Category: Uncategorized
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Sugar Packed!! An Interview With Yoshimasa Terui
Yoshimasa Terui— the powerhouse for acts such as: Haisuinonasa, Sora Tob Sakana, Siraph, and mastermind behind the official soundtracks for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 and 3, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the opening for Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Lustrous) speaks to JP ALT about his latest release. In light of Siraph’s new single ‘Sugar…
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Interview with Hiroyuki Nagashima: The “Fragments” of Dowser and Schema 1+2
Hiroyuki Nagashima, the core member of the Japanese experimental electronic project Dowser, discusses his latest release, Schema 1+2. Nagashima has been a vital force in the Japanese avant-garde scene since the late 1980s. Beyond Dowser, he is a celebrated composer and sound designer whose filmography includes scoring Sogo Ishii’s The Master of Shiatsu and the…
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Trooper Salute’s ‘I Had a Friend’: Impressions and reflections
“Measured explosions” is the term best used for Trooper Salute’s debut album: I Had a Friend (Tomodachigaimashita). Every moment of explosiveness in this album is calculated into a spectacular fireworks show— exciting the senses of the listener on the other side of the river without overwhelming them. I Had a Friend encompasses the tragic beauty…
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Mami Yamase: A Retrospective Look Into the Idol that Went From Cute to Punk
“Holding hands with trembling little fingers, searching for hidden signs, holding onto unforgettable memories” — lyrics from “Go! (ゴォ！)” by Yamase Mami. The magnificent ’80s! A decade where Japanese music reached a new peak compared to previous decades, with the influence from iconic and important figures as Yellow Magic Orchestra, Masataka Matsutoya and many more,…
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JP ALT Best of the Month Mixtape: April & May 2026
NOTE FROM JP ALT STAFF: Welcome to JP ALT’s monthly edition of our Best of the Month recap. Since we were on a short hiatus in May, we have decided to combine the last two months. As well as this, our monthly recaps will now consist of one (two in this case) major write up…
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Hide’s Visual Kei Vanity Project: The Strangeness of Seth et Holth (1993)
“Everything is wrong in this place. I wonder what will become of us?” Seth et Holth is a 45-minute film conceptualised by Hide, the guitarist of the band X Japan. Released in the early ‘90s around the band’s commercial peak, It’s one of the most bizarre films involving a musician that I’ve ever come across.…
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THE SUSUMU HIRASAWA FILES VOL.3- BEFORE THE FREEZE
The year is 1984, and the world is moving incredibly fast. Everyone is carrying a Walkman, listening to new music and AOR, and adjusting their eyes to the bright neon lights that weren’t on these streets before, or at least not in this density. Young people frequent clubs, go on late-night drives in stylish cars,…
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bed: Japan’s Most Revolutionary Band is About to Turn Tokyo Music Upside-Down
Shibuya, 2:30am. You are at a party in Dogenzaka’s clubasia with 600 other people. The night so far has provided an eclectic mix of EDM DJs, rappers, and a psychedelic rock band. You follow the crowd to the main hall. The techno DJ is turned down. You hear a few electric sparks, then the sound…
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Yann Tomita’s Doopee Time & The Greater Yanniverse
An eccentric producer who shaped Hip Hop, electronic music and the outer fringes of J-pop. Yann Tomita (1952-) is a Tokyo-based musician, composer, record producer, and noted player of the steelpan. Like many young music nerds online, I became absolutely obsessed with the album Doopee Time, released 1995, and wanted to know absolutely everything there…
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The Class of 97: 3 Japanese Bands That Changed Japanese Rock
Satoru “Teshi” Teshima joins Japanese Alternative Magazine for it’s first guest feature. The Berlin based music nerd and connoisseur hosts Teshi’s Fine Hour and an Instagram page packed to the brim with musical oddities. Teshi offers a listening experience that can range from obscure anime soundtracks from the ’70s, electronica anomalies, Reiwa era gems to…