KMrWushu is considered a musical paradise, known as the birthplace of highly influential musicians from Mizia to Yosui Inoue. The region is home to a wide range of climates, from the beautiful beaches of Kagoshima to the concrete jungle of Fukuoka; unsurprisingly, the types of music coming from the island also vary widely. From the experimental playfulness of Hitomi Moriwaki, to the rapping of Banny Bugs and his CCS Records crew, to the Oita Baobab duo who specialize in medieval instruments, the scene is alive and kicking.
Here are some of the area’s most notable underground artists making waves in their respective scenes.
Illustration by Victoria Bennett
Bunny Bugs
The head honcho of Fukuoka-based creative collective CCS Records delivers his own solo music under the moniker Banny Bugs. The producer is known for bridging the gap between Kyushu and Kansai, collaborating with Tokyo-based artists such as Aaamyyy and Tsubame of psychedelic pop group Tempalay and more recently Kanagawa-based 18Scott for his latest single ‘Kibou’.
With CCS Records, he acts primarily as a producer, creating beats for songs such as “My Friend Vespa” and the underground hit “Murda”. He shoots most of his music videos in locations around Kyushu. “Kibou,” for example, saw the team filming in Fukuoka and Tokyo.
For more information, find Banny Bugs on Instagram.
Illustration by Victoria Bennett
Hitomi Moriwaki
Hitomi Moriwaki is an experimental musician based in Fukuoka. Her 2022 album Subtropical Cosmos was a remarkably accomplished semi-major label debut released on Kikagaku Moyo’s Guruguru Brain to critical acclaim. TW named it one of the best albums of 2022. Moriwaki’s all-seeing musical eye wanders from genre to genre, creating cosmic musings on a wide variety of abstract concepts ranging from unstoppable bleeding to rainforests. Whether she’s layering her kitschy voice in a wall of strange sounds and muffled words, or singing about the pleasures of an onsen, her productions are united by a paradoxical mature naivety: grasping the listener’s hands and floating through space, staring out at the world.
Outside of her musical activities, Moriwaki is a multidisciplinary artist in various mediums such as puppetry and ceramics, and can be seen at zine fairs in Kyushu. She also frequently has concerts both in her home prefecture and in Tokyo.
For more information, find Hitomi Moriwaki on Instagram.
Illustration by Victoria Bennett
Hanali
Hailing from Kitakyushu, Hanali is one of several pioneers of the hilariously named “gorge” genre, so named because the music aims to make one feel like they’re in a rocky gorge. Hanali’s music has to be heard to be believed. He appeared in clubs in Kyushu and all over Japan, bringing his live performances in hot tub style to enthusiastic audiences who surprisingly
in the whole experience. Imagine a rock concert full of rocks. You’re pretty close. Hanali is loved by a number of listeners and is known as a musician’s musician, highly recommended by members of the Japanese music community.
He does all of this from his home in Kyushu, where his social media posts consist of rock climbing and fishing in the area. A player on the world stage, he has released his work on labels including Belgium-based Third Type Tapes.
For more information, find Hanali on Instagram.
Illustration by Victoria Bennett
A swimming sheep
The Fukuoka-based artist – formerly known as American Green – makes happy electronic music under this new moniker. As noted on his website, he has moved from chilled music to more “danceable” tunes. His latest EP, Science, contained a set of Balearic house compositions, such as the opening track “Ocean Oxygen,” which brings to mind projects like Project Pablo and Jack J. The EP’s second track, “Light Bulb,” is a slightly awkward number, but danceable nonetheless. Swimming Sheep work hard to bring downtempo dance to the masses, releasing and collaborating on several tracks a year.
For more information, visit the Swimming Sheep website.
Illustration by Victoria Bennett
Baobab
Baobab is a brother-sister folk project based in Oita, fronted by Maika and Mirai Matsumoto on violin and guitar respectively.
The pair have been creating gentle folk songs since the early 2000s from their base in Kitakyushu, where they also host an annual Song Bird Concert music festival (currently on hiatus) and run a studio reproducing the medieval-inspired instruments they use in their songs.
Taking a great deal of inspiration from the nature that surrounds them on the island, Baobab’s songs are odes to the subtle wonders of the natural world. A violin may represent birdsong, while piano notes suggest trickling streams and bubbling brooks. The two understand the power of silence, and their stripped-down music feels raw and real as it soothes and calms.
For more information, visit the Baobab website.
This article appeared in Kyushu Weekend 2024. To read the entire issue, click here.
