REVIEW

The 2017 EP from Japanese shoegaze project Ame no Naka no Uma.

Originally released in 2017, this EP by Ame no Naka no Uma received its first physical edition in 2025 via the Chinese indie label Amemoyo. The newly released streaming version is presented as a two-disc set, split into Disc 1 and Disc 2.

Centered around Akihiro Nio (guitar/vocals), Ame no Naka no Uma operates primarily as a solo project. On this release, Nio handled every stage of production himself—from songwriting and recording to mixing and mastering. Support members Keisuke Yoshimura (guitar/vocals), Rintaro Yamamoto (bass), and Saki Miyamoto (drums) are credited, and Disc 1 in particular captures a noisy, performance-driven shoegaze sound with a strong sense of live immediacy.

#1 “Triste” opens with siren-like guitar noise that howls and swells, gradually dissolving into a mournful vocal line. The result suggests an ideal form of melancholic shoegaze—immersive, emotionally direct, and finely balanced. Nio’s innocent vocal tone, which carries both sweetness and pain, may recall ART-SCHOOL’s Riki Kinoshita, aligning closely with the song’s title and its expression of sorrow.

Following this, #2 “Dancer In The Dark” shifts into a full-bodied wall-of-sound dance track. Its explosive momentum and melodic phrasing evoke comparisons to Supercar’s later-period classic “Yumegiwa Last Boy,” particularly in its cool vocal delivery and the shared emotional vocabulary of longing and desire. Whether intentional homage or unconscious resonance, the similarity adds an additional layer of intrigue.

Disc 2 presents home-recorded versions of the same material. Stripped down and lo-fi, these takes emphasize fragility and intimacy, revealing entirely different emotional contours within familiar songs. The contrast between the two discs underscores the project’s flexibility—demonstrating how texture and production alone can dramatically reshape perception.

A new track was uploaded to SoundCloud approximately a year ago, suggesting that Ame no Naka no Uma remains active. For listeners drawn to melancholic Japanese shoegaze with both rawness and sensitivity, this EP offers a compelling point of entry well worth revisiting.