Have you heard the song “Contradiction,” the opening from The God of High School this season? If you have, you probably remember it as standing out from other, more typical anisong pieces. If you haven’t heard it yet, do your ears a favour and go listen to it now! You won’t regret it; its right at the bottom of this section. The artist behind this piece of music is named KSUKE, which is a name you likely haven’t encountered before. He’s very new to the otaku scene, but already his music is making a huge impact amongst fans.
So let’s have a look at the man behind “Contradiction,” and the story of how he made it into the anisong world this season. His story is not that typical of other anisong artists, and while his career hasn’t been that long yet, it’s interesting all the same!
KSUKE “Contradiction” from The God of High School
A Jack-of-All-Trades
KSUKE “SCARZ Official Supporter Song” for Japan’s eSports Team
KSUKE is more than just a vocalist. He’s actually a music producer, a musician, and a DJ, too! Though he started as just a DJ, KSUKE’s career in the music world really took off in 2015 when he signed on with Warner Music International. Having a major record label behind him meant that KSUKE was able to focus on being a music producer, both of original music as well as creating remixes. One of his most successful ones at the time was a track called “Breath Again,” which he made alongside k-pop star and ex-member of F(x), Amber. From there, KSUKE began to produce music for some commercials and music festivals. He has also made remixes with Western artists like Chris Brown, along with Japanese artists like MAN WITH A MISSION, RIRI, and more.
Not long after that, KSUKE entered into the gaming world. KSUKE appeared in a panel at Tokyo Game Show, and since has produced some tracks for the rhythm game BEATMANIA from KONAMI, as well as working alongside Japan’s eSports team SCARZ to create their official supporters song in 2019. After that, KSUKE had a foot in the door for the anisong world. He joined a band called KORONANAMOREMOMO. It was born from the j-rock band MAXIMUM THE HORMONE, the voices responsible for some of the most memorable anime openings of the 2000s - Death Note. Even though KORONANAMOREMOMO only debuted in 2019, they already played at several major Japanese music festivals.
That brings us to 2020, and KSUKE is the talent behind “Contradiction.” The God of High School is based not on a manga like many anime, but on a South Korean webtoon, and has many South Korean people on the team helping bring the anime to life. It’s fitting that “Breath Again,” the song that really made KSUKE famous, was made alongside a k-pop star - and now, his anisong fame is with a South Korean-based anime!
Final Thoughts
You may not have known much about KSUKE before this, but we hope you’ve learned a lot now! While he may only be responsible for one anime theme right now, that theme really stands out this season as something fresh, unique, and worth putting on your personal playlist. Plus it has the rare quality of being in English, so if your Japanese is a bit rusty you can finally sing along with an anime opening! Now that you know about KSUKE from hopefully just the beginning of his anisong career, you can keep your eyes open (or maybe your ears!) for his work in the future.
Did you know about KSUKE before reading this article? What do you think about his work so far? Are you hoping to hear more of him in the anime and game world in the future? Let us know in the comments before you leave!
Recommended Post