Kazuki Tokaji is not your average artist, the young musician has a knack for breaking barriers and creating a superfluous sound is hard to pinpoint. While his tenure at the Musicians Institute of Hollywood could be a factor in this, there appears to be much more under the surface.
The burgeoning artist has just released his new single ‘Souvenir’ which encapsulates his entire flair and genre-breaking style with impunity. Even without lyrics, Kazuki Tokaji is able to emanate a strong and vibrant message and shows a great maturity and growth from his earlier releases at the same time.
The Japanese Origins
Kazuki Tokaji was born in Japan, growing up with no western influences, he picked up his first guitar at 7 years old, and hasn’t put it down since. He even started on the drums at age 10. His love affair with music was a major factor in his choices when moving to America with his family in his adolescence. It was in the sunny state of California that he discovered his vibe and pursued his career with gusto.
Enrolling in the Musicians Institute, he was exposed to music greats like Marty Friedman and Steve Vai, furthering his influences and asserting a grandiose mixture of styles to create a sound that very few could replicate.
The Japanese influence can be observed heavily in his latest release as well, with the electronica undertones interjecting with the western pop-rock style guitar riffs, crafting a song that is unmistakably his own, with a wild ride of emotions and BPM.
An Eclectic Mixture
The undeniable uniqueness of Kazuki Tokaji’s soundtracks have not gone unnoticed. The artist is the member of two distinct and different bands, ‘Dylan n Alice’ and ‘Circle The Earth’. The mix is almost necessary to stand out these days, as more artists are vying for the listeners attention, Kazuki Tokaji manages this with incredible ease and undeniable flair. As he grew up in two wildly different environments, the sounds he produces are undeniably and completely his own.
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Through the lockdown of 2020, he was able to hone his songwriting abilities further, which certainly shows with his subsequent releases after the fact. With almost more natural influence from both sides of the world being present but not overt.
The Next Step
Kazuki Tokaji is always creating, one of his staples is his hardworking ethic and undeniable perfectionism with his music stylings. There’s no telling where his next song will come from, but his fans around the world are always holding their breath for the latest release.
You can listening to Kazuki’s music here:
Follow Kazuki at kazukitokaji.com or connect via IG @kazukiguitar
Cameron Dickerson is a seasoned journalist with nearly 10 years experience. While studying journalism at the University of Missouri, Cameron found a passion for finding engaging stories. As a contributor to Kev’s Best, Cameron mostly covers state and national developments.