Vicke Blanka’s collaboration single with Taiiku Okazaki, ‘BAKASHI HOUR NIGHT’, is now available worldwide for download and streaming. The music video has already accrued over 2 million plays on YouTube.
The collaboration was the result of a deep friendship between two kindred spirits – Vicke Blanka and Okazaki are not only partners in music but gaming buddies, too.
The Japanese word ‘bakashi’ means ‘bewitching’ or ‘enchanting’, and ‘BAKASHI HOUR NIGHT’ is a song about friends hanging out together and wistfully longing to “mess around together for decades”. The music was composed and arranged by Vicke Blanka, and the lyrics were co-written by both Vicke Blanka and Okazaki.
The song was mixed by Josh Cumbee, a music producer who has worked with Kygo, Rita Ora and Adam Lambert. Cumbee’s expertise helped the two artists reach for a new level of world-class dance music.
The music video was directed by Mani Kato, who has created memorable videos for a number of artists including Kyuso Nekokami, Gesu no Kiwami Otome and Superfly.
The video features Vicke Blanka and Okazaki dressed as a fox and a raccoon as they hang out in Vicke Blanka’s room, which is cluttered with records, games and other so-uncool-it’s-cool paraphernalia. The two friends play retro video games, fire up the DJ decks, and even perform a perfectly synchronized dance together. Scenes filled with humor and heart beautifully showcase the personalities and chemistry of these two close friends, while also expressing the magic of the song itself, making for a must-watch video.
In addition, fans are encouraged to use the duet feature on TikTok to learn the choreography and collaborate with other fans around the world on original ‘BAKASHI HOUR NIGHT’ TikTok videos – and experience their own night of bewitchment in the process.
Comments from Josh Cumbee
I was deeply honored that the team at AVEX put all this together for me to mix on such an awesome song. The track was so musical, the melodies so infectious, and the vocal performances so effortless yet impressive.. I woke up every day for two weeks straight humming the synth line of the drop while working on the tune. Also, going back and forth on mix notes with Vicke was so refreshingly fun and collaborative, a real highlight for me and testament to his artistry. Congrats on the release Vicke Blanka and Okazaki – it’s an awesome record and I’m glad I got to play a small part in it!
