Yesterday, I was thinking about artists who are popular with my crew overseas versus the artists that my Japanese friends enjoy. Usually, it is radically different.
By hard work, strong grassroots movements, or maybe some kind of miracle, Japanese artists are crossing borders and becoming big talking points in online communities.
Now, these cult favorites are creating the soundtracks for the lives of people in countries they’ve never even set foot in, sometimes without ever finding mainstream success in Japan.
Today, I wanted to explore those artists that, by some anomaly, have risen to fame abroad, their sounds, and how they (or, by freak luck) made it happen.
- Mass of the Fermenting Dregs
- Otoboke Beaver
- Haru Nemuri
- Band-Maid
- Fishmans
- Atarashii Gakko
- Runner Up – Flow
Mass of the Fermenting Dregs
Mass of the Fermenting Dregs is a math rock/shoegaze (well, that is how they marketed themselves abroad, but hardcore/punk may be more accurate) band originally formed in 2002. They are probably the most commonly talked about band in online/subculture communities outside of Japan.
MOTFD didn’t record any tracks until winning a contest in 2008, which earned them a sweet hookup to the American producer Dave Fridmann of OK Go fame. They created their first studio singles with him, but the members started dropping out of the band one by one, and in 2012 the band came to a full pause.
Reportedly, they didn’t like being signed by a major label.
Suddenly – 10 years later – the band announced they would be coming back. They soon announced tours in the USA, Europe, and across different parts of Asia. In online discussions about Japanese music, expect MOTFD to be mentioned at least once or twice.
I asked fans about how they were able to go abroad successfully after regrouping and got an interesting comment about the story and their marketing as a “shoegaze” band on reddit.
Otoboke Beaver
Otoboke Beaver formed in Kyoto in 2009, and is currently signed to the British label Damnably.
They showed a strong focus on their international audience from the early stages of their career.
Thanks to their unusual style of closely interacting with fans from around the globe, their journey abroad has been largely crowdfunded by passionate followers, helping Otoboke Beaver in their grassroots efforts to bring Japanese riot grrrl punk to the world.
They have been able to tour extensively and release albums in the US and UK.
Otoboke Beaver’s name comes from a love hotel close to one of the member’s high school.
Nothing is off bounds for them.
They have never shied away from reaching out to fans and participating in local festivals, like SXSW in Austin, and are known for giving a wild, intimate, and energy packed show.
They opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers last year, and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters is open about how much he loves their style.
the most intense shit you’ve ever seen
– Dave Grohl
They have a tiny desk concert, so check it out.
Haru Nemuri
Haru Nemuri released her first singles in 2017, one including a collab with avant garde jazz musician Mariko Goto of Midori.
She then released her album in 2018, and saw the chance to break out of Japan thanks to the album unexpectedly being well received abroad.
Unfortunately, COVID struck and shot down her chances to connect with overseas fans. She didn’t let that stop her.
Finally, after having to postpone her US tour four times due to the pandemic, she was able to tour abroad with great reception.
Like a few other artists on this list, Haru Nemuri performed at SXSW, and was praised as “The Best Music We Saw at SXSW” by the Austin Chronicle. She has traveled around the world, usually staring her tours abroad but having a last stop in Japan.
foster while being fostered, birth while being born
Haru Nemuri on creating her own label
She has recently formed her own independent label that allows her to stick with her one of a kind art-form and global approach in sharing her music.
Band-Maid
Their name is exactly as it suggests – a hard rock band with maids. Band-maid is one of the most popular artists on this list in Japan right now, but their popularity abroad is enough to rival their domestic success.
It came as a major surprise to the members. After uploading one of their music videos, foreign followers on X started to pour in.
Band Maid’s first US concert was at the anime convention Sakura-con in Seattle. They were very well received thanks to their unique blend of hardcore sounds and Japanese traditional + otaku culture.
One (maid) is cute and submissive in nature, the other (band) is wild, powerful and dominant. I thought that idea was interesting. Basically, we want to defy expectations.
– Vocalist of Band-Maid, Miku
They continued on with their world domination plan, but as COVID struck, so did their overseas career and ability to reach out to fans.
After the restrictions lifted, Band-Maid did not hold back. They have since played at festivals like Lollapalooza and even opened for Guns ‘n Roses and have a song written by Incubus.
Fishmans
Fishmans was a “shibuya-kei” style band in the late 80s and 90s. They were known for being experimental. Never being afraid to change up their sound, they hopped around genres from jazz to dream pop to funk rock to reggae.
Fishmans had an peculiar rise to fame similar to City Pop. Like the popular City Pop artists, Fishmans wasn’t alive to see their success.
It may be surprising considering their music mastery and catchy sound, but the average Japanese citizen is not aware of Fishmans… even back when they were active.
They have an extensive discography that was printed on vinyl and uploaded to Youtube. Thanks to the algorithm, Youtube began to recommend Long Season and いかれたBaby to music enjoyers around the world. Word spread of “this amazing Japanese band“, causing a global cult sound revolution many years after their vocalist’s tragic death.
In Tower Records Shibuya, their album can be found on the first floor at the corner of albums curated for tourists. Alongside other popular artists who earned global fame thanks to anime, humble Fishmans somehow made it through.
Atarashii Gakko
I was talking to a friend in Japan. “Atarashii Gakko.. thats that band that is really popular in America, right?”
I then asked my friend in America. “Atarashii Gakko.. thats that band that is really popular in Japan, right?
Looking in from the outside, their rise to fame is a mystery.
Very quickly after their formation, Atarashii Gakko signed with the famous Los Angeles based record label 88rising, known for indies artists like beabadobee.
They were then marketed through music festivals and late night talk shows in America, advertising themselves as the “representative of Japan”.
After gaining some traction in the USA, they went back and performed in Japan, and became known as the “representatives of Japan for America”.
Both America and Japan, on average, seem to think they are more popular in the other country. But – it is true that Atarashii Gakko has seen big success as artists in both places.
And while they might not be the perfect reflection of the music scene in Japan, they are tons of fun and share the unique aspects of Japanese culture in a creative way.
Runner Up – Flow
We all love a healthy dose of nostalgia, so I had to mention Flow here. Flow is still well known in Japan, and has performed the opening songs for legendary shows like Naruto, Code Geass, and Dragon Ball. They also have a very special place within the international weeb community. (weeb said with respect!)
Flow was one of the first bands directly from Japan to hold shows at anime conventions.
They were a popular draw at conventions, and one of the only acts from Japan making multiple visits to the United States in the 2000s aside from ONE OK ROCK.
Flow’s first US concert was at Anime Fest Dallas in 2006, and if you liked anime or foreign music at that time, seeing Flow became some kind of bragging right. To con-goers, it was status to see Flow, and to regular folks, they were a cool well guarded secret from Japan.
It sounds kind of dramatic looking back, but it was very rare to see artists from Japan at that time.
Since their first appearance, they would perform at cons around the US and even a few in France and Brazil.
They visited Texas every few years and always kept close to their many friends in the community around Dallas where I grew up. Flow is a special act and many people’s first contact with real music from Japan.
They have paved the way for other performers to use cons as a spring board for their careers abroad, like Band-Maid did recently.
Annnnnd that wraps up my picks for artists who crossed borders only to find more fans and open arms!
I noticed some similarities between the artists here – their genres being on the heavier, hard rock side, and several starts at SXSW.
Many of these artists seem to be fans of UK or USA music, and didn’t hesitate to tour abroad and make international fans feel heard.
What did you notice? Do y’all have any suggestions for other bands who saw major success abroad? If you have any anecdotes of Japanese artists visiting your city like mine with Flow, I would love to hear about your experience. (:
Until next time. ❤️
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