JAKARTA - The LIL LEAGUE from EXILE TRIBE group presents their latest album titled NEOMATIC. This album marks their latest work after releasing a studio album two years ago interspersed with several mini albums.
LIL LEAGUE from EXILE TRIBE consists of Sena Iwaki, Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Kodai Yamada, Matora Okao (OMG), Haima Momoda, and Sora Namba. This six-member group is certainly more mature in presenting their musical identity.
The six men who were selected from the iCON Z 2022 auditions were indeed formed from the beginning to give strength and momentum to their listeners. They confirmed that their latest work formed their strong desire to make music.
"Through this album, our first release after almost two years, I think you will be able to feel the cooler and different version of LIL LEAGUE than before. Of course you can listen to the digital version starting in February, but this time we also release it in the form of CD and vinyl, so this album can be enjoyed in many ways," said Kodai Yamada in an interview with VOI, some time ago.
The main song, LILMATIC samples Beethoven's classic work mixed with electro, impressively images a formidable image for LIL LEAGUE. In addition, the other 12 songs in the NEOMATIC album are dominated by the Hip Hop and electro side.
"In terms of sound, this album is basically hip-hop mixed with classical music elements, and our flagship song uses the motif of 'Für Elise' by Beethoven. In addition, as a symbol of the classic theme behind 'LILMATIC', we chose 'records', which was finally realized through the release of our first analog vinyl LP," added Sora Namba.
Although it is relatively new, LIL LEAGUE strives to be consistent in releasing music and meeting fans. Almost three years after debut, the six members managed to steal the spotlight because of their ability to sing, rap, and dance collectively.
"The way I see music has started to change. Over the past year, I've often helped produce music for concerts and events, so now my knowledge of music has increased. I feel that there are now more opportunities to learn that knowledge," said Kodai Yamada.
As a result, the NEOMATIC album presents a fresh but still tough side of LIL LEAGUE. This is reflected from the first track LILMATIC which feels familiar to the last track Forever Young ~Soranoshita~ which shows the harmony of the members.
"All of our songs actually represent the excellence of LIL LEAGUE, so it's hard to choose, but if you can only choose one (that describes the group), I choose the song Forever Young ~Soranoshita~, this song was written by all members together with EXILE SHOKICHI who usually produces our music," said Matora Okao who believes this song marks a big change in the group.
"(The song) Shigeki Saiyusen. As the lyrics say, "We prioritize stimulation," this song describes our momentum and energy in a straightforward and bold way. Audio-wise, even though it's basically hip-hop, elements from various genres come in and change with agility, and I think the speed and change of the arrangement show the characteristics of LIL LEAGUE," said Sora Namba.
Musical Reflections and the Dominance of Southeast AsiaIt has been almost four years since LIL LEAGUE has been making music and meeting their fans. Even though their debut is a short-lived, they feel changes both individually and as a group. Matora Okao explained that the desire to develop has been ingrained since he auditioned for iCON Z - Dreams For Children -, an audition program that brought the members together and formed as a group.
"Personally, I feel that the minimum standard for my performance has changed. For the past three years, we have performed in many live shows, events, and media, where we always practice together to continue to grow. Since the audition, we have fought harder than ever to perfect the choreography and diligently discuss," said Matora Okao.
"Therefore, I feel that if we don't surpass our former selves, our performance will no longer be interesting. It may sound ordinary, but growth does not come automatically. Every time I look at our current performance, I always ask myself if this is enough and what can be improved," continued Matora Okao.
He also emphasized that the live performance made "our minimum standards continue to rise, and that's the biggest change I've felt - something that really makes me happy. This mindset also has an influence on the making of this album."
Sena Iwaki as the leader also mentioned one thing that has not changed from the members of LIL LEAGUE is their way of communicating. Communication and discussion that makes them understand each other in evaluating the style of music so that it produces LIL LEAGUE which is now increasingly loved by fans.
"Because the audition was during the COVID-19 pandemic, we often communicated with each other online from our respective hometowns. One of the most memorable moments was when we sent each other videos of choreographic or physical practice for each other," said Sena Iwaki.
"LIL LEAGUE often discusses, and sometimes we are honest about our opinions, ranging from performance levels, our mindset for each member, to the quality of our overall performance. This continues even after three years of debut, and every time we discuss, we become more frequent and I feel the relationship between members is getting stronger," added Matora Okao.
The winner of the 2024 Japan Gold Disc Awards also has the desire to do a dome tour in Japan and introduce LIL LEAGUE to the world.
"In 2026, I want us to be musicians who can convey our music and performance well to more people. I'm really happy to know that there are overseas fans - especially in Southeast Asia - who support us," said Sora Namba.
"We want to introduce the names of LIL LEAGUE and LIL Friends to more people around the world," said Sena Iwaki.
Interestingly, Tatsuhiro Nakamura learned that there were Indonesian fans who had watched LIL LEAGUE's performance in Japan. He hopes that one day, LIL LEAGUE can also visit and perform in Indonesia for fans.
"There are fans who have come a long way from Indonesia to Japan just to watch us, so we will continue to work hard so that one day we can go to Indonesia and perform there directly!" said Tatsuhiro Nakamura.
"Thank you very much for your warm support for us. We will continue to give our best so that LIL LEAGUE can perform in Indonesia soon as well!! Thank you!!" said Haima Momoda ending the conversation with VOI.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
