Ill Japonia: Taigen Kawabe’s Experimental Leap into the New Wave

Tokyo–London, February 20, 2020 – Known for melting minds as the bassist and vocalist of psychedelic noise-rock band Bo Ningen, Taigen Kawabe is now exploring brand new sonic dimensions with his solo project: Ill Japonia.

Trading in distorted riffs and feedback for crisp trap production, Taigen steps fully into the world of experimental rap. His debut EP “Ill”, released via London’s forward-thinking label Eastern Margins, is a daring shift—one that lets his voice and words take center stage, raw and unfiltered.

“I did something like 17 shows,” Taigen shares after wrapping a whirlwind Japan tour that took him from Sendai to Okinawa. The UK-based artist is still shaking off the jet lag as he returns to London. But the high of performing both with Bo Ningen and solo as Ill Japonia keeps him energized. “It’s kind of weird coming back to one place.”

With Ill Japonia, Taigen embraces a cold, digital minimalism that contrasts sharply with the chaos of his rock origins. He’s not just chasing trends—he’s learning from them. The EP plays like a sonic diary, where Tokyo street energy meets East London’s underground pulse.

This project also kicked off big: opening for Black Midi on their UK and Ireland tour, Ill Japonia introduced his style to new ears—and likely left a few minds blown.

HipHopTokyo says: Ill Japonia is for listeners who like their music leftfield, bilingual, and boldly genreless.

🔊 “Ill” is out now on all streaming platforms.