Japanese Progressive Pop Band Jyocho New EP "Guide and Devote E.P" Digitally Released on January 10th
MUSIC VIDEO OF'BANISHED FROM THE HERO'S PARTY SEASON 2' ED THEME SONG IS REVEALED ON YOUTUBE ON JANUARY 14th
The band is releasing their 4th EP Guide and Devote EP via No Big Deal Records on January 10, 2024, featuring the self-titled track chosen as the ending theme song for the TV anime Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2
Click here to watch official video for “Guide and Devote”
Kyoto, Japan (January 14, 2024) ─ Japanese progressive pop, indie rock band JYOCHO has digitally released their newest EP, Guide and Devote e.p via No Big Deal Records on January 10th.
The four-track project was written and produced by founding member of the band Daijiro Nakagawa and recorded at StudioSHIKARI in Kyoto, Japan.
The EP's self-titled track “Guide and Devote” (released Dec 20th, 2023) is chosen as the ending theme song for the Japanese TV anime series “Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2” started airing on January 7th 2024.
The original story is a Japanese light novel series written by Zappon and illustrated by Yasumo.
The story depicts the peaceful and happy daily lives of Red, Rit, Ruty and their friends in the city of Zoltan after Red got banished from a Hero's party.
:©Zappon,Yasumo/KADOKAWA/The Brave Man's Group 2 Partners
Official Site：https://shinnonakama.com/
Official X：https://twitter.com/shinnonakama_tv
Here are the comments from Daijiro from JYOCHO.
“The story is about Ruty's new life as she grows up, and while the main focus is on Ruty and Van. On the other hand, I like Red's role as a "Guide" in the series. That is why I chose the title of this work as Guide and Devote.
I think there are days when you have to make a detour to a station where you are born with a predetermined fate and ties.
I want to go forward believing in the direction of my own prayer and hope, even if it is not beautiful to the people around me! This is what I wanted to express in the song.
It is a bright, pop song of hope, and I hope you will enjoy it.”
-Daijiro from JYOCHO
The “Guide and Devote” music video was premiered on YouTube at 10:00p.m. on January 14th.
JYOCHO - Guide and Devote (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/porT6fEufEk
The video was filmed and directed by Ryoji Aoki who had also directed JYOCHO's signature music videos in the early days such as the videos of “A Life with the Sun” and “A Glass of Night.” The new song's music video produced by the team from early-days was shot on the Mount Kirigamine in Nagano, Japan and in the video, the members appear as if they lived a quiet lives in the countryside just as Red, Rit and Ruty do.
JYOCHO played an ending theme song “All the Same”(released on Nov 10, 2021) for the 1st season of the animation as well.
Their 2nd full-length album “Let's Promise to be Happy,” which has “All the Same” as its leading track, was released worldwide on vinyl and cassette formats by Topshelf Records and Porter Robinson shares a quote, for the obi strip coming with the vinyl, saying “JYOCHO make music that is one-of-a-kind. Daijiro Nakagawa's projects always feel so wistful and effortlessly beautiful, never getting lost in their own complexity but instead always enriched by it...”
The LP is now available.
https://www.topshelfrecords.com/products/720962-jyocho-lets-promise-to-be-happy
The previous “Banished from the Hero's Party” song and album were highly acclaimed by music lovers and anime fans and the 2nd season's song and EP are now gathering attentions not only in Japan but worldwide.
The band will be having two performances in Japan: February 24th at Spotify O-nest in Tokyo with mekakushe(band set) and March 24th at Live House Anima in Osaka with mol-74.
EP Tracklist:
1. Guide and Devote
2. ex human
3. A Flourished City
4. Counting Planets
About JYOCHO:
Kyoto, Japan-based progressive pop, indie rock band JYOCHO (meaning “emotion,” “mood,” and “atmosphere” in Japanese) was founded in 2016 as a solo project by guitarist Daijiro Nakagawa (formerly of Japanese math rock band Uchu Conbini) before evolving into a full band known for their highly sophisticated and technical sound (featuring guitars, bass, drums, a beautiful flute, and angelic female vocals), well-received by music lovers all over the world, especially in the U.S.
JYOCHO released their debut album, a prayer in vain (December 7, 2016), followed by their second project, Day in the Bluish House (September 13, 2017), which showcased the band's tight cohesion and garnered international praise from UK's Prog Magazine, who shared “…a welcome reminder of just what a virtuoso-level modern guitar band looks like. While their debut release a prayer in vain picked up from where Uchu Conbini left off, this release takes the foot off the gas, representing a greater diversity of moods. As with fellow rising Japanese math poppers Tricot, the question of how they manage to fit vocals into music so intricate is anybody's guess.” (12/18/17)
JYOCHO made their live performance debut in Toronto in 2017 and continued to support their first two albums on tour, performing across Canada, before dropping the fan favorite A Parallel Universe EP (March 21, 2018), featuring the self-titled track chosen as the theme song for the anime TV series Junji Ito Collection. Capitalizing on the EP's success, the group would go onto release their third full-length album, the beautiful cycle of terminal (released December 5, 2018), followed by the release of their second EP, a perfect triangle, rising sun human (October 9, 2019). Marking JYOCHO's sixth release and first in three years, the new eight-track full-length album Let's Promise to Be Happy, which includes an ending theme song “All the Same” for anime TV series Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, was due out February 16th on No Big Deal Records in Japan and later on Topshelf Records in the US on vinyl and cassette formats. JYOCHO released As the Gods Say EP (January 20, 2023), featuring the self-titled track chosen as the theme song for the Netflix series Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre. The band has released their 4th EP Guide and Devote e.p(January 10, 2024) which includes an ending theme song for anime TV series Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2.
Since 2016, JYOCHO's popularity has grown rapidly worldwide, allowing the band to perform live not only in Japan and Canada, but also in China, Singapore, and the Philippines. In 2021, Porter Robinson asked the group to perform at his Second Sky Festival in Berkley, CA but their appearance was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In interviewing the band last August, The Glow proclaimed, “Few bands can claim to be the flagbearers of contemporary Japanese math rock with quite the same confidence as JYOCHO. Their spiraling, hypnotic blend of progressive rock and hooky pop is clearly descended from math rock's rich, lengthy history in Japan, yet it also forges a new path for the genre, distinct from the group's peers. Daijiro Nakagawa orchestrates the group's delicately jaunty and melodically overflowing compositions, an escalation of the sounds and styles of his previous outfit Uchu Conbini. Nakagawa's tracks capture the rhythmic variety and complexity of math rock but also show an affinity for Midwest Emo, the American emo offshoot distinguished by its arpeggiated guitars and heavy indie rock influence. JYOCHO's arpeggios weave texture while the depth of instrumentation, particularly Hachi's [Yuuki Hayashi] flute, gives the music almost a pastoral, folk-like feel. Too complex to be described as simply ‘pretty’ or 'serene,' the group offer an escapist vision of math rock in one of its newest and most essential forms.”
Click here to listen to an introductory playlist, “JYOCHO 101,” curated by the band with essential songs, and click here for Spotify's “This Is JYOCHO” playlist. For more info, visit JYOCHO.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok .
About No Big Deal Records:
Founded in 2012 as part of Japanese label Nippon Columbia and celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, No Big Deal Records is an independent record label and production company based in Japan. For more info, visit NoBigDealRecords.jp and follow on X.
The band is releasing their 4th EP Guide and Devote EP via No Big Deal Records on January 10, 2024, featuring the self-titled track chosen as the ending theme song for the TV anime Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2
Click here to watch official video for “Guide and Devote”
Kyoto, Japan (January 14, 2024) ─ Japanese progressive pop, indie rock band JYOCHO has digitally released their newest EP, Guide and Devote e.p via No Big Deal Records on January 10th.
The four-track project was written and produced by founding member of the band Daijiro Nakagawa and recorded at StudioSHIKARI in Kyoto, Japan.
The EP's self-titled track “Guide and Devote” (released Dec 20th, 2023) is chosen as the ending theme song for the Japanese TV anime series “Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2” started airing on January 7th 2024.
The original story is a Japanese light novel series written by Zappon and illustrated by Yasumo.
The story depicts the peaceful and happy daily lives of Red, Rit, Ruty and their friends in the city of Zoltan after Red got banished from a Hero's party.
:©Zappon,Yasumo/KADOKAWA/The Brave Man's Group 2 Partners
Official Site：https://shinnonakama.com/
Official X：https://twitter.com/shinnonakama_tv
Here are the comments from Daijiro from JYOCHO.
“The story is about Ruty's new life as she grows up, and while the main focus is on Ruty and Van. On the other hand, I like Red's role as a "Guide" in the series. That is why I chose the title of this work as Guide and Devote.
I think there are days when you have to make a detour to a station where you are born with a predetermined fate and ties.
I want to go forward believing in the direction of my own prayer and hope, even if it is not beautiful to the people around me! This is what I wanted to express in the song.
It is a bright, pop song of hope, and I hope you will enjoy it.”
-Daijiro from JYOCHO
The “Guide and Devote” music video was premiered on YouTube at 10:00p.m. on January 14th.
JYOCHO - Guide and Devote (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/porT6fEufEk
The video was filmed and directed by Ryoji Aoki who had also directed JYOCHO's signature music videos in the early days such as the videos of “A Life with the Sun” and “A Glass of Night.” The new song's music video produced by the team from early-days was shot on the Mount Kirigamine in Nagano, Japan and in the video, the members appear as if they lived a quiet lives in the countryside just as Red, Rit and Ruty do.
JYOCHO played an ending theme song “All the Same”(released on Nov 10, 2021) for the 1st season of the animation as well.
Their 2nd full-length album “Let's Promise to be Happy,” which has “All the Same” as its leading track, was released worldwide on vinyl and cassette formats by Topshelf Records and Porter Robinson shares a quote, for the obi strip coming with the vinyl, saying “JYOCHO make music that is one-of-a-kind. Daijiro Nakagawa's projects always feel so wistful and effortlessly beautiful, never getting lost in their own complexity but instead always enriched by it...”
The LP is now available.
https://www.topshelfrecords.com/products/720962-jyocho-lets-promise-to-be-happy
The previous “Banished from the Hero's Party” song and album were highly acclaimed by music lovers and anime fans and the 2nd season's song and EP are now gathering attentions not only in Japan but worldwide.
The band will be having two performances in Japan: February 24th at Spotify O-nest in Tokyo with mekakushe(band set) and March 24th at Live House Anima in Osaka with mol-74.
EP Tracklist:
1. Guide and Devote
2. ex human
3. A Flourished City
4. Counting Planets
About JYOCHO:
Kyoto, Japan-based progressive pop, indie rock band JYOCHO (meaning “emotion,” “mood,” and “atmosphere” in Japanese) was founded in 2016 as a solo project by guitarist Daijiro Nakagawa (formerly of Japanese math rock band Uchu Conbini) before evolving into a full band known for their highly sophisticated and technical sound (featuring guitars, bass, drums, a beautiful flute, and angelic female vocals), well-received by music lovers all over the world, especially in the U.S.
JYOCHO released their debut album, a prayer in vain (December 7, 2016), followed by their second project, Day in the Bluish House (September 13, 2017), which showcased the band's tight cohesion and garnered international praise from UK's Prog Magazine, who shared “…a welcome reminder of just what a virtuoso-level modern guitar band looks like. While their debut release a prayer in vain picked up from where Uchu Conbini left off, this release takes the foot off the gas, representing a greater diversity of moods. As with fellow rising Japanese math poppers Tricot, the question of how they manage to fit vocals into music so intricate is anybody's guess.” (12/18/17)
JYOCHO made their live performance debut in Toronto in 2017 and continued to support their first two albums on tour, performing across Canada, before dropping the fan favorite A Parallel Universe EP (March 21, 2018), featuring the self-titled track chosen as the theme song for the anime TV series Junji Ito Collection. Capitalizing on the EP's success, the group would go onto release their third full-length album, the beautiful cycle of terminal (released December 5, 2018), followed by the release of their second EP, a perfect triangle, rising sun human (October 9, 2019). Marking JYOCHO's sixth release and first in three years, the new eight-track full-length album Let's Promise to Be Happy, which includes an ending theme song “All the Same” for anime TV series Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, was due out February 16th on No Big Deal Records in Japan and later on Topshelf Records in the US on vinyl and cassette formats. JYOCHO released As the Gods Say EP (January 20, 2023), featuring the self-titled track chosen as the theme song for the Netflix series Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre. The band has released their 4th EP Guide and Devote e.p(January 10, 2024) which includes an ending theme song for anime TV series Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Season 2.
Since 2016, JYOCHO's popularity has grown rapidly worldwide, allowing the band to perform live not only in Japan and Canada, but also in China, Singapore, and the Philippines. In 2021, Porter Robinson asked the group to perform at his Second Sky Festival in Berkley, CA but their appearance was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In interviewing the band last August, The Glow proclaimed, “Few bands can claim to be the flagbearers of contemporary Japanese math rock with quite the same confidence as JYOCHO. Their spiraling, hypnotic blend of progressive rock and hooky pop is clearly descended from math rock's rich, lengthy history in Japan, yet it also forges a new path for the genre, distinct from the group's peers. Daijiro Nakagawa orchestrates the group's delicately jaunty and melodically overflowing compositions, an escalation of the sounds and styles of his previous outfit Uchu Conbini. Nakagawa's tracks capture the rhythmic variety and complexity of math rock but also show an affinity for Midwest Emo, the American emo offshoot distinguished by its arpeggiated guitars and heavy indie rock influence. JYOCHO's arpeggios weave texture while the depth of instrumentation, particularly Hachi's [Yuuki Hayashi] flute, gives the music almost a pastoral, folk-like feel. Too complex to be described as simply ‘pretty’ or 'serene,' the group offer an escapist vision of math rock in one of its newest and most essential forms.”
Click here to listen to an introductory playlist, “JYOCHO 101,” curated by the band with essential songs, and click here for Spotify's “This Is JYOCHO” playlist. For more info, visit JYOCHO.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok .
About No Big Deal Records:
Founded in 2012 as part of Japanese label Nippon Columbia and celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, No Big Deal Records is an independent record label and production company based in Japan. For more info, visit NoBigDealRecords.jp and follow on X.
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