Gothic folk metal act BELLE MORTE is proud to announce the release of the official music video for their latest single, “Jorōgumo.” A masterful blend of dark, heavy metal and traditional Japanese music, the track features an extraordinary collaboration with three highly acclaimed Japanese artists: Hisashi (koto, arrangement of Japanese instrument parts), Reigen Fujii (shamisen), and Souzan Kato (shakuhachi).
Inspired by Japanese folklore, Jorōgumo tells the tale of the spider demon who lures her prey with beauty and deception. Featuring traditional instruments such as koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi, arranged and directed by Hisashi, the track fuses gothic and industrial metal with haunting Japanese textures.
This track takes listeners on a journey through twisted forests and shadowy realms, weaving a tale of temptation, entrapment, and dark enchantment.
Music Video Full Credits
VIDEO PRODUCTION Winterlight Studio
DIRECTOR Riccardo Ceppari
ART DIRECTOR & EDITOR Martina Pizzi
DOP Riccardo Ceppari
DOP ASSISTANT Giulio Barnabò
MAKE UP ARTIST Cristina Attanasio
COSTUMES Annamode Costumes
BACKSTAGE Giulio Barnabò
CONCEPT Martina Pizzi, Belle Morte
MINSK TROUPE
CAMERAMAN Artiom Korol
BACKSTAGE Vadim Bloshnianitsa
MAKE UP ARTIST Diana Makovets
Hisashi
Hisashi is a professional koto player and composer based in Japan.
He has built a wealth of experience playing the koto, both in Japan and overseas. His music career has allowed him to work with clients all over the world, including Japan, the U.S., the UK, Canada, Germany, Norway, and Portugal. He has taken part in several recording sessions for music composers, producers, record labels, an award-nominated composer, and a prize-winning composer.
As a composer, he specializes in a mixed style of modern music and traditional Japanese music. He has composed music for singers, dance projects, promotion videos, art projects, etc. In the 2022 Petrichor International Music Competition, he was selected as a semi-finalist.
His music style was established through his own unique music career. He has been familiar with traditional Japanese music since he was born because his mother is a koto teacher. He also started playing the piano when he was 6, and he started playing the drums in a rock band when he was 13. He has been a member of many rock/metal bands as a drummer and composer. He also has a passion for electronic music and experiments with modern sound-making by sampling traditional Japanese instruments.
Reigen FUJII
A pioneer who established his own shamisen chord theory and adopted new performance techniques to develop innovative approaches to Western music.
In 2012, he won the 5th champion of the national shamisen competition and became the youngest winner ever. He promotes shamisen by holding workshops around the world and has led many students to become prize winners.
Currently, he also often appears on TV shows and radio programs, and
collaborates with various artists.
Souzan KATO
Souzan KATO is a professional shakuhachi player based in Japan. He is a certified master of the Tozanryu Shakuhachi Foundation.
He graduated from the Traditional Japanese Music Course at Nagoya College of Music and completed the master’s program in the Graduate School of Music at the same university.
He was awarded the Gold Prize at the Tozanryu Honkyoku National
Competition in 2015, 2018, and 2021. Also, he received the Minister of Education Award and the Sankei Newspaper Award.
He engages in performance activities both domestically and internationally, including lectures and performances at universities in Asia, Europe, and North America.
The track is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed album “Pearl Hunting”, released via Wormholedeath Records, further cementing Belle Morte’s place among the most captivating voices in modern symphonic metal.