Bassist Takumi Matsuzaka had a clear plan in mind when he launched his band, Awesome City Club, in early 2013.

"From the start I knew I wanted it to be two girls and three guys, and we'd play the songs at slower, danceable tempos," he says, speaking at the band's management office in Tokyo's Ebisu district. "I didn't want songs with a strong message in the lyrics, I just wanted the music itself to make people feel good."

He was also acutely aware that the de facto way of operating as a new and unknown band in Tokyo — constantly playing gigs, selling demos and praying an A&R rep will come knocking at the door — wasn't going to cut it. Instead, his group chose the modern route, and recorded and uploaded songs and music videos online for free.