10 Japanese Electro Music You Need to Listen To

We pick up electro music from the unique world of Japanese music and recommend several musicians.

A variety of music from bands to DJs, from young to legendary artists.

Recommended Indie Bands in Japan

tofubeats

tofubeats is a singer, music producer, DJ, and trackmaker born November 26, 1990. He sings by himself with autotune.

It has attracted attention as a city pop music of the 2000s, and has recruited a number of famous singers to release songs.

His representative song "Suisei" has been viewed more than 15 million times on youtube and has become one of the most popular songs of the 2000s.

Wednesday Campanella

Wednesday Campanella is a group consisting of Kenmochi Hidefumi (music, lyrics), Dir.F (director), and Utaha (singer).

The group previously included singer KOMI-I, who gained popularity for her free live performances, but has now left the group and Utaha has joined as singer.

Many were disappointed and anxious about the change of vocalist, but their fears were dispelled when they saw Utaha's performance and high singing ability.

The new song "edison" has created a buzz around TikTok and is now one of Wednesday Campanella's signature songs.

YMO(Yellow Magic Orchestra)

YMO is a legendary Japanese group consisting of Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi.

The group's computer-based performances, which were rare at the time, were highly acclaimed not only in Japan but around the world.

Each member worked as a studio musician on songs by Otaki Eichi and Tatsuro Yamashita, among others.

Haruomi Hosono is a member of the legendary rock band Happy End and is one of the most important figures in the Japanese rock scene.

Yukihiro Takahashi was a member of the Sadistic Mika Band before joining YMO.

Ryuichi Sakamoto has been active internationally in film music as a solo artist since the breakup of YMO.

METAFIVE

METAFIVE is a group formed by famous musicians such as Keigo Oyamada of Cornelius, Yukihiro Takahashi of YMO, and Towa Tei.

It fuses human power and sequences to produce a dynamic performance.

Each of them is a top-notch player and producer, and has produced many major songs in Japan.

Denki Groove

Denki Groove was formed in 1989 and is a group characterized by its unique techno and electro music and unprecedented performances.

Although there was a relatively large turnover of members during the initial two years, for the next eight years the group remained active with three members, Takkyu Ishino, Pierre Taki, and Yoshinori Sunahara, who had been with the group since its formation, and built a stable and popular following. After Sunahara's departure, the group has continued with two members.

Agraph

Agraph is the solo unit of Ushio Kensuke, who also supports Denki Groove and is a member of LAMA.

He has also composed music for a number of films, and his soundtrack for the anime Chainsaw Man has received acclaim not only in Japan but around the world.

Nujabes

Nujabes is a DJ, hip-hop trackmaker, and music producer who, along with J Dilla, is considered the root of Lo-Fi Hip Hop, a worldwide movement that began in the mid-2010s and continues to be loved by a wide range of music fans across generations and nationalities. He passed away in 2010.

The artist's singular name "nujabes" is a reverse reading of his stage name SEBAJUN, the romanization of his stage name Jun Seba.

Nujabes is a DJ, hip-hop trackmaker, and music producer.

Together with J Dilla, he is considered to be the root of Lo-Fi Hip Hop, which has become a global movement since the mid-2010s, and continues to be loved by a wide range of music fans across generations and nationalities.

The artist's name "nujabes" is a reverse reading of his stage name SEBAJUN, the romanization of his stage name Jun Seba.