NEON BLOOD: HOW RE:O FORGED JAPANCORE IN THE U.K.

Tokyo’s cyber‑punk princess teams up with a UK metal squad to redefine ‘heavy.’

Five minutes into a packed London basement, Rio Suyama springs offstage into the crowd—synth cables whipping, kimono glinting under strobes. That moment encapsulates Re:O’s ethos: chaos rehearsed, spectacle birthed.

Rio cut her teeth in Tokyo’s indie‑pop underground as RIØ. She self‑released two singles—“Hide and Seek” and “We Went Dark”—channeling Pale Waves’ sheen, Grimes’s alien pulse, The 1975’s swagger. “I taught myself production from YouTube,” she says. “Alan Walker’s drops, Virtual Riot’s design, Skrillex’s mayhem—I devoured it all.”

“I realized I wanted to tear my melodies apart,” Rio smiles, describing the Nine Inch Nails track that cracked her pop veneer. In 2022, she rebranded as Re:O, recruiting a dream team: James Wright (bass; featured on of AORTA’s “Bruises” and “Tempest”), Alex Carli (guitar; ex‑Crux, Nulsight, Hyra), drummer Jay Stevens (two decades pounding skins), and Jon Roberts (tritone‑obsessed riff architect). Maidenhead got louder overnight. But Rio’s indie‑pop roots were only the prologue—next up, the battles that forged Re:O’s fiercest anthems.

But Rio’s indie‑pop roots were only the prologue—next up, the battles that forged Re:O’s fiercest anthems.

Re:O’s story arcs around struggle. They name‑checked that in Ronin, a track born from betrayal. “No one helped me,” Rio growls. “They blamed me. So I kept moving.”

The guitars in the verses shudder; the chorus drops into a Drop A abyss. That Japanese refrain, delivered with calm conviction, lands like a banner unfurling over wreckage.

Then there’s Violets, written in memory of James’s grandmother. A nursery‑music intro ripples into pulsating synth layers, violins curve into sorrow, drums thunder beneath it all. “We broke down crying in the studio,” James admits. “But that made it true.”

Re:O’s tone is schizophrenic—in the best way. They tune to Drop A for seismic heft; Alex’s Ernie Ball Music Man through a Friedman BE‑100 screams mids that cut like razors. Jon’s classical training warps into dissonant tritones that unsettle your spine.

Rio rigs a Moog Sub 37, patches it to mimic an 808 kick, layering grime atop analog warmth. “We aren’t here to blend in,” Rio grins. “We’re here to fracture the scene.”

Echoes of Babymetal’s playful menace reverberate around Crossfaith’s EDM blitzkrieg. Poppy’s art‑metal theatrics lurk in the corners. Yet Re:O stands apart—no retweet of a formula, but a fracture made flesh.

Armed with drop‑A riffs and glitchy synth sorcery, Re:O found themselves too fierce for one scene and not quite home in another.

James sums it up: “We're stuck between worlds—and we thrive on that.” UK moshers pause at Japanese lyrics; J‑pop fans blink at breakdowns. Neither scene owns Japancore—Re:O does.

They share Twitch stages with Crossfaith, swap playlists with Spiritbox, and trade shout‑outs with Babymetal’s fanbase. London mosh pits; Sheffield metalheads sing Ronin back at them. This friction fuels their grind.

So they built their own battleground—every show a storyboarded collision of cosplay, crowd‑surfing, and controlled chaos.

Every Re:O show is a storyboarded siege. They rehearse tight, then unleash controlled anarchy. Re:o are -

Do not miss Re:O live!

“No two shows are the same,” Jay laughs. “You never know if Rio ends up in your arms.”

Their unpredictability isn’t just spectacle—it’s the spark lighting Japancore’s future.

Re:O isn’t waiting. Autumn 2025 studio sessions promise grander symphonics—distorted pianos, shredding strings. A debut album looms. Festival slots across the UK beckon. Rio dreams of returning to headline Zepp venues in Tokyo.

They won’t ask permission. They’ll shatter expectations with power and gentility combined. In 2026, Japancore becomes its own fortress—Re:O holds the keys.

Hit up their Link Tree here to find out if an when they're coming to a venue near you. Follow them on socials and listen online. We cannot recommend them enough. Rock on Re:O

Here at Phase B Records we're massive fans of Japancore and its scenen and vibe but we've come to realise recently that its little heard of in the UK and with Western audiences. Well.. you're in luck dear reader! - below we've made a playlist of just a few of our absolute favorites just for you! - hit save, play, enjoy!

What do you get when you melt J-pop hooks, breakdowns, blast beats, glitchy synths, and idol-school theatrics into one beautiful, teeth-rattling mess?

You get Japancore — a sound that doesn’t ask for permission. Too candy-coated for the purists. Too chaotic for the mainstream. Too wired, wild, and wired in to be ignored.

This isn’t a genre. It’s an explosion. A rebellion wrapped in kawaii vocals and razorblade riffs. A maximalist scream against sameness. And right now, it’s one of the most exciting sonic movements on the planet.

So we made a playlist: Japan Core Essentials. Thirty tracks. Zero rules. Legends like Hanabie., Crossfaith, and PassCode tear through the speakers, alongside the UK’s own crossover alchemists Re:O — dragging Tokyo club chaos straight into the mosh pit.

 Hit follow. Ask yourself:

What is Japancore?

Then press play and let it answer in its own language — loud, weird, and brilliant.