicately emotional single that depicts the poetry of changing seasons and unconditional love. Following her Grand Prize win at the 2024 Koreo Awards, SUMMER was allowed to bring…
Music as Rapture: SIXX and the Language of the Self – Exclusive Interview
SIXX, a South Korean singer-songwriter, with his new release, SHIFT, takes us into a threshold space, a corridor between who we’ve been told to be and who we sense we are beneath all the external noise. Login isn’t a typical opening track; it is a consciousness switch – deliberate rupture. In my conversation, SIXX speaks…
Stray Kids Want You To “DO IT” – EP Review
Stray Kids are giving Shia Labeouf a run for his money with their freshest title, DO IT. The promoted song of the same name is a simple little tune, less loud than Stray Kids’ previous ones, and naturally, possesses a repeated motivational mantra to ‘Just do it, do it, do it, do it.’ Its catchy…
The Art of Being KINO: Vulnerable, Fearless and Unapologetically Real – Exclusive Interview
Kang Hyeonggu, better known as KINO, is the kind of artist who can completely reorient your musical world in seconds; that’s how good he is at what he does. A producer, dancer, composer, and lyrical architect, KINO first captured hearts as the creative engine of PENTAGON, but his solo work proves he was never built…
Samey, But Listenable: NCT DREAM’s “Beat It Up” Review
What do you get after having a nice bowl of soup at a restaurant? Another soup of the same variety? Likely not. Perhaps a main course, or some focaccia – but you’ve had your fill of one thing, and now you’re ready for another. NCT DREAM’s latest comeback and titular song “Beat It Up” is…
Kenshi Yonezu: The Sonic Alchemist Bringing Anime to Life with “JANE DOE”
Kenshi Yonezu, a Japanese shape-shifting creative force, seems to treat genre and medium as gentle suggestions rather than fixed rules. From his early days as a Vocaloid producer, HACHI, to becoming one of Japan’s most influential singer-songwriters, Yonezu has built a reputation for transforming emotions and sound into cinema. And now, he has done it…
BLITZERS’ New Sub-Unit NPC on Their Debut Single, “Creeper” and Working Together – Exclusive Interview
BLITZERS can be seen as underdogs of K-pop, a group whose charm lies not just in their crisp choreography or catchy hooks, but in the way they combine their youth charisma and musical experimentation. Since their debut, they have steadily built a reputation, and while they might be slightly underrated, they are truly a versatile…
LONELEE on His New Single, “MTML”, Music and His Creative Process – Exclusive Interview
LONELEE, an emerging talent from Korea, debuted in December 2022 with the EP SHOWER. Shaped by years spent abroad in English-speaking countries and influenced by artists like Post Malone and Justin Bieber, he mixes hip-hop, British pop, alternative rock, and electronic textures into a strong vocal style that is quite expressive. From the start, LONELEE…
82MAJOR Return with Their 4th Mini-Album, “TROPHY,” Even Stronger Than Ever – Exclusive Interview
82MAJOR’s fourth mini-album, TROPHY, represents a milestone in the group’s already meteoric rise. Described as a “bold declaration of victory,” the album reflects not only their growth as performers but also their personal interpretation of triumph. For members like Dogyun, victory is about pushing personal limits and surpassing yesterday’s self, while Seongil and Seongbin find…
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