Yahyel

yahyel are a five-piece indie pop band from Tokyo, Japan. The band was formed by Ikegai, Shinoda, and Sugimoto in 2015, and Yamada and Ooi joined the band in September 2016.

The name of the band, "yahyel", is a word meaning "alien", according to a cult based in the United States. The band chose the name since Japanese artists are often treated as alien outside of Japan.

2015: formation and Y
In 2015, Ikegai, Shinoda, and Sugimoto formed the band.

In May 2015, they released their first EP Y, which was acclaimed by critics.

In January 2016, they toured in London and held a mini concert at Rough Trade. They released their second EP Fool / Midnight Run soon after their tour.

2016: smash hit of "Once"
On 8 July 2016, yahyel's first single, "Once", was released. On 28 September 2016, "Once" was re-released with additional track "The Flare". The CD was mastered by Matt Colton and sold out soon after its release. In November 2016, they released their debut album Flesh and Blood, which ranked at number 68 on the Billboard Japan Album Chart.