Formed in the year 2012, the indie dream pop band The fin. has since grown from their beginning days as they’ve expanded their discography and reached audiences worldwide. Today, the Red Marquee had the chance to see how the Kobe based band has flourished since last performing here in 2014. Since their Rookie-A-Go-Go appearance, the fin. has released three new albums: There (2018), Wash Away (2019), and Outer Ego (2021).

The fin.’s music style can be categorized under the many genres of chill wave, indie rock, and/or synth pop and on first listen, could be compared to the likes of Tame Impala. It is evident that their influences expand across genres and oceans. Although based in Japan, a new listener (like myself), would be surprised to hear that their songs are sung in English, a unique facet distinguishing them from a sea of emerging Japanese pop bands. The band began today’s set with a track from their most recent album Outer Ego, introducing their audience to their self-made dream pop world with their track, Shine.

The vocalist, songwriter, and producer of the group, Yuto Uchino, led the show along with his band mate and bassist Kaoru Nakazawa. Joining them were three other band members: a guitarist, bassist and keyboardist. The stage production remained simple, forgoing a backdrop with only subtle changes in neon lighting. With limited audience interaction, the focus remained on the music.

Throughout the first half of the show, the audience was calm and collected. Chill wave indeed. The vibes quickly transformed as the band performed their danceable top track, Night Time. The venue reshaped into a party-like atmosphere as concert-goers put their hands in the air. A band that can move across genres so seamlessly is worth getting to know, and today’s audience seemed to have a great time doing so.