URBANGARDE has released a set of new music videos connected to their latest album Showa 90.
Known to fans worldwide for pushing boundaries and provoking discussion of social issues, URBANGARDE launched Showa 90 in early December with the militaristic, anti-war video “Kuchibiru Democracy” (“Lips Democracy”), which many Japanese TV stations refused to air because of its intense imagery.
“Heisei Shibou Yuugi” (“Heisei Death Game”), shot in a low-fi, voyeuristic style, follows 3 young girls — gravure idols Rei Kuromiya (also of LADYBABY and BRATS fame), Aoi Yagawa (Maison Book Girl), and Hinano Shido — who deal with loneliness and isolation in the hectic Tokyo metropolis.
A dark and frank dialogue section inserted in the middle of “Heisei Death Game” features the voices of four girls discussing depression and self-abuse, including cutting their own skin to deal with difficult times. Author and media commentator Go Yoshida interviews female performer Ano (from Yurumerumo, or You’ll Melt More), idol singer Maki Itou (linQ), model Hano Hanayo, and AV actress Sakura Shiraishi, whose cheery public images are a stark contrast to the disturbing subject matter.
URBANGARDE released 2 more videos in December, the high-energy “Shinjuku Mon Amour,” which includes live concert footage, and the playful and biting “Love Letter Moyu”.
VIDEO LINKS:
Heisei Shibou Yuugi (“Heisei Death Game”)
https://youtu.be/T7pqp-pFhhA
Shinjuku Mon Amour
https://youtu.be/iLrQpgjrlTA
Love Letter Moyu (Burning Love Letter)
https://youtu.be/482inSCVVLA
Kuchibiru Democracy (Lips Democracy)
https://youtu.be/k9xlflY-PH8
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