We haven’t forgotten Dear Japan. Back in 2019, this enigmatic trio with members from Los Angeles and Hamburg totally hypnotized us with their singles “Hollow Hearted Hands” and “Kushiro”. How could you forget such haunting tracks? At that time, we also ranked their nocturnal debut EP as one of our favourite releases of the year. Unfortunately, the project did not hit the digital platforms… till a few days ago.

In order to celebrate the release of the EP on Spotify and co, Dear Japan have just shared a new single off the 5-track project. Like its predecessors, “Well Your Vein” is a ghostly and devastating rumination which should please all the fans of Portishead, Cocteau Twins and Beach House. We also hope that this little update means that there’s more music on the way, but like with their music, Dear Japan like to keep us in the haze. Stream the EP (or buy via Bandcamp) below.

Like every year, our lists don’t have the pretention to be objective, or exhaustive. We only list the favourite releases of our staff. Also, we probably forgot some very cool stuff and we’re sorry about that. Before unveiling our favourite albums and tracks of 2019, here are the 20 EPs and mixtapes that made our year, as well as a Spotify playlist to (re)discover all these projects.

20. Liss – “Second”

19. Ana Roxanne – “~~~”

18. Chela – “Delivery”

17. Kilo Kish – “REDUX”

16. Andy Stott – “It Should Be Us”

15. Malibu – “One life”

14. Cherushii & Maria Minerva – “Cherushii & Maria Minerva”

13. Hana Vu – “Nicole Kidman / Anne Hathaway”

12. Toro y Moi – “Soul Trash”

11. Christelle Bofale – “Swim Team”

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10. Jackie Mendoza – “LuvHz”

9. Kate Bollinger – “I Don’t Wanna Lose”

8. Kate Teague – “Kate Teague”

7. Magdalena Bay – “mini mix vol. 1”

6. NOIA – “CRISÀLIDA”

5. MUNYA – “Blue Pine”

4. Saeyers – “Saeyers EP”

3. Sandy – “Traces”

2. Dear Japan – “Hollow Hearted Hands”

1. Charlotte Adigéry – “Zandoli”

There are some states of mind that are stuck in between dreams and awakening. Dear Japan‘s music encapsulates this semi-conscious condition. Following up on their minimalistic yet obsessive debut track “Kushiro“, the Hambourg-via-California band share today another narcosis pop song, “Hollow Hearted Hands”, which also announces the release of their debut EP. Atmospheric and elusive, the opening and title track of the project sets the pace with its haunting and penetrating sadness. Tune in below and don’t forget to check their Bandcamp profile on December 21 to get your limited edition tape.

In an age when standing out from the crowd is tougher than it’s ever been, Dear Japan have decided to go against the grain and take the reactionary route. Keeping their online presence to the bare minimum, the band/formation/who even knows at this point is pretty much untraceable. They refuse to offer any information about themselves, their bio on streaming services simply reading “Dear Japan is a new formation from Hamburg and California”, which of course is of much help.

Dear Japan want to make it all about the music, which makes complete sense once you hear their debut single “Kushiro”, a minimalistic slow-burner that channels Portishead’s most mournful work. It’s a song that requires a close listen to really make an impact, but the reward certainly makes up for it. Built over a repetitive synthesizer loop adorned with soft yet unsettling percussion, the song seems to be gesturing at something bigger and more bombastic, but it never quite gets there. And that is exactly why it succeeds – “Kushiro” is begging you to keep listening, capitalizing on an expectation that is never met; as Dear Japan’s lead singer murmurs softly in the chorus, “all the fire is gone”; the emotional apex exists only in a distant past. “Kushiro” openly embraces calmness and melancholy as sources from which art shouldn’t be afraid to draw. Now that the fire is gone, it is time to make something beautiful out of the remaining ashes.