Music: Wholesome ミツメ (Mitsume)

When I moved to Japan, I didn’t really know what to expect when it came to the music scene. I knew about some of the amazing artists that had gained international recognition, some of the weird japanese bands, but really I didn’t know much about the actual music scene. That worried me a bit because nothing brings me more joy than discovering new music and seeing these artists perform live. There’s also something that has to be said for smaller gigs because those are much more of an exchange between artists and the audience, than a pure performance. At least, that’s my experience as audience member - perhaps the musicians see it otherwise. Nevertheless, to me, seeing musical legends alongside thousands, and seeing an up-and-coming band alongside one or two hundred people, are distinct experiences. I definitely enjoy both, and I was worried I’d have a hard time getting my fix of the latter in Japan, not to mention Nagoya, who is not exactly known for being culturally vibrant. As it turns out, living in a boring city that houses more than 2 million people has its advantage! There’s enough people that most bands do turn up in Nagoya eventually, but they play in small venues. That’s how I saw 水曜日のカンパネラ (Wednesday Campanella), who plays at the biggest festivals around the world, in the Nagoya Diamond Hall which has an 800 people capacity. The Bottom Line venue is even smaller at a capacity of 700 people, hosted Daoko, who fills up Tokyo Dome. It’s something else to see an established, well-rehearsed band in a local setting, and I have the Nagoya culture to thank for that. Anyway, today I want to tell you about ミツメ (Mitsume), an indie rock band I saw live Oct.19 at the Club Quattro; a small venue at the 8th floor of a shopping mall. It felt pretty weird riding an elevator to a concert hall, but I instantly forgot about then upon entering, it feels like a basement bar, you can see the extent of it below. That’s it, with a small bar on the right of the stage - super cozy!

Mitsume have been around for a while, since 2009, and have put out quite a bit of music. They released their second full length album “A Long Day” in 2016. While none of their albums are mind-blowing, they are consistently enjoyable, and convey a range of emotions. With my understanding of Japanese being mediocre, it’s a lot easier to focus on the feelings songs in an album convey, rather than focusing on actual meaning. Mitsume’s A Long Day is great at that, conveying a range of emotions and telling a story through tone. Their long day starts off bright, with the opening track あこがれ (Akogare):

The album is generally up-beat, but progressively conveys more negative emotion, like barelling through a hard day’s work, getting progressively more tired. This peaks at around キッズ which screams of desperation, followed by surrender in 霧の中 (In the Fog) and resignation in 幸せな話 - that monotone 幸せな (happy) at the beginning really hits home. In the Fog is likely my favorite track of the album, it conveys such strong feelings of melancholy and a kind of acceptance of some sad reality.

I think it really showcases the bands lineup too: 4 members with the lead singer also playing guitar and lead guitarist and bassist providing back vocals. I think the lead singer and lead guitarist really shine in this track, complementing each other perfectly. I didn’t realize until the concert that the leads are able to shine so much because of how solid the bassist is. My brain had definitely noticed, but the basslines are never boring and really set the tone throughout the album. With the drummer also on point, the leads are given the perfect foundation to put the tracks together, without having to try to hard. I think you can tell when a band relies too much on one member (usually singer or guitarist) to carry.

Since A Long Day, Mitsume have released some music, most notably the single セダン (Sedan) which they are doing a small tour for; also to try out a few new songs it seemed. The new single is great, definitely nostalgic vibes… maybe just because I miss the old cars, all Sedans, I used to drive around everywhere and nowhere. The tour’s vibes matched the single, the atmosphere of good, simple times. The band members are incredibly humble and shy, but really gave a great performance. The band struggled to contain that they were having as much fun as the audience and it was just so wholesome, really ♡