Asunojokei

Lore & Background

Asunojokei was formed in 2014 by vocalist Daiki Nuno, guitarist Kei Toriki, bassist Takuya Seki, and drummer Saitō in Taitō City. The band's name means 'Scenery of Tomorrow' in English. Shortly after forming, they released a free two-track demo on Bandcamp. In 2016, they independently released their first EP, A Bird in the Fault, which was later distributed internationally by Chinese label Pest Productions. Their debut album, Awakening, followed in 2018, also released independently and re-released by Pest Productions.

The band performed five shows in mainland China in 2018. In 2020, they released a split with Canadian metal band Unreqvited via Tear Water Records, and later that year independently released their second EP, Wishes. In January 2021, it was announced that Asunojokei would contribute the song 'City of Commerce' to the soundtrack for Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139. Their second album, Island, was released on August 17, 2022, charting at number 224 on the Oricon Japanese albums chart. The band was announced as support for Boris on their European tour in May 2023, marking Asunojokei's first European shows.

Reader's Guide

Asunojokei occupies a distinctive niche in the Japanese metal scene, merging the intensity of black metal with the melodic and rhythmic complexities of math rock and shoegaze. Their music, described by Laut.de as combining influences from at least ten groups and incorporating post-metal, prog, and the 'craziness of Dir En Grey,' has drawn comparisons to Kvelertak and Deafheaven on Stereogum. Lyrically inspired by light novels and Japanese popular literature, the band has built a reputation for atmospheric yet aggressive compositions.

Their inclusion on the Nier Replicant soundtrack brought them to a wider audience, while their album Island received international praise and charted on Oricon. Asunojokei's upcoming European tour with Boris in 2023 represents a significant step in their international career. The band's independent ethos, combined with international distribution through Pest Productions and collaborations with artists like Unreqvited, underscores their role in bridging Japanese underground metal with global audiences. Their discography, spanning demos, EPs, splits, and albums, reflects a steady evolution and growing influence within the post-black metal and blackgaze genres.

Did You Know?

• Asunojokei means 'Scenery of Tomorrow' in English.
• The band contributed the song 'City of Commerce' to the soundtrack for Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139.
• Their second album, Island, charted at number 224 on the Oricon Japanese albums chart.
• Asunojokei was announced as support for Boris on their European tour in May 2023, their first European shows.

Origins in Taitō: A Band Born from Tomorrow's Vision

Asunojokei traces its roots to 2014 in Taitō ward, Tokyo, where vocalist Daiki Nuno, guitarist Kei Toriki, bassist Takuya Seki, and drummer Saitō came together to form a post-black metal and blackgaze project. The band's name, which translates to "Scenery of Tomorrow" in English, hints at a forward-looking artistic philosophy from the very start. True to that ethos, the group moved quickly: just a few months after their formation, they put out a two-track demo that remains freely downloadable through their Bandcamp profile, a gesture that speaks to an indie spirit and a desire to share their sound without barriers. By 2016, Asunojokei had matured enough to release their debut EP, A Bird in the Fault, self-released independently. The EP later found a wider audience when Chinese metal label Pest Productions picked it up for international distribution, marking the first step in a trajectory that would eventually carry the band's music across continents.

A Sound Built from Ten or More Voices

Critics have struggled to pin down a single genre label for Asunojokei, and that difficulty is part of the band's identity. German online music magazine Laut.de featured the group in its Metalsplitter column's "Bandcamp Beauties" section on August 26, 2020, noting that the four members weave together the influences of at least ten different acts into their compositions. The resulting sound was described as a blend of post metal, black metal, progressive structures, and what the publication called the "craziness of Dir En Grey." Despite those heavy-metal foundations, the musicians also layer in math rock and shoegaze textures, creating a sonic palette that resists easy categorization. On the English-language blog Stereogum, reviewers drew parallels to Kvelertak and Deafheaven, placing Asunojokei within the broader blackgaze conversation. Lyrically, the band draws inspiration from Light novels and Japanese popular literature, grounding their often atmospheric and intense instrumentation in a distinctly Japanese narrative tradition.

From Tokyo to the World: International Milestones

Asunojokei's path to global recognition unfolded in distinct waves. In 2018, the band traveled to Mainland China for five live performances, a significant early foray beyond Japan's borders. That same year saw the release of their debut full-length album, Awakening, which was independently produced and later re-released internationally through Pest Productions. The band continued building cross-border connections in 2019 with a four-way split alongside Pale, Nhomme, and Tochu-Kasu, and in 2020 with a split release titled Nocturne alongside Canadian metal act Unreqvited, issued through Tear Water Records. A major cultural crossover arrived in January 2021, when it was announced that Asunojokei would contribute the track "City of Commerce" to the soundtrack of Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139. Their second album, Island, dropped on August 17, 2022, earning international praise and charting at number 224 on Japan's Oricon albums chart. The crowning moment came in May 2023, when the group was announced as the support act for Boris on a European tour—their very first shows on the continent.

A Catalogue of Independent Ambition

From their earliest recordings to their most recent releases, Asunojokei has maintained a fiercely independent approach to recording and distribution. The discography begins with a free two-track demo in 2015, followed by the EP A Bird in the Fault in 2016 and the full-length Awakening in 2018, each initially self-released before finding international partners. The band also embraced collaborative formats: the 2019 four-way split "Two" with Pale, Nhomme, and Tochu-Kasu, and the 2020 Nocturne split with Unreqvited via Tear Water Records, both released independently. The second EP, Wishes, appeared in December 2020. After the well-received Island album in 2022, the group captured their live energy on the 2024 recording Island in Full, and continued their creative momentum with the 2025 album Think of You. Every entry in this catalogue was released independently, a testament to a band that has consistently chosen creative autonomy over major-label machinery while still reaching listeners around the world.

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