Tokyo’s yahyel aims to alter perceptions of just what Japanese musicians are capable of creating. The five-piece group merges electronics with blues-indebted vocals, creating dark soundscapes peppered with direct, emotional lyrics and a subtle feel of unease running throughout. Their style has helped land them spots at Japan’s celebrated Fuji Rock Festival and an opening slot for Japanese electronic supergroup Metafive, while recently released single “Once / The Flare” sold out of music stores in mere days.
yahyel represent a new, younger generation of Japanese artists in the nation’s capital, who absorb sounds from all over the globe and reconfigure them into a border-blurring new form. Their debut full-length Flesh And Blood out on Nov. 23, with its shadowy sounds and earnest lyrics apt for the uncertain world of 2016, highlights this shift excellently.
