Japanese Shoegaze and the Melodicism

Do you know the genre known as ‘shoegaze’?

It is characterized by fantastical guitar sounds created using deep distortion, feedback, tremolo, reverb, and other effects, as represented by bands such as My Bloody Valentine, RIDE, and Slowdive. The vocals are positioned so that they seem to melt into the roaring guitars, creating the impression of a ‘wall of sound’.

An old article of ours also introduced American shoegaze.

⇒ Related Blog: “5 Modern American Shoegaze Bands by Shoegaze Nerd”

“In a word, it’s ‘roaring rock.’”

...That may be true, but when you listen to Japanese shoegaze, you can discover a slightly different appeal from that of overseas shoegaze.

That is melodicism.

Even with roaring guitars playing, the melodies somehow stay in your head.
Even though they are wrapped in a dreamy sound, the songs somehow remind you of Japanese kayōkyoku and J-pop, with melodies that make you want to hum along.

Of course, this does not apply to all Japanese shoegaze. However, there are certainly quite a few songs that, while influenced by overseas shoegaze, have a melodic sensibility rooted in Japanese pop music and kayōkyoku.

This time, focusing on this ‘melodicism in Japanese shoegaze’, I would like to introduce music from the 1990s to the present.

Spitz

The first band I would like to cover is Spitz, although this may come as a surprise.

Their second album, Namae wo Tsukete Yaru, released in November 1991.

It may seem a little unexpected compared to Spitz today, but around this time, Spitz prominently featured a rough, distorted guitar sound. In particular, Namae wo Tsukete Yaru is an album where you can enjoy the unique sound of early Spitz, combining the UK rock/shoegaze that Masamune Kusano was influenced by at the time, including Ride, with the pop melodies that Spitz already possessed.

One keyword that cannot be left out when talking about this album is ‘Ride kayō’. At the time, Masamune Kusano was influenced by the shoegaze scene that had just emerged in the UK, and produced this album based on this concept. By combining guitar sounds influenced by shoegaze bands such as Ride with the kayōkyoku-like melodies that Spitz possessed, the album sought to create a unique musical style.

“Pool” features guitar tones with strong reverb and chorus. In “Namae wo Tsukete Yaru”, melodic phrases are laid over rough, distorted guitars. “Majo Tabi ni Deru” begins with a whisper-like intro, followed by a blurred soundscape in which various instruments blend together, as well as a kayōkyoku-like string interlude.

The guitars are roaring, yet the vocals are extremely melodic.
The sound of shoegaze and the songs that Japanese pop music has traditionally excelled at coexist without either one ever completely swallowing the other.

Also, the song “Amai Te” from the album Hayabusa, released several years later, has a very Ride-like atmosphere, reminiscent of “Vapour Trail”. This one is also highly recommended!

Laney / Lionheart-L20T-212 Guitar Amp

When talking about Spitz’s guitar sound, one thing that cannot be left out is the Laney amps known to have been used by Masamune Kusano.
Sound House carries a wide range of Laney amps. If you are interested in the Spitz sound, be sure to check them out!

Supercar

Then, in the late 1990s, one of the bands that incorporated shoegaze-like sounds into the Japanese rock scene and left a strong impression was Supercar.

Their first album, Three Out Change, released in 1998, is characterized by its rough guitar sounds, floating soundscape, and male-female twin vocals by Koji Nakamura and Miki Furukawa. Sony Music also describes the album as one that “left a vivid impression as a roaring guitar band.”

On the track “Trip Sky”, the long instrumental passages and floating sound are particularly striking. Among the songs on the album, you can especially feel Supercar’s shoegaze/alternative rock side.

On the other hand, when you listen to songs such as “cream soda” and “My Way,” you will find extremely catchy melodies. The sound is rough, and the guitars have roaring tones and a sense of floating. And yet, the vocals themselves are very pop-oriented, and the melodies really stay in your head. I think this ‘coexistence of roaring sounds and pop melodies’ is precisely what helped pave the way for the emergence of highly melodic songs from subsequent Japanese shoegaze bands.

Electro-Harmonix / Big Muff Pi

Incidentally, regarding Koji Nakamura’s equipment at the time, past posts on his social media indicate that he used a Big Muff-style fuzz.

Big Muff-style fuzz is known as a standard choice for creating roaring guitar sounds. With its thick, deep distortion and long sustain, it is an effects pedal that works well with thick guitar sounds.

Plastic Girl In Closet

Next, I would like to introduce the two-piece band Plastic Girl In Closet, based in Iwate.

With the motto “distorted guitars and beautiful melodies,” they are centered around shoegaze and dream pop, delivering a sound with a thickness that is hard to believe comes from a three-piece lineup (at the time).

And this is a song I definitely want you to listen to!

This band, which advocates ‘distorted guitars and beautiful melodies’, creates an extremely thick sound despite its simple three-piece lineup, with the distortion of the guitars and feedback noise layered together to create a soundscape that feels like a wall of sound. And what you hear emerging from that thick sound is an extremely beautiful melody. The guitars are heavily distorted, and their contours are blurred by reverb and feedback noise. Even so, the vocal melodies remain firmly in your ears.

The dreamy sound, almost intoxicating, and the aesthetic vocals are simply beautiful!

Recently, they have also been actively incorporating electronic sounds, but their shoegaze-like sound remains intact. They have also stated that they “will not leave shoegaze,” which is certainly good news for shoegaze fans...!

BOSS / DD-8 Digital Delay

Looking at the effects board shown in their old blog, you can see a delay that appears to be a BOSS DD-6 or DD-7.

The appeal of BOSS’s DD Series is that, despite their compact size, they offer a wide variety of delay sounds. It is also surprising that they feature Reverse Delay at this size and price point. The current DD-8 model offers even more functions, and the knob for selecting functions has about as many options as a clock has hours. Amazing.

My Dead Girlfriend

As we entered the 2010s, the Japanese shoegaze scene became increasingly established as a more clearly defined genre. One particularly striking band among them is My Dead Girlfriend. The band name may make you do a double take, but they are a band that cannot be left out when talking about Japanese shoegaze.

Their first full-length album, hades (the nine stages of change at the deceased remains), released in 2015, combines heavily distorted guitars and noise with floating melodies. With two guitars, synths, and male-female twin vocals layered on top, the density of the sound is high, yet the contours of the melodies remain clearly defined. Once again, there are ‘songs’ within the roaring sound.

Incidentally, these are the effects pedals used by vocalist Ishikawa of My Dead Girlfriend.

TC Electronic / Hall of Fame 2 Reverb

In addition to Room, Hall, Spring, and Plate, it features eight types of reverb, including Shimmer, Mod, and Lo-Fi. It also supports TonePrint, which allows you to recall artist settings, and the Mash function, which allows parameters to be changed depending on how hard you press the footswitch. It is a versatile pedal that can be used for everything from the dreamy ambient sounds characteristic of shoegaze to more distinctive sound creation.

BOSS / RV-6 Reverb

Another pedal they use is the BOSS RV-6. It features eight types of reverb, including Shimmer and Modulate, and supports a wide range of sounds, from dreamy shoegaze-style sounds to classic Hall and Spring sounds.

Seventeen Years Old and Berlin Wall

Seventeen Years Old and Berlin Wall, which appeared a little later, is also an essential presence when talking about Japanese shoegaze. On the EP Aspect and EP Reflect, they develop an extremely transparent sound somewhere between shoegaze and dream pop.

In “Shūjitsu,” the layers of guitars and vocals create a unique sense of floating.

They cite Supercar and My Dead Girlfriend as their roots, while also saying in interviews that they were influenced by Bump of Chicken and Base Ball Bear, and that they consciously incorporated a pop sensibility despite having shoegaze as a root.

The second release, Reflect, features many songs that feel as though they have been refined further in their respective directions following Aspect. The pure shoegaze-like “Chijō no Hana” and “Prism,” which incorporates shoegaze-like sounds while strengthening its pop sensibility, are masterpieces of Japanese shoegaze. In both, what is particularly striking is that not only do they have roaring and floating soundscapes, but there are also solid melodies within them.

Strymon / BlueSky V2

The Strymon BlueSky can be seen on both the vocal and lead guitar boards. In addition to three types of reverb, it features Shimmer and modulation functions. It is a standard reverb that can create a wide range of sounds, from transparent ambient tones to dreamy shoegaze sounds.

PLAYTECH / JM250 Sunburst Electric Guitar

And when it comes to lead guitarist Takuji Yoshida, you have to mention his Sunburst-colored JM-style guitar! JM-style guitars combine a well-defined, sparkling quality with a thick low end, making them an excellent match for shoegaze.
The PLAYTECH JM250 is a guitar that lets you easily enjoy the sound of a JM-style guitar. It is also highly useful for creating shoegaze sounds, from floating clean tones to roaring sounds!

MoritaSaki in the pool

A band whose appeal lies in its free arrangements that are not bound by genre boundaries while being centered around shoegaze and dream pop. The floating sound created by guitars enhanced with reverb and chorus is particularly striking.

At the same time, the vocals remain strongly memorable even within that soundscape. The overlapping male and female vocals create a unique sense of expansiveness. It is also interesting that the guitar riffs remain in your ears not simply as accompaniment, but as melodies alongside the vocals.

In interviews, the members have said that they were influenced by bands such as Supercar and My Dead Girlfriend. While following this lineage, they connect it to the current scene through freer arrangements.

BOSS / Waza Craft Distortion DS-1W

Vocalist Riku Ishihara has a DS-1W on his board.
Based on the classic DS-1, this Waza Craft model features a Custom mode that provides a thicker and more powerful sound in addition to the standard Standard mode. You can also enjoy the classic DS-1 sound in Standard mode, making this a versatile pedal that is easy to use when you want to add thickness to the distorted guitars that are important in shoegaze. It is a pedal that gives you two great flavors in one.

Let’s Listen to Japanese Shoegaze—and Try Playing It

This time, I introduced some recommended Japanese shoegaze bands, focusing on their melodicism. Even if you do not usually listen to shoegaze, I hope you will take this opportunity to give them a listen. And if even one of them catches your interest, why not give it a try and play it yourself!