Every month, scrmbl highlights some of the most noteworthy releases from Japanese artists available on Bandcamp. Sometimes, this coincides with the platform’s own Bandcamp Friday —an event where the company itself waives all revenue share and instead lets artists reap all the money made off sales.

Bandcamp Friday remains on a summer vacation of sorts, not officially holding another installment until Aug. 7. Still, that’s no excuse to avoid exploring everything the platform has to offer as the warmer weather starts settling in. Here’s some recent highlights from Japanese artists on the site, all of which are worth your attention at all times.

Oyubi — White birch burns

There’s plenty of fretting in modern times over the state of albums at a time when it’s easier than ever to pick and choose individual songs via the streaming platform of your preference. What is a full-length, then, if just a bigger delivery vehicle for more music? 

Tokyo dance producer Oyubi has been electrifying the country’s club community for nearly a decade now, primarily via footwork-inspired mutations put out as SoundCloud uploads or EPs. White birch burns marks his first full-length album in that time, and he approaches it from a totally different angle that reminds of how valuable the medium can be when embraced as something self-containted and not just a data dump of tracks.

A long-playing format gives Oyubi the chance to play around with the structure of his dance tunes without losing the energy that has always pulsed through them. Many of the songs here are roomy, using space as a way to build atmosphere on opener “White noise peaks” or to emphasize the groove on “Twisted funk.” Songs last longer, with the disorienting garage of “Since I” using five and a half minutes to create a fever dream banger, while collab with Fetus “Mood organ” goes over six to let its keyboard flair properly percolate. Everything works in sequence, moodier passages giving way to the cathartic hop of “Gon be rich oneday” and ending on the rush of “Lovin u.” White birch burns marks a massive step forward for Oyubi, delivering a total package akin to Goth-Trad’s longplayers and one celebrating the album as artistic statement. Get it here. 

littlegirlhiace — BOY MEETS GIRL

Guitar-rock project littlegirlhiace excels at turning bedroom fuzz into bigger-than-four-walls blasts of emotion. Latest full-length BOY MEETS GIRL offers one of their most well-rounded collections to date, especially when they let the feedback drench the melodies of the kuriyamasaka-ish chug of “Umi Wo Miteite” or dash of “disable.” Regardless of how static it gets, the vocals cut through to deliver a heartfelt should check. Get it here. 

Koyasuko — Watashi Wa Dare Mo Koroshite Imasen

Right now, Vocaloid creators in Japan and beyond are on a bit of an unnerving kick. Perhaps owing to how the digi-delivery of the software can sound a touch unsettling when embraced in all its computer glory, some of the defining hits out of this world recently revel in creating something that feels creepy or disorienting. Rock-leaning producer Koyasuko adds a grittier edge to this mood across their latest (title translates to I Haven’t Killed Anyone), which features sing-songy Vocaloid voices clashing with distorted and at times off-kilter guitar melodies. A trip with plenty of catchy moments, and even more creepy ones. Get it here. 

Various Artists — Unkai Lover — Unkai Lover Vol. 1

Think of this more as a Kansai club compilation wherein Cafe La Siesta sits at the center of it all. Unkai Lover uses the theme of unkai — a “sea of clouds” like what you would see on top of a super tall mountain — to create a set of songs split between surprisingly serene observations recalling natural beauty and straight-up-after-last-train bangers. This is really a snapshot of modern Kyoto and adjacent dance, a peek we are always excited to experience. Get it here. 

 maskota + archipelago (mx/jp) — split EP

Let’s stick in the Kansai region for this split offering via regional booster finestylewest. The owner of Cafe La Siesta adopts the moniker maskota for two slow-burning dub-influenced tracks making the most of space. Label founder archipelago (mx/jp) moves in a similar direction, albeit with a tougher edge on closer “madrid skank.” Get it here.

Various Artists — Hokudai Keiion 2025 Omnibus

Every year, the Hokkaido University Light Music Club teams up with local indie bands to present a collection capturing the very youthful side of the region’s rock community. The 2025 set arrived at the start of June, and it’s to me one of the best ways to make use of the compilation format. Here’s a smattering of artists who would not get any spotlight in other circumstances coming together to share a wide variety of rock, from borderline folk meditations to jaunty indie-pop. A fun peek into just one of many local scenes around the nation. Get it here.