When Shelling takes the stage at an ambient-drone gig at an art gallery in Tokyo's Okubo neighborhood, one thing sets them apart — the synthesizers.

Singer-guitarist Aya Sato almost whispers her vocals, and guitarist Shota Ishihara draws out chords in a classic shoegaze style, but the sharp, multi-note synth accompaniment is like nothing you'd hear in that genre.

"We weren't focusing on an particular genre when we started out," Sato says. "We took time in studios experimenting with all sorts of styles, including ambient, pop and toy electronica, and that's how our sound progressed."