Lucky Kilimanjaro releases new digital EP and announces national-wide tour

Lucky Kilimanjaro has been gaining fans with a mix of chill tunes and upbeat jams.

They’re only gaining more momentum as they celebrate their 10th year and released a brand new digital EP, “Dancers Friendly”, on July 24th, 2024. They’ve also announced a nationwide tour where they’ll be showing off these hot new tunes.

We’d like to take this opportunity to take a look at this new EP and also their new tour! We’ll also cover the band’s history and take a look at some recommended listening.

Who is Lucky Kilimanjaro

Lucky Kilimanjaro was formed in 2014 by Yukimaru Kumaki (Vocals), Rami (Percussion), Seiji Yamaura (Bass), Masaki Shibata (Drums), Koji Matsuzaki (Guitar), and Mao Ōtaki (Synthesizer) who met at their university’s band club.

After only four years, they made their major debut in 2018 with the EP “HUG”. Lucky Kilimanjaro has released an amazing 18 singles and four full albums since. Releasing a constant stream of bangers, they’ve seen their popularity continue to rise.

Kumaki, who writes and composes the band’s music, has also provided music for groups such as Hey! Say! JUMP and DISH//. Their creative output has definitely solidified their position in the world of music.

Lucky Kilimanjaro’s appeal: A combination of the new and the nostalgic

A lot of Lucky Kilimanjaro’s music harks back to the feeling of 80s city pop.

But they don’t simply copy that genre’s style. They take the essences and reinterpret them into their own modern, chill beats. This mashup of the nostalgic and the new is their greatest appeal.

Lucky Kilimanjaro claims its mission is to “Make the world dance every day” and the music they create has a melody that you just can’t help but dance to. They’ve combined an easy-to-listen to pop beat with a rhythm that gets your heart pumping to form their own unique brand of music.

Their newest digital EP, “Dancers Friendly”, is full of that signature Lucky Kilimanjaro style. Let’s take a look at this EP’s appeal and some of the tracks that are included.

Digital EP “Dancers Friendly”

Lucky Kilimanjaro’s new digital EP, “Dancers Friendly”, was released on July 24th, 2024.

As the title suggests, this EP is themed around dancing and all six tracks include references to moving your body. This EP shows that the band has no plans of abandoning their mission of “Make the world dance every day”.

To prove that, “Dancers Friendly”, the first track of the album, is a danceable track that has Lucky Kilimanjaro written all over it. You can feel your body just wanting to move listening to the melody and the repeating riffs are absolutely addictive.

Vocalist Kumaki comments in the liner notes that “Dance music always provides us with two choices - go along with the daily flow, or go out and break that flow.” proving that this track is a great representation of the band’s beliefs.

The title track of the album, “Kakeochi” (かけおち / Elope), shows off their dauntless spirit.

This track combines a simple, folk music beat and combines beautiful references to waves, stars, and the wind. This dance track almost seems to call to your primal instincts and shows a new take on the concept of dance by Lucky Kilimanjaro.

Particularly notable is the final track “Ran-Ran”. This piece’s comical melody would feel at home in a cartoon. It’s clearly different from the other tracks on this album and shows an evolution in Lucky Kilimanjaro’s style.

The song wraps up with the lyrics “They’re ain’t no template. It’s my own dance.” which gives the feeling that they’re showing their commitment to finding their own path without being blinded by preconceived notions.

Free-thinking but grounded by a strong will, all of Lucky Kilimanjaro’s new songs are unique and appealing in their own way. Not only that, they’ve announced they’ll be releasing another new digital EP on October 30th named “Soul Friendly”!

They’re an absolute music-making machine! Better Keep a close eye on Lucky Kilimanjaro or you’re gonna lose sight of them!

Lucky Kilimanjaro presents TOUR “YAMAODORI 2024 to 2025“

To wrap up their 10th anniversary, Lucky Kilimanjaro has announced the “Lucky Kilimanjaro presents. TOUR ‘YAMAODORI 2024 to 2025’”

This will be a nationwide tour across 10 different venues between November 17th, 2024, and February 16th, 2025.

The stage performance of this six-person band is nothing short of astonishing. You can enjoy a wide range of music going from moody tracks that bring a chill atmosphere to the venue to danceable numbers that feel like they're going to shake the house down. For those who are interested, don’t miss this opportunity to experience them live!

Our top three Lucky Kilimanjaro tracks

We’d like to take this opportunity to recommend three tracks that aren’t included in “Dancers Friendly”. All of them are classics so make sure to check them out before you go see them live.

“Kaze ni Naru” (風になる / Become the Wind)

“Kaze ni Naru” is Lucky Kilimanjaro’s first single that was released in June 2019.

While unique for its energetic and youthful melody, it’s an early classic of theirs that includes their trademark danceable beat.

It’s also a very positive song with encouraging lyrics like “It’s okay to be uncertain” and “It’s okay if you’re not brave”. This one’s a good one for when you need a pick-me-up.

"Fuzzy Summer” (ファジーサマー)

Released in July 2022, “Fuzzy Summer” is their 13th single.

This one’s a bit of a moody track that portrays a somewhat lonely summer and shows off the more chill side of this band.

The phrase “The empty, empty summer” is repeated throughout the song giving off vibes of sadness. This one’s a bittersweet one perfect for those summer nights.

“Jikkan” (実感 / Realize)

“Jikkan” is their 18th single released in April 2024. This track is the first release of their 10th anniversary year and you could say is the culmination of their career thus far.

“The night we can’t dance” appears multiple times in the lyrics and at the end, they state “I believe unnecessary days are all part of the process of love”. This one’s a provocative one with Lucky Kilimanjaro, who has made it its mission to make people dance, stating the days we can’t dance have meaning too.

This one shows off a new side to Lucky Kilimanjaro and is worthy of a commemorative year like this.

In conclusion

Lucky Kilimanjaro continues to gain popularity with a steady stream of excellent beats. Their new digital EP, “Dancers Friendly”, shows off a new side of this band and is a must-listen for fans.

With this new EP added to their repertoire, they’re sure to put on an even more exciting show with this tour. If we’ve managed to get you interested even a little bit, don’t hesitate to check out their new EP and go see them live!