ARTISTS
Artists creating content together

Original story. Born in Tokyo, he won the All Yomimono New Writers Award for “Forget Me, Not Blue” in 2008. In 2015, she won the Shugoro Yamamoto Award for “Nile Perch Girls' Club. His major works include “A Hotel Fit for Me,” “Akko-chan at Lunch,” “Ito-kun A to E,” and “All Not.

Kento Ido
Born in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. He writes lyrics, composes, arranges, makes tracks, sings, plays guitar, and records. He became interested in the act of recording when he was in junior high school and started recording guitars and songs on a 4-track MTR, as well as collages of existing sound sources. 2004 he formed the band “Super Noah”, for which he serves as vocalist and guitarist. 2020 March: Released his first album “Song of the swamp” was released in March 2020. He elaborated the arrangements with various sound effects and deconstructed the rhythm section, etc. In June 2022, he released his second album “I'm here, where are you”

akkogorilla
Rapper. He made his major label debut as a drummer, and after the band broke up, he became a rapper, winning Japan's first female-only MC battle, the “CINDERELLA MCBATTLE,” in 2017. In 2022, she will release a mini-album “Magma I.” From April 2019, she will be a member of J-WAVE “SONAR MUSIC”. In April 2019, she will be the main navigator of J-WAVE's “SONAR MUSIC” program, and she has been active in expressive activities that transcend gender, nationality, age, and industry barriers.

Ohzora Kimishima
Born in 1995 in Ome, Tokyo. Songwriter/guitarist. As a guitarist/sound producer, he has participated in the production, recording, and live performances of various musicians such as Kayoko Yoshizawa, Aina the End, Yukkyun, Tokutaro Hosoi, Yoshisaki Sakaguchi, RYUTist, adieu (Moeka Kamishiraishi), and Sue Takai, etc. In 2019, after releasing his EP “Afternoon Reflection Light”, he began his solo career in earnest. In March 2025, he released his 4th EP “Sound Room”.

Hanchuyuei
A Tokyo-based theater group that has been active since 2007. The group looks at the boundaries between reality and storytelling, and questions their location by moving back and forth between them. The creation of stories about life and death, sensation and language, collective society, family, etc., starts with the subject of interest each time, and aims further afield to access universal "questions. With its unique direction that combines elements such as text, photographs, color, light, and shadow projected on the stage with actors, and a strong script that shakes the audience's sense of ethics, the company has performed and co-produced many productions in Asian countries and North America. Winner of the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2014 Best Screenplay Award and Best Production Award for "Juvenile X". He won the 66th Kishida Kunio Drama Award for "Banana Flowers Can Be Eaten".
Official website: https://www.hanchuyuei2017.com
Official Twitter: @HANCHU_JAPAN
Official Instagram: hanchuyuei

Izumi Okaya
Manga artist and illustrator. He made his debut in 2011 with "Irodachi (Color Differences)," in which he depicts everyday life with his unique sensibility. He is the author of "Sukimameshi," "Zoku Sukimameshi," "Gohan no Jikkouwari 1 & 2," "Mono Suru Hito 1, 2 & 3," "Mitsuba Dori Shotengai de," and the essay comic "Ooitte ga Yoroshiku De" in which he asks popular authors about their ideal "last supper. In 2022, he won the 26th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize for Short Stories for his two works "Itoshi wo" and "Shirakiren wa Kirei Sasanai".

Shing02
MC and musician born in Tokyo in 1975. Spent his youth in Tanzania and the U.K. as well as Japan, and started his career in Japan as an MC in 1996, releasing the album "Green and Yellow" in 1999, which became a long hit, followed by the album "Distortion" in 2008. While actively performing live in Japan, he has gained a wide following for his lyrics and ever-changing style with a global and independent perspective.

Mary Halvorson
Described as “New York's most unpredictable guitarist,” he is a guitarist and composer known for his work on a number of projects. In June 2024, he will visit Japan as a member of Tommyka Reed's quartet.

Gao Yan
Manga artist and illustrator, born in 1996 in Taipei, Taiwan. His manga “Midori no Uta - Shuyu Gunpu -”, which depicts young people in Taiwan who are fascinated by Japanese culture, such as Happi Endo and Haruki Murakami, became a big hit. He is currently serializing “Gap” in “Monthly Comic Beam.

ゼロカラン
1995年11月10日生まれ、大阪府出身のワキユウタと1995年6月24日生まれ、大阪府出身のたいがからなる、吉本興業所属のお笑いコンビ。高校の同級生だった2人がコンビを結成。フリーで活動し、2023年4月から吉本興業に所属。現在は、神保町よしもと漫才劇場を拠点に活動中。

Ryota Bando
Born on May 24, 1997 in Hokkaido, Japan, he made his acting debut in 2017, winning the “32nd Japan Film Critics Award” for Best New Actor for the film “Futari no Sekai” in 2022. His recent major film credits include the movies “Haru ni Sasaru” (2023), “Bakanuri no Musume” (2023), “Ichigatsu no Koe ni Joy o Kakume” (2024), “Wakamusha” (2024), and the dramas “Yakushi no Yakushi” (TBS), “What did you eat yesterday? season2” (TX), “RoOT / Route, 366 Days” (CX). His waiting films include “Sisa” (Sept. 13), “Fureru” (Oct. 4), and “Sisa” (Sept. 13). (released on October 4), “Kimi no Forgotten” (starring, released on January 17, 2013), and the drama “Lion's Lair” (TBS, Oct.).

Sorry Youth
This power trio was formed by guitarist Weni, bassist Giang Giang, and drummer Chung-Han. Taiwanese lyrics are an important base of their songwriting and a characteristic of the Beat Xie boys. And their song arrangements strongly capture the atmosphere of their live performances. They are one of the few indie bands in Taiwan to write lyrics entirely in Taiwanese. The Beat Xie Boys are currently an important band as a flagship of the Taiwanese indie scene. Their performances are always sold out, and they frequently perform at national and international music festivals such as “SUMMER SONIC” (Japan), “Megaport Festival” (Taiwan), “shima fes SETOUCHI” (Japan), “Mori, Michi, Ichiba” (Japan), and “SXSW” (USA). He has also toured in Japan, Korea, Canada, Hong Kong, and many other countries. In 2020, he is planning to organize his own “Shan Meng Kai Oath” music festival to further explore the possibilities of the collision of music culture and art in Taiwan.
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NiEW Best Music is a playlist featuring artists leading the music scene and offering alternative styles in our rapidly evolving society. Hailing from Tokyo, the NiEW editorial team proudly curates outstanding music that transcends size, genre, and nationality.