Wildly Creative: WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for EDISON, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

Beloved, My Angel,

Written by

Jude Bautista

I have to confess. Seeing her, caught my attention. She reminded me of someone I love, two of them actually. One from her physical features, the other with her onscreen persona. From a youtube ad for music video EDISON, I saw Utaha, the vocalist of Japanese band WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for EDISON, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

She was the hook for me to watch a unique music video. I couldn’t explain how but the music seemed synchronized to the visuals, even more than just cutting to the beat. Like you’re seeing the music in the colors, the actions, camera movement more than the usual cutting to the beat editing.

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The video in my eyes was wildly creative. With K-pop, they’re just selling sex OR the artist. Realistically, Wednesday Campanella’s video is also selling the artist but at least NOT in a conventional way. OR they’re selling a concept or an idea, rather than JUST the artist.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Edison

As if the music and visuals were synced in some weird way to the exact beat and rhythm. ON top of which they were using effects in creative ways. Like, at the BTS portion in the end, Utaha was dancing seated behind a desk. Her legs were doing these quick ballet movements.

Dancer Miyu in WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s music video for EDISON, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

In the BTS they revealed that the legs part were shot with a dancer / choreographer (named Miyu). While the upper torso part was Utaha. So you’re convinced it was Utaha dancing below the desk. EDISON was directed by Nao Watanabe with Production designer Naoyuki Hashimoto.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for EDISON, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

Every corner makes it to the ‘gram at Air Residences

THEN I found out, the band was composed of a filmmaker named Dir. F – (Yasuhiro Fukunaga – ディレクター・エフ) an EDM musician / producer: Kenmochi Hidefumi – 釼持英郁 and one vocalist: Utaha (詩羽). SO the music and visuals are intertwined in ways that other artists are not able to muster.

Utaha is the second vocalist, who replaced Kom_I in late 2021. Kom_I, was the original vocalist since the band’s inception in 2013.

https://smdc.com/

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video HIMIKO, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

IN CAMERA / Visual Wit

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA is a deep dive into Japanese culture, history, mythology through rap, electronica with youthful, captivating vocals all wrapped up in a witty visual style.

A lot of their music videos, have these visual effects that are IN CAMERA, with usage of lenses and creative editing. As photographer I tend to appreciate this more, or has an ‘organic look’. This isn’t to say they don’t use 3D/ CGI visual effects, they do. (Its ALL digital, if you think about it) Just not as much as other artists, they don’t rely on it as much. They still have production designers, costume. There seems to be a greater emphasis on concept than there is on effects.

Kenmochi Hidefumi (composer, lyricist, musician, producer) and Utaha (vocalist and performer) of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA (2022)

Musically, IT IS rap, it is Electronic Dance Music, but they don’t sound like any rap or EDM artist out there. The lyrics have the random nature of B-52’s and the rhythmic sound of The Beastie Boys with the attitude of Missy Elliott in a Japanese female vocal. See? None of that makes sense. But they’re able to make it ‘work’ and come together in MTV format.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video MANEKI NEKO, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

Process?

IF I could only speak Japanese and have access to Dir. F, the whole band, I’d really love to know their process. HOW do they formulate the concepts for the music videos, songs, lyrics etc.? I feel the look and the sound is unique and again, wildly creative. How do they all put it together? They collaborate with different directors, cinematographers, production designers. Does the concept come from Dir. F and they give these creatives a freehand?

Their latest EP is entitled NEON. In it is another intriguing music video: MANEKI NEKO. This plays on the Japanese fascination with cats and also has a role in their mythology / beliefs. The title refers to porcelain cats that call customers in shops and restaurants. They have their origins in Japan but is widely used across Asia, China, Korea even Chinatowns in the U.S.

Join #GlobeKmmunity with Kim Seon Ho

Extreme Wide Angle

In order to, show Utaha’s transformation or closeness to the cats there would be intermittent cuts of the extreme wide angle lens with normal or tele lenses. Its subtle and quick but very effective. The madness and playfulness of cats are visualized in the extreme wide angles. The same lens effect was even more exaggerated in HIMIKO also in NEON. In the HIMIKO video, they used a Fisheye lens with greater distortion.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video MANEKI NEKO, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

While the only location in MANEKI NEKO is a traditional Japanese house with paper slats for doors / walls and the native floor mats. From toy cats dancing they transform to humanoids in cat costume. It’s quite fun and cute while featuring Japanese culture at its center. The theme of cats turning into humans can also be seen in manga culture.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Maneki Neko

Retro

Production design also tends to favor retro objects and clothes. At least in the most recent EP called NEON: EDISON had this early 20^th century typewriter, phonograph, 1980s Mercedes Benz, MANEKI NEKO has an 1980s IBM PC, a giant1970s disco ball. ALICE has an old rotary phone. ORIHIME and HIMIKO features a lot of the 1950s TV sets and old Nintendo game style animation.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video HIMIKO, part of the EP: NEON (2022). (12)

In camera, illusions is almost a signature in a lot of the songs, including ALICE. There’s the use of shot size, forced perspective and angles to create an appearance of either being a giant or miniature. There’s even the ingenious use of the macro tube lens. Small objects like jewelry become bigger than life size while Utaha’s face sings in the background.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for ALICE, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA X shu uemura “COLORHOLIC” Collaboration Movie

Nissin Curry Meshi Collab

Perhaps due to their reputation for creative videos and their popularity, a lot of big brand names in Japan have collaborated with them. Make up brand SHU UEMURA for the music video COLORHOLIC. And then there’s PARCO for MEDUSA. PARCO is one of the high end mall brands in Japan. Not unlike the relationship between top band BEN & BEN and Robinson’s Malls here in the Philippines.

https://www.robinsonsmalls.com/

Our Favorite Place by Ben&Ben

BUT among their commercial collaborations, the one that stands out is with Nissin Food Group in 2017. Where fans could purchase a limited edition set of Nissin Curry Meshi in different flavors: Beef, Seafood and Spicy Chicken. It comes with a photo album, shot by acclaimed photographer Yuichi Kodama who also happened to direct WED CAMP’s music video RA. There’s also an audio message from (then vocalist) Kom_ I. Utaha only joined WED CAMP, September 2021.

Kom_I a.k.a Misaki Koshi, former vocalist of WED CAMP

Owing to the creative clout of WED CAMP they have a strong say or input in the video projects with those brands. You can see it in how they turned out, the signature looks, in camera effects and choreography. That’s NOT a privilege all artists have.

Lucky Me Yt
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOH2Tst3CVov9c9npH3EzpQ

SB19’s Lucky Me TVC

Incidentally, Lucky Me is a brand under the Monde Nissin group here in the Philippines. They very recently, tapped burgeoning group SB19 for a TV commercial: Sarang-Anghang Sarap ng Lucky Me! Jjamppong. That’s the more traditional relationship between brand and music artists here in PH (and most places). Having a prestigious TVC is already a huge feather in SB19’s cap. Its extremely rare (if not unheard of) to have the clout WED CAMP has in producing their own visuals, music videos in collaboration with brands.

Sarang-Anghang Sarap ng Lucky Me! Jjamppong feat. SB19

Monde Nissin
https://ph.mondenissin.com/products

In the Philippines, Monde Nissin is one of the biggest food conglomerates with recognizable local brands under the umbrella corporation: LUCKY ME, Monde Baked Goods, NISSIN Snacks, BINGO Cookie Sandwich, Skyflakes, FITA, QUORN, Voiz, Jelly Vit, Dutch Mill and Mama Sitas.

Monde Nissin
https://ph.mondenissin.com/products

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for BUCKINGHAM, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

Utaha 詩羽

One of the first things I did after watching their official music video for EDISON, was to look for their live performances. I was wondering whether, the band would be able to replicate the same energy as the music video. Here a lot hangs on their only performer Utaha. Dir.F, almost never shows up publicly. Kenmochi Hidefumi occasionally joins Utaha in interviews.

Surprisingly, she was able to do it, captivate audiences live in a PARCO opening, November 2021. The venue was the rooftop of their Shibuya branch. Utaha easily pulled off the rapid fire rap lyrics of SHAKUSHAIN, one of the band’s signature hits.

水曜日のカンパネラ WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – P.O.N.D., Shibuya PARCO Opening

One fan commented her hair and clothes are reminiscent of 90s rap group TLC. Long braided ponytails, oversized ear rings, bell bottomed jeans, even the piercings in her lower lip. She has, however, a distinct feature, with the almost shaved / crew cut side of her head, her prominent ears are emphasized even more. Prompting TV host Daisuke Toyama to say, “you have strangely shaped ears!”

Kenmochi Hidefumi (composer, lyricist, musician, producer) and Utaha (vocalist and performer) of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA (2022) (20)

At 21, Utaha is diminutive but has her own unique kawaii style that has captured the imagination of fans. She has a more distinct, flamboyant fashion sense.

Kenmochi Hidefumi described their original vocalist Kom_ I as “Mysterious Charm” while calling Utaha, “Strange Charm”. Utaha has more than filled the shoes of Kom _ I, and has given her own stamp on the lead vocals of WED CAMP. Because of her, there’s a revival of interest, renewed vigor in the band.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Himiko

Creative Input

Utaha (nick name Shiwa) showed remarkable maturity in an interview the band had with OTOTOY.jp web magazine. In it she credited the work of Kom_I, at the same time also talks about her ‘path’, (roughly translated to English) “Komai is Komai, and Shiwa is Shiwa. The shape is the same, but it is a really different path for me. There is a road that Komuai-san was going on. That’s why I feel like I’m not starting from scratch, but from the middle of it. It is only about how much I can go on the other road. To be honest, I don’t see Komuai as a rival at all. Of course, I respect them as people, and I respect them purely as people, but they are not rivals. The rival is yourself. It doesn’t really change, and I keep telling myself how far I can go.”

Left: Kom_ I and Utaha from https://www.instagram.com/utaha.89/?hl=en

Utaha was also able to talk about her contributions to the latest EP, “I proposed the title “Neon.” There was a time when I was worried about neon signs. Now, I learned that there are fewer neon-type Sugajakushi and fewer people who can make neon signs. I thought that was disappearing. Similar to the feeling that the restaurants were being destroyed by COVID and the light of the city was disappearing. And when I looked up the meaning of neon, there was a meaning of “new” in Latin. This EP is so new, I think it’s perfect.” Dir. F acknowledged that by incorporating Utaha’s ideas (like the MANEKI NEKO / EDISON single cover etc), there’s a freshness to WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA.

Spotify link Maneki Neko

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video IKKYU SAN (2017).

Kom_I コムアイ

First time WED CAMP fans outside of Japan (like me), should not and cannot ignore the work of the original vocalist Kom_I, shortened from her real name Misaki Koshi. She was the one who established them, through her strong connection with audiences in concerts.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video IKKYU SAN (2017).

There’s a certain amount of audacity, that Kom_I has most performers would shrink from. Hardly anyone knew of WED CAMP, when they debuted in 2013. There’s a crazy video of her singing their unique rap, EDM song with a mic and speaker behind her, walking through the busiest, most crowded street in Shibuya, Tokyo. A guy was carrying the speaker. While someone was handing out flyers and another guy shooting the video.

水曜日のカンパネラ「ゲリラ路上ライヴ」

Some people were shocked, some of them couldn’t help but stop and listen. And it’s not just the way she sounded but moved. She’s a fantastic improviser of dance. It didn’t take long before she won them over.

They would try to capture that same magic with the music video UNICO, shot in a crowded and busy hawker center and wet market in Singapore. It’s just one long take of her, improvising dance moves to the song.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Unico

In a music fest, while everyone was waiting for the next performer on stage she started singing on a steel (A-frame) ladder in the middle of the crowd. As she was singing she went down, walked, sat on portable chairs of fans, holding their hands. What about the time she got in a Zorb (huge inflatable ball) and crowd surfed in Singapore and San Francisco?

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video Aladdin (2017) with Kom_I.

Kom_I left WED CAMP in pursuit of more traditional music of Japan. She went in that direction, collaborating with musicians who use native instruments. And wanted less of the stresses (and excesses) of J-Pop. I hope all her fans continue to support her, maybe even grow her fan base. So we can help preserve music of their forebears.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video JEANNE D’ARC (2015) with Kom_I.

Maricar Reyes Poon was one of the endorsers of Robinsons Malls back in 2012.

Maricar & Kim Chiu

For Filipinos, Kom_I’s face may look familiar as she looks like Maricar Reyes with a Rockstar edge. Maricar is one of the captivating faces in PH and was also an endorser / model for Robinson’s Malls. Some hair styles will have her looking like Asia’s Queen of the Dancefloor Kim Chiu, especially with their shared love for dance.

Kim Chiu photo by @dsenadorphotography
From Star Magic U.S. Tour 2022

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video SHAKUSHAIN (2015) with Kom_I.

Shakushain

In 2015, one of the breakout singles for them is SHAKUSHAIN (with Kom_I), named after a real life hero of the Ainu people. The Ainu are the indigenous people who originally inhabited Hokkaido. They shot the music video in Sapporo City and several areas of Hokkaido prefecture, the northern most island in Japan. The project was also a promotional collaboration with the locality.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Shakushain

The music video garnered 8.7 million views to date. Features stop motion effects, again an in camera method combined with an ingenious film editing technique. In one long shot of Kom_I walking towards the camera, the very same angle, position of subject is maintained while shooting in different locations. And then cutting the footage together alternately frame by frame. It’s an oft used style now. But a few years ago, cinematographer and editor Yuichiro Fujishiro, brought it to another level.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video SHAKUSHAIN (2015) with Kom_I.

Viewers got to see so many landmarks, in less than a few seconds, maybe milliseconds. Combined with the improvised moves, dance, facial expressions of Kom_I, turned it into one of the most visually memorable and original music videos seen in a long time. Being SO popular since 2015, it may have inspired the international ad ‘Unstoppable Journey’ for visiting Japan in 2018.

Even with the bigger budget and casting of the Tokyo TVC, I still love the Shakushain video more. There’s one sequence where Yuichiro Fujishiro synched tail lights of cabs, blinking billboards of Nikka Whisky and Kikkoman, with the beat and music of the song. Those are brands the city Sapporo is known for.

Tokyo Tokyo Promotion Video Unstoppable Journey

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video JEANNE D’ARC (2015) with Kom_I.

Jeanne D’Arc

Also in 2015, was another hit single JEANNE D’ARC. According to Kenmochi Hidefumi, it’s his penchant for imagining historical characters (in this case Joan of Arc) in modern times. He imagined her as a BUS guide in Shinjuku.

The only way I can describe the video is (again) through its visual wit. Kom_I mouths sound effects, while dressed in a stewardess outfit. Dozens of versions of her sing and mouth off sound effects. Bizarre and funny at the same time from the mind of director Nao Watanabe.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Jeanne D’Arc

Rabbit Hole

Shakushain and Jeanne D’Arc are just two of my favorite music videos from WED CAMP. Watching the music videos and concerts on their official Youtube channel is like going into a rabbit hole. I can appreciate each of them in one way or another. The animation in MOMOTARU and DIABLO, is also out of this world. Distinctly Japanese with the weirdness and irreverence of WED CAMP.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA music video JEANNE D’ARC (2015) with Kom_I.

If you grasp film theory, film history, then you’re going to be obsessed with their music videos. IF NOT, their music can be fun and upbeat, you can enjoy it at that level. But if you take the time to study the lyrics and their message, you’ll find out so much more.

Wednesday Campanella has an incredibly bright future with its newest addition in Utaha.

Soon, they will be conquering the world.

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for ALICE, part of the EP: NEON (2022).

Utaha of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in the music video for ALICE, part of the EP: NEON (2022). (35)

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