STAP Sigh Boys are musicians who moved from London to Koenji and have been active since 2020. Described as "Koenji's Mac DeMarco" and "neo-soul melted in a microwave," they have made a unique presence with their constantly releasing music and quirky artwork.
"I'm originally from Ireland and spent my twenties in the UK. What prompted me to come to Japan was seeing the music video for YMO's "Technopolis" (1979) while I was in London. I was really drawn to "Tokyo" in 1979, with its near-future vibe and the scent of the bubble economy. So I thought, 'I have to go,' and came here as a tourist in 2009. When I actually visited, it was completely different to the Tokyo I had imagined (laughs). I'd come to the wrong era by about 40 years. But strangely enough, Tokyo in 2009 was also very appealing. Before I knew it, I had decided to move to Japan."
His first exposure to music was at Christmas when he was five years old. Santa Claus gave him a cassette Walkman and a tape of Michael Jackson's "Bad" (1987). Since then, MJ has become his idol.
"'Bad' was recorded in stereo, so the sound played differently on the left and right headphones. I found this mechanism incredibly mysterious and was impressed even as a child. I became strongly attracted to Japanese music when I was in elementary school. I came across Cornelius's 1997 album 'FANTASMA' in the 1 euro sale section of a CD shop. I was attracted by the cover and bought it on a whim, and it was an absolute shock. Cornelius's music had more advanced acoustic gimmicks than 'Bad'. It wasn't just left and right, it felt like the space itself was moving. I thought it was like the sound of space."
It all started with a guitar he bought on a flea market site
In fact, he only started making music in earnest in 2020, when the world was forced to come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
"Back then, I couldn't even take one step outside, so I spent all my time at home browsing the internet. Then, a Canadian man who was returning to his home country put a guitar up for sale on the free message board site Jimoty for 3,000 yen, so I bought it. I played the guitar and recorded it using the microphone function on my MacBook...I had no experience in composing music, but I taught myself how to do it, and it was a lot of fun."
Shortly after they began releasing music, they applied for the Fuji Rock Festival's newcomer category, "ROOKIE A GO-GO." They passed the audition with flying colors, and made an unusual debut by performing their first live show at Fuji Rock.
STAP Sigh Boys has just released his fourth and latest album, "Universe," which once again references the cultural context of the good old Showa era, a period synonymous with his work.
"My favorite time is Japan in the 1970s. It was a time of economic development, and everyone was looking forward, believing that the future was definitely bright. I like that kind of positive atmosphere. There are several reasons why I chose the album title "Universe," but one of them is the leisure complex Misono Universe, which unfortunately closed in 2025. I had always wanted to perform on that stage, but in the end it never came to fruition... I chose the title with that regret in mind."
The concept of this work is "Spooky Neo City Pop," and behind it lies the philosophy of "Pantheism," which he encountered through reading and watching videos about the universe.
"Pantheism is the idea that everything in the universe was born from the Big Bang and has equal value. It's the feeling that God, people, animals, tables, everything is divine. For me, this was a similar feeling to 'We Are the World.' As I was creating with that feeling in mind, 'We Are the Universe' and 'You Were Born in Space' were born like the Big Bang. From there, 'Good Morning, Sun God' and 'Maezawa, Take Me to the Moon' all connected in a universal way."
From his signature disco tunes to piano accompaniment and vocals, this album showcases beautiful new ideas, but in fact, it was completed after much challenge and trial and error.
"I think the biggest challenge would have to be 'The Doldrums.' I studied the music theory known as the Circle of Fifths, which John Coltrane used in 'Giant Steps' (1960), and used that as a reference when composing the song. Then, for 'We Are the Universe,' which I play on piano and sing, I used a Casio MIDI Guitar, a synthesizer-type guitar that came out in the '80s, to create the piano tones. I can't play any instruments myself, so to be honest, I don't know if I'm a musician. Just like the main character in 'Pinocchio' wanted to become a human, I too want to become a real musician. That's why I make full use of editing and technology when composing my music, and I intend to spare no effort in surpassing my previous work."
On the other hand, I also feel a strong vaporwave influence in "Empathy."
"Around 13 years ago, I became a big fan of Dempagumi.inc's songs "W.W.D II" and "Future Diver," and when I looked them up, I found out they were written by Maeyamada Kenichi. They had dialogue and lots of key changes, which I thought were really interesting. I wanted to try out the flavor of J-Pop from that era, so I wrote this song. These days, music made with looped phrases is mainstream, but the music I love from the 70s and 80s has complex melodies and key changes, and feels like it was made with great care. I think that's a big part of my influence. I like MJ and Daft Punk, of course, but also Earth, Wind & Fire and Klaus Nomi. As for Japanese bands, I like Plastics and Hikashu, and more recently Spectrum."
Finally, we asked them about the meaning of the strange Japanese lyrics and titles that frequently appear, such as their artist name "Stap Sigh Boys" and their song "Setouchi Magnet."
"When you listen to J-Pop, you hear the crazy English used mixed in with the Japanese lyrics, right? I wanted to convey that feeling to Japanese people too (laughs). So, actually, I make up new words on purpose."
