Aiming to bridge the indie music scenes of Japan and the UK, the showcase event SSR (SHIBUYA SOUND RIVERSE), which takes place across various venues in the famous Shibuya district of Tokyo, teams up once again with The Great Escape, featuring an eclectic, genre-melding selection of established and rising stars of the Japanes indie music scene.
This year’s lineup includes The fin., She Her Her Hers, VivaOla, and Ålborg—four acts whose global appeal makes this an ideal opportunity for audiences to discover the diversity of Japanese indie music. The fin. and She Her Her Hers have sold out both their London dates on 18th and 19th May at Oslo in Hackney.
Kazuto Yamazaki, founder of FRIENDSHIP.says: “As the founder of FRIENDSHIP., a digital music distribution service, I started our showcase event ‘SSR (SHIBUYA SOUND RIVERSE)’ in 2022 with one goal in mind—to preserve the warmth and human connection of analog music, even in today’s digital age. SSR was created as a way for people to experience the core of Japan’s indie scene and to give artists and listeners a space to connect directly and meaningfully. The UK has always held a special place in the hearts of many indie musicians in Japan. Its deep musical legacy continues to inspire us.”
For The fin., this appearance carries special significance. After spending several years based in the UK, the band has gone on to perform at major festivals including FUJI ROCK, SXSW (USA), and the Strawberry Festival in China, building a strong international presence. In 2024, a remix by acclaimed UK producer Bad Milk drew further attention to their evolving sound. Now, with their new single “Nebula” set for release on May 7, The fin. return to the UK stage—making their performance at The Great Escape a highly anticipated and memorable highlight.
Yuto Uchino, The fin. adds:“Last time we played, we were blown away by the atmosphere of the city and the festival itself. It stayed with us.”
Her Her Hers take on a major challenge with their first-ever European performance. Their “Pathway” album tour across Japan and China saw them sell out venues with capacities over 1,000. With their dreamy, yet musically grounded sound, they now aim to connect with UK audiences for the first time, from Brighton to Manchester and London.
Tokyo-raised R&B artist VivaOla, who has performed at major festivals across Asia and SXSW in the US, made a splash in 2024 with his collaborative single “RIGHT/WRONG” featuring Korean singer Jimmy Brown. With growing recognition across the R&B scenes in Japan, Korea, and the US, VivaOla’s music blends subtle Japanese sensibilities with a universal emotional depth that transcends borders.
Japan’s rising indie band Ålborg, fresh off the rookie stage at FUJI ROCK’23, brings a captivating sound that fuses folk with chamber pop and alt-rock. Their 2024 album “The Way I See You” showcases imaginative live arrangements—guitars, bass, drums, flute, and trombones all come together to build a lush soundscape that will fully immerse UK audiences.
FRIENDSHIP., the event’s curator, is a digital distribution service run by the Japanese music company HIP LAND MUSIC. In 2024, FRIENDSHIP. brought artists like Kaneko Ayano, LITE, Helsinki Lambda Club, and DOMICO to The Great Escape for the first time, resulting in a packed venue and strong new connections between Japanese artists and UK audiences. Following the event, Helsinki Lambda Club released a song titled “THE FAKE ESCAPE” as a tribute to their UK experience, while Kaneko Ayano is set to embark on a UK tour in 2025.
After “SSR from Tokyo: Curated by FRIENDSHIP.” lights up The Great Escape this May, the main SSR event will take place in Tokyo on September 28, taking over four venues centered around Ebisu LIQUIDROOM. More than just a showcase event, SSR is a platform bridging Japan’s thriving indie scene with the global stage, offering international exposure for Japanese artists and a glimpse into the future of Japanese music for fans at home and abroad.
SSR from Tokyo: Curated by FRIENDSHIP.
- Date : May 16, 2025
- Time : 12:00~16:00
- Venue : One Church (Gloucester Place, BN1 4AA)
Line Up
- 1230PM – 1PM: She Her Her Hers
- 130PM – 2PM: VivaOla
- 230PM – 3PM: Ålborg
- 330PM – 4PM: The fin.