Debut

Downerprism doesn’t let us down

/ Kerrie

Here’s this week’s dose of wholesome.

Some of you who pay attention to our weekenders might recognize this pair from the few times that Kitto Dareka no Himitsu Heiki (also known as “Someone’s Secret Weapon” and just “Kitokano”) got brought up last year. A group with a lot of potential, they dropped some actually very impressive digital singles in 2022 only to tragically dissolve at the end of the year (and then temporarily reformed once or twice in 2023, confusing myself and Papermaiden, the other Kitokano fan in the Homicidols team). 

Thankfully, exactly one half of the group, Ayanaru and Futatabi Ao, said “screw the disbandment” and decided to do their own thing with the help of some of Kitokano’s ex-contributors, so I guess alls well that ends well!

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Let’s Discover some Idols: DEMO

/ DAEMON

It is not often that a MV comes along that causes the alternative idol fandom to issue a collective, “What the F…?” This is a genre whose foundational keystones include iconic moments of visual shock such as BiS running naked through Aokigahara, Guso Drop being splattered in blood and other bodily fluids, and the graphic introduction of Brand new Idol SHiT. It takes a lot to get the crowd that’s been further desensitized by the  X-rated shenanigans of PLANCK STARS to do a double take, so when an upstart new unit makes this jaded audience go, “This is unhinged!”, we need to take a closer look.

The unit is questions is DEMO who just released this MV for their debut single, “Rice Music.”

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REIRIE Release their Debut Song and MV

/ DAEMON

REIRIE, the most highly anticipated, and surprising, new unit of 2023 dropped their debut MV yesterday. REIRIE marks the reunion of two of the most highly revered talents in chika idol, Rei Kuromiya and Rie Kaneko, who first endeared themselves to the world with LADYBABY. The re-assembly of this well-loved duo was announced on New Years Day, which makes the title of their first single entirely appropriate for this Year of the Rabbit.

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New and New to US: Emerging Idol Units, Report #02

/ DAEMON

Welcome to the second edition of our report on units that have recently caught our attention for the first time. From seemingly well-financed projects backed by veteran agencies to truly independent units fueled by little more than dreams, here are some truly promising new groups that we think are worth adding to your watch list.

On the treat Super Season

Debuting early last August, On the treat Super Season is a six-member unit produced by Ary, formerly of uijin. Members include Ebihara Ten, formerly known as Sheishei Shiei of LAST IN MY CULT.

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New and New To Us: Units on the Radar, Report #01

/ DAEMON

Welcome to a new periodic feature where we highlight units that are brand new, piqued our interest for the first time or otherwise just popped onto our radar and deserve further scrutiny. This is to flag those units that have suddenly dropped out of nowhere with a banging song, unique concept or mind boggling name that begs for continued attention. Units whose discography or digital footprint aren’t large enough for a full-blown “Let’s Discover” profile, but are definitely worth keeping an eye on. 

Some of our information is limited, so if you have any good dirt on the following units, please share it with the class over on the Homicidols Discord Server.

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Sometimes, we see things: Buddha TOKYO’s unveiling live

/ Papermaiden

At the beginning of December 2021, I had the pleasure of attending the very first live of Buddha TOKYO. Here are my impressions about it!

We’ve talked before (briefly!) about Yumegiwa Last Girl and Yureru Landscape in our weekenders. These groups by Sainantan Tracks have impeccable music, even if we haven’t had time to properly cover them yet, and the company has outdone themselves again with their new group Buddha TOKYO.

While Yumegiwa Last Girl are “Strange pop” and Yureru Landscape were a chill hip-hop group, Buddha TOKYO are simultaneously Buddhist themed (hence the name) and doing neo-soul music/music from the UK in the early 2000s. This is expressed interestingly enough in their costumes, as they are sportswear inspired, with the classic striped look while having Buddhist elements such as the mala some members wear.

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Something Shining From Shimmer Shrimpmer

/ Cal

It’s no secret that we love Fingers Cross here, their music has been a favourite discovery from 2021. Always unafraid to say what they feel about politics or social issues, the group have a new unit formed around the theme of “the voice of the silent youth,” so get ready to listen to that voice in the form of SHIMMER SHRIMPMER!

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An Invitation to Kurofune-chan’s Party

/ Cal

Fear of missing out is a big drive for idol fans, so naturally we’re here to beat you around the head with a hammer that says “FOMO” written in large, comical letters. THIS IS A ONE TIME ONLY GROUP: A collective of current and former idols from around the world, meeting for one night only. Every group has a story, but Kurofune-chan as a collective are like an entire storybook! Let’s open the pages right away then, shall we?

Say hello to Kurofune-chan!

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Show Report: ATARASHII GAKKO! U.S. Debut at Head in the Clouds

/ DAEMON

It has been a rough couple of years since COVID curtailed two of my favorite past-times (travel and live music) and my absolute favorite thing (traveling to see live music). This past weekend’s trip to Los Angeles for the U.S. debut of ATARASHII GAKKO! at the Head in the Clouds festival was both my first trip and my first music festival in over two years.  

So many things have changed!!

Not only is travel and the festival-going experience itself radically different from the pre-COVID era, I realized that the nature of these show reports also needs to evolve since the last time I wrote one up. The recent ubiquity of concert livestreams (perhaps the only positive outcomes of the global pandemic) means that most of you readers who were interested in seeing the show have already done so via Amazon, Twitch or a bootleg upload on YouTube. This relieves me of my pre-COVID responsibility of composing a written portrait of the show itself, so I’ll focus on the elements of the festival experience that didn’t get captured on video (including a surprise close encounter with AG! themselves: READ ON!).   Continue reading →

Fingers Cross Bring an “Early Birth” To Cassette Tape!

/ supremenothing

Fingers Cross, the shoegazing idols from Thailand, are big faves with the Homicidols team. Really, we adore them! Cal wrote a great intro to the group, and later explored their willingness to tackle social issues with a boldness not usually associated with this genre of music. Aside from for their spectacular musical ventures, the very heart and spirit of these ladies makes for one of the more intriguing and exciting groups happening right now, and adding further proof that great idol music doesn’t end at the Japanese coastal waters.

And we’re not alone in noticing! Gerpfast Records out of Indonesia added them to their catalog of forward-thinking experimental artists. (They previously released tapes by RAY!*) Gerpfast is a label that reaches across a wide spectrum of audio treasures to release limited-edition, artfully-crafted cassette tapes, and this group suits the label’s vision perfectly. The six-song cassette is titled “Early Birth”...

 

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