Tatsuya Kitani and Silica Gel Discuss Their Collaboration in a Billboard Japan Monthly Feature Interview

Billboard JAPAN features Tatsuya Kitani and Silica Gel for this month’s MONTHLY FEATURE series. The genre-spanning Japanese singer-songwriter invited the South Korean indie band to Tokyo in July for a joint performance at Hugs Vol. 6, an event organized by Kitani.

The artists spoke with Billboard Japan on the day of the show before taking the stage.

From left to right: Tatsuya Kitani, Kim Han-joo (vocals and keyboard), Choi Woong-hee (bass), Kim Geon-jay (drums) and Kim Chunchu (guitar and vocals)

How did you two meet?

Tatsuya Kitani: I have been a fan of Silica Gel for a long time. When I visited Korea on my Asian tour in May 2025, my team asked if there were any Korean artists I wanted to meet for a promotional discussion. Although that talk did not happen, they came to my show, which is how we met.

Han-joo: I love Japanese anime and culture. I first learned about Kitani through “Where Our Blue Is,” the opening theme to Jujutsu Kaisen’s “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” arc. After he invited us to play at this show, I learned more about him and discovered his strong musical sensibilities and talent, becoming a huge fan.

Geon-jay: I spoke with him after his show and told him he was the real deal twice. On stage he radiated charisma, and in person, despite being tall and slender, he was really adorable, which drew me in.

Kitani, this is your sixth Hugs event. What’s the concept behind it, and how did it come to be?

Kitani: I started out as a solo artist putting music out on the net, and I felt people looked down on me a little for it. I wanted to prove what kind of show I could put on, cross scene lines, and become close friends with artists I respect. I wanted the artists and the fans to become friends. This is the first Hugs to go international with Silica Gel from South Korea and Iruka Police from Taiwan, and I look forward to working with more artists I have not met yet.

I’d like to hear more about what it is about each other’s music that you like.

Kitani: For me, it started with “Tik Tak Tok (feat. So!YoON!).” The second half features an extended guitar solo, and the more I listened, the more impressed I became. The melody and unique synth sound also drew me in. It had an appeal I cannot put into words, like music you would never hear in Japan.

Silica Gel, what do you find appealing about Kitani’s music?

Geon-jay: One of my favorite songs is “Devil’s Manner.” The music is bright and upbeat, while the lyrics express deep human struggles. Kitani is exceptionally skilled at using music to make meaningful lyrics enjoyable to listen to.

Have you felt any differences between Japan and Korea when it comes to live shows or other music activities?

Han-joo: The music ecosystems have developed differently. In Korea, K-pop has a distinct mainstream while bands and other genres are gradually expanding their public connections. In Japan, the pop and band scenes have a much broader foundation deeply rooted in culture. Seeing an artist like Kitani thrive freely within that scene is inspiring for Korean musicians.

Kitani: But you also play at huge arena-sized venues.

Chunchu: Performing at large venues is rare in the Korean music industry, and our timing and circumstances aligned well. Korea has many talented musicians and producers, and I hope more artists from different genres will perform on bigger stages as the infrastructure develops. I always wanted to introduce Korean musicians to Japan, so I was grateful that you played Korean music before the show.

Has there been any talk of this meeting leading up to writing a song together, or some other kind of collaboration?

Kitani: I would love to do that. How do you write your music? Each of you has such different music tastes, it is like you are in different bands.

Han-joo: Someone comes in with a theme, and we add ideas to build it up. If we wrote a song together, it would be fun if you came up with the melody and theme while we arranged it, trying styles neither of us has used before.

Kitani: What kinds of beats have you yet to use?

Chunchu: We have not used many fast beats, so we could try a fast-paced song. You pick the approach.

Kitani: Okay, maybe drum and bass, then.

Woong-hee: I do not know if I can play that. You will have to play the bass solo.

Kitani: Okay, we will do a battle of the basses. I started out as a bassist, after all.

Han-joo: It might also work if we build up the beat while playing the bass, like Squarepusher.

Kitani: Good point! I would love to do something like Squarepusher or James Blake. Is there a certain direction that you want to take Silica Gel as a band?

Chunchu: I would love for us to perform a lot of shows overseas. It is great to perform on a wonderful stage like this in Japan, and I want us to go on a big international tour playing in America and Europe to become a cool touring musician.

–This interview by Maho Kakehi first appeared on Billboard Japan