BPM15Q -- Kyo You Mu（共有夢）

 

I did ask the Bing AI art generator to come up with a 1990s aidoru several weeks ago, but the image that I received seems a little too contemporary.

However, I think it fits the song for this article. Almost eight years ago, Marcos V. posted up his own articles on a couple of songs on a 2015 single by an eclectic duo named BPM15Q (pronounced BPM ichi-go Q). Featuring former BiS member Ichigo Rinahamu (苺りなはむ) and DJ nicamoq, the video for "Hakuchuumu" (はくちゅーむ) had the ladies looking like Akihabara maid café-perfect ultra-aidoru and sporting hardened Shibuya gyaru lifestyles.

But BPM15Q didn't stay that way once they got into 2016. At least doubling in number, the larger group was now known as CY8ER, a group that neither Marcos nor I have covered yet, but my impression is that they've continued to follow the original duo's style of otaku, Akihabara and club culture and music into the mix. As CY8ER, seven singles and four albums (including one album dedicated to BPM15Q) were released before their breakup in 2021.

Then in April 2022, BPM15Q rose out of the ashes once more and came out with their first major digital single "Kyo Yo Mu" (Shared Dreams). With the shared experience of the song and music video, it looks like a "Blade Runner" adventure mixing in some pretty crazy proposals for dates from Akihabara and Shibuya and at the same time, bringing in synthpop and R&B. 

BPM15Q – Hakuchuumu (はくちゅーむ) / HANNARI

“Pizza and Cigarettes, Beats and Idols”: that’s quite a strange motto for an aidoru unit, if you ask me. However, BPM15Q, an unit comprised of ex-BiS member Ichigo Rinahamu (苺りなはむ) and DJ nicamoq, is happily giving this concept some interesting life.

From what I heard so far, the duo records a mishmash of weird electronic aidoru music with some traditional flourishes (sometimes Japanese-inspired, sometimes Chinese-inspired). It’s not something new, even for indie aidoru standards, but I liked the result even more than I thought I would.

Apparently, the “Hakuchuumu / HANNARI” single was released in September 2015, but “Hakuchuumu’s” video was only uploaded in 2016. Even if the song per se is quite engaging, it was nice to finally see the duo in a proper music video.

I must admit, though, that was quite shocking to see cute aidoru singers, even if they’re just kinda mocking the whole genre, holding and smoking real cigarettes. Maybe it’s their take on punk attitude.

The b-side of the single is called “HANNARI”, and it’s equally great. I wasn’t able to find a video with the full song, but someone mixed both songs – and an intro – in the video below. “HANNARI” starts around the 3:45~3:50 mark.