REVIEW

The debut EP from Japanese three-piece 2beef, emerging amid the Nu-Gaze battlefield on TikTok, where rising artists like Wisp and Novulent fiercely compete. The opening track explodes with gritty grunge-inspired distortion, following the line “Who… am I, I… who─?” from the final episode of the anime serial experiments lain. The combination of uncompromising heaviness and powerful performance recalls top-tier heavy shoegaze acts such as Novulent, greedi, and Split Chain. The track also shifts into breakcore with SEs, showcasing a modern sense of freedom in arrangement.

The follow-up, #2 “222,” begins with rapid drum patterns and layers mellow vocals over a slowly unfolding melancholy. The vocals sit slightly buried in the mix, but this underground 90s shoegaze feel works in the track’s favor. Beyond the audio, the EP’s Bandcamp visuals feature Sugamo Mutsuki from Sayonara o Oshiete and Ruriko Tsukishima from Shizuku, suggesting that the members are seasoned otaku—though their exact ages remain a mystery.

While Japan may seem somewhat left behind in the current Nu-Gaze boom, 2beef demonstrates that they are producing world-class sounds in real time. Catching a live performance as soon as possible is a must.

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