A solo piece of music made by a group
Their base of operations is the internet. They don't have any major publicity or label affiliation, and they have almost no live performances. Their music is only available on YouTube and Bandcamp. But there is one musical unit that has been supported by a core fan base for many years. Its name is HASAMI group.
Although they call themselves a "group," the other members are not visible. So, who exactly is the HASAMI group? Ryuichiro Aoki, the central figure of the group, explains:
"I'm basically the only one in HASAMI group who produces music. The other members don't all play instruments. I go out to eat with them or have everyday conversations on LINE, but the casual exchanges we have there have a positive impact on my music. Even though I'm essentially alone, I get the feeling that I'm 'making music as a group,' which reduces the sense of loneliness and stagnation and makes it fun to write songs. Ultimately, even if I leave the group, HASAMI group will still go on. That's why I always have the mindset of, 'Don't think that you've defeated me and it's over.' I think this is a vitality that you can't get from a solo project."
As a musician who doesn't contribute to the economy, I want to prove how amazing amateur music is.
HASAMI group's music is not available through subscription services like Spotify. Aoki has chosen to release it only through YouTube and Bandcamp.
"Recently, I feel like there are more and more people who think that 'music that's not available on subscription services is as good as nonexistent.' I feel like that mindset is too brainwashed by the music industry. That's why I want to show that there is good music outside of subscription services. As a 'musician who doesn't drive the economy,' I want to prove how amazing amateurs are. Ultimately, it would be better not to use YouTube or Bandcamp, but I haven't reached that point yet."
In June 2025, they will release their 22nd album, "Message from 2025," their first in about two years and eight months. The album includes 16 songs that are typical of HASAMI group, such as "Katy Perry to Space," "The End of the Internet," and "Something Still Happens Even If It Disappears."
"One of the themes in my music-making is 'escapism.' Whenever I've had a hard time in real life, I'd create a fantasy world in my head that was unrelated to it and turn it into a song. That approach was fine in the past, but now that I'm in my 30s and the social situation has become more serious, I can no longer maintain the attitude of 'ignoring reality altogether.' I began to think that it would be more natural to sublimate the reality that I can see whether I like it or not into my work. In 'Message from 2025,' I've taken a new form of 'escapism,' by turning the frustration and frustration that arises in reality into something interesting. It's a commemorative work that is 'free from fantasy.'"
One of the most memorable stories is the production of the album track "Katy Perry in Space."
"During my commute to work, the train was stopped due to an accident and I was trapped inside the car when I saw the news that 'Katy Perry has successfully traveled to space.' We were both making music, but she was in space and I was trapped on the train. I felt despair at this disparity. But the pain of being trapped on a commuter train is something that Katy Perry couldn't express. I thought I would try to turn this despair into a song, seeing it as a privilege of the working class, and so I immediately made a note on my smartphone saying, 'Katy Perry in space.'"
The songs, which cross genres from hip hop to ballads and city pop, have a unique atmosphere that distances itself from trends. The titles are peppered with words reminiscent of the 2000s, such as "Even if I can't buy Hatsune Miku" and "Japan-Korea World Cup," but when asked about this nostalgia, an unexpected answer was given.
"The truth is, it's not that I like nostalgic things, I'm just a persistent person. Ever since I was a child, I would repeat the same things over and over again for years, and my parents would get mad at me for being so persistent. For example, when the word 'mixi' appears in the lyrics, listeners will perceive it as a nostalgic word, but I've been persistently logging into 'mixi' for 20 years, so it doesn't feel nostalgic to me. I just haven't stopped doing things that everyone else gives up on. I think the fact that HASAMI group's songs basically have a loop structure reflects this habit of persistently repeating things. To begin with, the fact that we've released 22 albums is a kind of persistence, isn't it?"
Aoki is also an extraordinary music watcher, checking out every song released in Japan that day. He has subscribed to around 10,000 YouTube channels. He also checks out new music videos every day, from unknown musicians with 10 views to major artists. Does being exposed to such a vast amount of music have any impact on his own productions?
"I think I'm influenced by all Japanese music. In fact, I've listened to so much that I can't even tell where my influences come from (laughs). My music is like a mottled mix of everything I've listened to up until now, and it has colors that I can't control. But even within that, I'm careful not to lose my own individuality."
Recently, one of HASAMI group's signature songs, "If the Byoumai Ga Heal," released 14 years ago, suddenly gained attention on YouTube and was rediscovered. The number of views suddenly jumped to hundreds of thousands. This would be a happy event for a musician, but Aoki deliberately made the video private.
"I think how it spreads is important. Because I'm not looking to make money from music, there's no point in it reaching a random group of people. I don't want my music to be something that can be easily found and consumed instantly, but rather something that feels like a treasure that was found with great difficulty."
I see, so the sense of miscommunication that permeates the HASAMI group is born from this kind of stance. Even when we try to close the gap, it feels like they're just slipping through our fingers. The incomprehensibility of reality and the seemingly casual worldview are all in fact controlled by Aoki's will and meticulously designed.
Perhaps that is why, even though listeners are confused, they are drawn to this mysterious sense of distance and continue to follow him.
