Billboard JAPAN‘s “MONTHLY FEATURE” series spotlights artists and works that have caught its attention. This month’s focus is on Tatsuya Kitani and Silica Gel. In July, the genre-spanning Japanese singer-songwriter invited the four-piece band at the forefront of Korea’s indie scene for a joint performance in Tokyo at Hugs Vol. 6, the latest installment in a multi-artist concert series organized by Kitani.
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During the show, the two artists from different countries stood on stage together to introduce themselves to each other’s fans. The night was almost like a musical “hug,” befitting the event’s name. In stark contrast to the rainy weather outside, the venue was filled with expectation and energy. We had the chance to talk to them on the day of the show, before they performed their sets.
From left to right: Tatsuya Kitani, Kim Han-joo (vocals and keyboard), Choi Woong-hee (bass), Kim Geon-jay (drums) and Kim Chunchu (guitar and vocals)
How did you two meet?
Tatsuya Kitani: I’ve been a fan of Silica Gel for a long time, and when I visited Korea on my Asian tour (in May 2025), my team asked me, “Are there any Korean artists you’d like to meet?” They said we might be able to arrange a discussion, as a promotional event. I told them I wanted to meet Silica Gel, and even though the discussion didn’t end up happening, they came to see my show, so that’s how we met for the first time.
Han-joo: Needless to say, I love Japanese anime and culture. I first learned about Kitani through “Where Our Blue Is,” the opening theme to Jujutsu Kaisen’s “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” arc. After he invited us to play at this show, I set out to learn a lot more about him, and I found out that he has really rich musical sensibilities. That got me to explore even more, and I discovered just how talented he was. I became a huge fan.
Geon-jay: I went to talk to him after his show, and when we met, I remember saying “You’re the real deal!” Twice. On stage, he just radiated charisma, and then when I met him in person, despite being tall and slender, he was really adorable. That contrast really drew me in.
Kitani, this is your sixth Hugs event. What’s the concept behind it, and how did it come to be?
Kitani: I didn’t start out as a member of a rock band, I was a solo artist putting my music out on the net. I felt like people looked down on me a little as an artist who started online, and I wanted to stop that. I wanted to prove what kind of show I could put on, and also to cross scene lines to meet artists I respect and become friends with them. I wanted us to become close—so close it felt like we could hug. That’s why I started the event. I didn’t just want the artists to make connections, but also for the fans to become friends with each other. This is the first Hugs to go international with Silica Gel from South Korea and Iruka Police from Taiwan, so I’m looking forward to doing shows with even more artists that I haven’t met before.
I’d like to hear more about what it is about each other’s music that you like.
Kitani: For me, it started with “Tik Tak Tok (feat. So!YoON!).” The second half of the song is like an extended guitar solo, so I was like “Whoa!” I’d never really listened to really “guitarist”-style guitar music, but the more I listened, the more impressed I was, and ended up listening all the way through. The melody was also great. It totally sucked me in. It wasn’t just the guitar, either. The synth sound was also really unique. I could feel all of these different influences from different types of music. It had this appeal that I can’t really put into words. It felt like music that you’d never hear in Japan.
Silica Gel, what do you find appealing about Kitani’s music?
Geon-jay: One of my favorite Kitani songs is “Devil’s Manner.” The music is bright and upbeat, but the lyrics are quite deep and express the kinds of struggles we experience as human beings. I really love the overall balance of the song, and it always puts me in a good mood when I listen to it. I think Kitani is incredibly good at using music to make even deep and meaningful lyrics enjoyable to listen to.
Have you felt any differences between Japan and Korea when it comes to live shows or other music activities?
Han-joo: From a Korean perspective, I feel that the music ecosystems in the two countries have developed in somewhat different ways. In Korea, K-pop idol music has established a very distinct mainstream, while bands and artists across various genres are still gradually expanding their connection with the wider public. In Japan, on the other hand, the pop scene as a whole – including band music – has a much broader foundation and has been deeply rooted in the culture for a long time. Seeing an artist like Kitani, with such a strong individual identity and talent, thrive freely within that kind of established scene is also inspiring and striking for Korean musicians.
Kitani: But you also play at huge (arena-sized) venues.
Chunchu: The fact that we’ve been able to perform at large venues is actually quite rare in the Korean music industry. I think we’ve been fortunate that our timing and circumstances happened to align well. There are so many incredibly talented musicians and producers in Korea, and I hope we’ll see more artists from different genres getting opportunities to perform on bigger stages in the future. I think the Korean music scene is also in the process of growing, with its genre spectrum and infrastructure becoming increasingly diverse and developed. Personally, I’ve always wanted to introduce great Korean musicians to Japan, so I was really grateful that you played Korean music as BGM before the show.
Has there been any talk of this meeting leading up to writing a song together, or some other kind of collaboration?
Kitani: I’d love to do that. Let’s do it. How do you write your music? Each of you has such different music tastes, it’s like you’re in different bands (laughs).
Han-joo: The way we usually make music is that someone will come in with a theme, and then we’ll all chime in with ideas and build up from there. If we wrote a song with you, I think it’d be fun if you came up with the melody and theme, and then we arranged it. It might be fun to try styles that neither of us have tried before.
Kitani: What kinds of beats have you yet to use?
Chunchu: We haven’t used many fast beats, so how about we try out a fast-paced song? You pick the approach.
Kitani: Okay, maybe drum and bass, then.
Woong-hee: I don’t know if I can play that. You’ll have to play the bass solo (laughs).
Kitani: Okay, we’ll do a battle of the basses. I started out as a bassist, after all.
Han-joo: It might also work if we build up the beat while playing the bass, like Squarepusher.
Kitani: Good point! I’d love to do something like Squarepusher or James Blake. Is there a certain direction that you want to take Silica Gel as a band?
Chunchu: I don’t know if we’d be able to pull it off, but I’d love for us to go out and put on a lot of shows overseas. It’s great being able to perform on a wonderful stage like this in Japan, and I want us to go on a big international tour, playing in America and Europe, too. I want to become a cool touring musician.
–This interview by Maho Kakehi first appeared on Billboard Japan
