Tokyo-based and wildly special four-girl progressive pop-group ATARASHII GAKKO!, are thrilled to release their brand new song, “The Edge,” via 88rising. A high energy, addictive hyper-pop track matched with a commanding vocal delivery from the group creates this undeniable banger evocative of a song perfect for a superhero movie montage.
“The Edge” is the soundtrack of global anime brand Crunchyroll’s new seasonal trailer, featuring an incredible lineup of anime shows currently streaming on their platform for the winter 2023 anime season.
The group paired with Japanese artist and visual designer Fantasista Utamaro for the song’s artwork and visualizer. His unique ultra pop and technicolor style speaks to groups’ spirit that is limitless, colorful, and celebratory. Utamara reflected, “I moved to NY from Japan to introduce Japanese art and culture through my art. It was my pleasure to creative-direct this project for ATARASHII GAKKO!, featuring elements of Japanese pop culture such as low-fi gaming, manga style, and neon colors. Shout out to pixel artist APO+ who did the super cool pixel animation!”
About the release the band said, “It was such a great experience working with UTAMARO-san. He made the cover art and visualizer look so cool and kawaii! We’re all running in it the entire time which is fantastic! On another exciting note, our music is used in Crunchyroll’s seasonal trailer that includes Kanon’s current favorite anime – Blue Lock. We’re all very stoked about this release and hopefully we can perform for our fans sometime soon!”
Last year, the group dropped their surprise release, “HANAKO.” Originating from a Japanese urban legend of ‘Hanako-san’, a girl ghost who haunts school bathrooms, the track was released on Halloween matching the spooky tone. The song followed the band’s successful run of sold-out U.S. shows in 2022 in addition to a performance at Head In The Clouds Festival.
In 2021, the group released their SNACKTIME EP, which was produced by the legendary Money Mark, who is most widely known for his work with the Beastie Boys. Mark is also known for his extensive collection of vintage keyboards and drum machines, and his masterpiece Mark’s Keyboard Repair from 1995 helped to usher in a new movement of bedroom pop during the 90s.
ATARASHII GAKKO! (literally meaning “new school” in Japanese) are a group of four young women who are redefining what it means to be a girl group. While most J-Pop female idol groups are known for their squeaky high voices, perfectly synchronized dance moves, feigned images of purity and innocence, and an excessive drive to always be kawaii (cute), AG! isn’t into any of that. They wear sailor-fuku (sailor suits) uniforms in a style that were worn by Japanese students back in the 70s and 80s with long skirts and pulled-up socks, and staunchly refuse to be objectified. Their aggressive and expressive dance moves, which they choreograph themselves, are a hybrid of the energy of Japanese butoh dance, heavy metal headbanging, and hip-hop street dancing. Musically, AG! brings together elements of modern J-Pop, Showa-era kayokyoku, rap, punk, dance music, but it would be pointless to try to categorize them in any genre.
