JPALT is shifting gears! From this month onwards, our monthly highlight article will be accompanied with various news from around the scene, so that you can be always updated with not only fresh music picks, but also important, weird, happy, sad, and every other possible information!
Track Highlights
SUSHIBOYS – ZZZ
I went to the SUSHIBOYS concert on October 2nd, 2026. At one point, the members (FARMHOUSE and Santena) started asking how long attendees had slept the night before, with answers ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours (Japan consistently ranks dead last among OECD nations with an average sleep duration of roughly 7 hours and 22 minutes—over an hour below the OECD average). That was, of course, the intro to their new song “Zzz,” where they rap about the importance of good sleep over an Italian dance beat. That’s one way to get your message across!
Tempalay – detox
Thank God for the bartender at the Shibuya bar that I am a regular at for introducing me to Tempalay. Their new album ATOMEW is one of my favorites this year, and “detox” is definitely a highlight. The song’s sexy beat and vocals remind me of FutureSex/LoveSounds-era Justin Timberlake, perhaps a weirder version of it.
News
Boris and Merzbow will reunite for their first domestic headline show in three years on November 30, 2026, at Shibuya Club Asia to perform Boris’s 2006 classic album dronevil. Originally released in a bizarre interactive format—a double CD designed to be played simultaneously on two separate stereo systems—the record will be reimagined live with a singular, non-replicable “new solution.”
Tempalay (our pick this month) announced their biggest solo live to date for next year, scheduled for June 13, 2027, at Kanagawa’s Pia Arena MM.
tofubeats will stage his career-largest solo concert, “Angels On The Dancefloor,” on November 29, 2026, at Kanadevia Hall (formerly Tokyo Dome City Hall). The performance unfolds across three distinct acts: an audiovisual session with the BEAMTWISTER robotic projection system, a career-retrospective “Chronicle Movie” directed by longtime collaborator Shunsuke Sugiyama, and an ensemble set featuring guest appearances by Hitomitoi, Satoko Shibata, STUTS, and Neibiss.
iVy announced that their second full-length album will be released on November 11, 2026.
Noise-rock legends Melt-Banana are touring Nordic and Europe across October and November.
tamanaramen will perform a free live at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills on October 31, 2026, as part of Roppongi Art Night 2026.
A surreal TV commercial for “Kin no Potato” chips featuring three animated potato chip characters playing a rendition of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “RYDEEN”.
ermhoi and tadekui will play a 2-man show in MoN Takanawa museum after its closing hours on November 28th.
Mixtape:
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