A new voice in Japan’s indie scene whispers its first words. Romanesco Roman, the Nagoya-based dreamgaze quartet formed just this year, prepares to release their transparent cassette debut EP もう行くね (Mou Iku Ne) on July 30, 2025 via Gerpfast Records – a six-track meditation on melancholy’s quiet persistence and the strength required to carry it forward.
“This EP lives in that fragile space between giving up and going on,” the band explains of their inaugural release. “Each track holds sadness gently, but never surrenders to it. There’s willpower beneath our softness – a quiet resistance in every note.” True to their description, the collection drifts between shoegaze’s textured haze and indie-pop’s melodic clarity, with ethereal female vocals cutting through the guitar-laden dreamscape like sunlight through morning fog.
The EP’s bilingual title tracklist hints at its emotional journey: from the opening “Thinking out” through the wistful “lonely girl” and “羽化前夜” (The Night Before Metamorphosis) on Side A, to Side B’s closing trilogy of “観覧車” (Ferris Wheel), “枯れた惑星” (Withered Planet), and “晩冬” (Late Winter). Each song feels like peering into a snow globe of suspended emotion – the sonic equivalent of watching cherry blossoms fall while knowing spring must come regardless.
Recorded at SHARK SOUND STUDIO under the guidance of engineer Hayato Hioki (WD SOUND WORKS), the EP benefits from Nagoya’s rich musical heritage while carving its own niche. The band’s self-described “dreamgaze” hybrid sound nods to Slowdive’s atmospheric weight and Japanese indie pioneers like Spangle call Lilli line, yet maintains a distinctly contemporary vulnerability.
Lyricist sumi’s poetic Japanese and English verses explore the archaeology of heartbreak – not just romantic loss, but the quiet grief of personal transformation. “羽化前夜” particularly embodies this, its title referencing the final night before a cicada sheds its nymph shell, mirroring the EP’s theme of painful but necessary change.
In an era of algorithm-driven playlists, Romanesco Roman makes a bold choice by debuting on cassette tape, the physical format’s warmth complementing their analog-friendly sound. Gerpfast Records’ transparent edition (available for worldwide pre-order) becomes an artifact of this moment – a tangible whisper in an increasingly digital world.
For listeners weary of saccharine pop yet craving melody beneath their melancholy, もう行くね offers a soundtrack for carrying sadness gracefully – proving sometimes the softest voices speak the hardest truths.
Romanesco Roman – もう行くね
Release Date: July 30, 2025
Format: Transparent Cassette (Worldwide Shipping)
Label: Gerpfast Records
Genre: Dreamgaze / Shoegaze-Pop / Indie-Pop
Pre-order & Stream:
Spotify
Full Info
Bandcamp Pre-order
Credits:
All Music: Romanesco Roman
All Words: sumi
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered: Hayato Hioki (WD SOUND WORKS)
Studio: SHARK SOUND STUDIO
Design: sumi
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