JYOCHO bring to life an atmosphere of wonderment and curiosity, as if the world was filled with endless possibilities just waiting for you. Exploring a spectrum of sounds and stories, the progressive pop-indie rock band’s music feels like a serene, almost magical escape from the mundane.

Named after the old Japanese term ‘jyocho’—which vaguely encompasses emotion, memory, and life, the Kyoto-based act try to embody the delicate yet intricate nature of the universe while continually studying its most meaningful questions. 

“[‘Jyocho’] is an atmospheric and emotional word, but it has more meanings. As a Japanese person, I wanted to convey the poetic quality and emotional sound of ‘jyocho’ to people in Japan and around the world. So, if I had to describe our sound, I would say “jyocho” sound,” said Daijiro Nakagawa, the band’s founder. 

Formed after Daijiro’s previous band Uchi Conbini disbanded, JYOCHO initially started out as a solo passion project from the acclaimed guitarist before evolving into a full-fledged band. 

“I had always loved DTM, so I planned to create my own compositions from scratch and perform live with support members and release my own works. However, the more I worked with the best support members, the more I wanted to work with them as a band, not a project so I changed JYOCHO,” he shared. 

Joining Daijiro, the band comprises Netako Nekota (vocals, keys), sindee (bass), and Yuuki Hayashi (flute). 

 

 

 

 

 

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While JYOCHO was born out of Daijiro’s personal dream and vision in 2016, the band soon became something that had a piece of everyone—and not just in terms of skill and talent.

“I approached the members and invited them to the band because each member had a wonderful personality, sentiment, and sense of style. As we progressed in our band activities, I felt that our individuality and good qualities came out and deepened together in JYOCHO,” said Daijiro.

Together, JYOCHO has gone all over the world, delivering their iconic brand of technically sophisticated math-pop live in countries like the US, Canada (which is where they actually made their live stage debut), China, Singapore, and the Philippines. 

 

 

 

 

 

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While shredding stages in front of an eager crowd all across the globe is undoubtedly the band’s favourite part of their journey, some of their fondest memories include the scattered simple moments of laughter and fun they’ve shared through the years. 

“We had delicious meals and drinks every night on our nationwide tour of Japan, we had heart-burning live shows on our overseas tour, and we met many people as JYOCHO and had fun experimenting with them. The things I remember are always the members laughing and the fun scenes,” said Daijiro.

It’s these very “scenes” that continue to elevate JYOCHO. With a bond that goes beyond music and a live stage, the members have also grown into a cohesive unit rooted in friendship and passion. 

“It might be difficult for the listener to see, but I think it can be felt in live performances. I feel that our sense of unity and judgment as a band has increased, and I think everyone is subconsciously aware of the groove and the sound coming from each of us,” added Daijiro, reminiscing over the last six years. 

You hear this sentiment most clearly in JYOCHO’s latest album Let’s Promise to Be Happy. Serving as their first full record in almost four years, the band put together their “most direct and intuitive work to date”.

Centred around the question “Do you want to be happy?”, the ‘pure circle’ act ponder over the pursuit of happiness and its relationship with inevitable sorrow and misery. 

“While our previous works were written from a macroscopic perspective, this album is more direct in that it focuses on the microcosm of each of us. In addition to that, the sound of this work is also rather direct and straightforward in its expression,” explained Daijiro. 

“The story and concept of the album are based on philosophical questions such as ‘How can I take care of myself?’ and how to mix with the world around oneself, starting from the micro part of my own transmission.”

When asked about the new album fairs compared to the rest of their discography, Daijiro shared that Let's Promise to Be Happy is everything you'd expect to hear from a JYOCHO record but so much more. 

"Each of these songs has a different essence, but I think they are all beautifully packed into the album as JYOCHO," he shared.

"The song 'Turn into the Blue' has a strong electronic interlude that JYOCHO has never had before. Direct lyrics are used in 'All the Same ' and 'Gather the Lights' while the song 'The End of Sorrow' has a straightforward rock sound and is full of a sense of speed. In 'Stay in the Circle'. phrases with many refrains and repetitive lyrics appear," he explained. 

With the release of their new record, JYOCHO are currently in the middle of gearing up for their nationwide tour, serving as another step of their idyllic journey. 

“I feel that I have been able to create the best music with the members, and I am delighted every time. I feel reassured that I can trust the members to handle even the most difficult songs. I'm also thrilled that through this music, many people around the world can hear JYOCHO," said Daijiro. 

"I want to travel around the world more and more with the members. And I want to let as many people as possible know about JYOCHO and share our thoughts and sounds with them."

Listen to JYOCHO's latest album Let's Promise to Be Happy here.