Electronic Dance Music is the best thing about going to a club rave. EDM LED lights combined with the dominant BPM music creates an ethereal experience for any raver. DJ’s are the heart of any EDM party, and DJ’s like Camellia create music that redefines the entire genre of EDM —Japanese EDM that is.
Camellia is the quintessential techno DJ, producing major tracks that epitomize booming subgenres like Dubstep, Hardcore, Trap, Gabber, Drum n Bass, Trance. Much like fellow Japanese EDM DJ Kors K, Camellia is the music behind various video games.
Camellia isn’t just a DJ, he is an artist
Born Masaya Oya, Camellia has permanently cemented himself on the Japanese EDM scene, producing a multitude of projects under different styles simultaneously. As an artist, Camellia is also versatile, not merely as a DJ but also as a musician. Camellia can play an array of instruments that include the piano, bass, and guitar; in addition to also being a music lyricist.
Known by many as Camellia, the cryptic DJ can be heard under varying aliases like Hatsune Miko and Cametek. Camellia aka Hatsune Miko, fostered the hit song “Systematic Love” which he sang himself.
VOCALOID is synonymous with Camellia
Like fellow Japanese DJ Kors K, Camellia is not a stranger to a synthesizer— both are also associated with EXIT TUNES—often altering his original singing voice with VOCALOID. VOCALOID is a commonly used voice synthesizer equivalent to autotune, and prominent in J pop.
Under the scope of electronica, Camellia impacted the realm of synthesized techno music releasing five albums as strictly a VOCALOID artist —known as Hatsune Miko during that time— over the course of three years, beginning in 2010.
In 2013 when Camellia’s, then Hatsune Miko, hit song “Systematic Love” was released, Camellia became recognized for his transformative emergence of VOCALOID and hardcore electro. “Systematic Love” was such a huge success that it was covered by big-time J pop singer REOL in 2015.
Despite all of the success as a known VOCALOID electro artist, Camellia soon became disillusioned and rejected the idea of being pigeonholed as just another “VOCALOID” artist.
Camellia began switching his focus to different EDM genres.
In an article written on the Journal du Japon website, Camellia stated “Rather than quitting completely, I’m trying to make VOCALOID whenever I have the chance. However, I think that’s because writing music to a rhythm game and dôjin composing (activity in the Japanese indie music scene) is now my main activity and it’s becoming my top priority”
At the end of 2013, Camellia completely ended his VOCALOID artistry and focused on electro-music only.
Camellia further stated in a Journal du Japon article “And now, VOCALOID composers almost always release their songs along with a music video, that seems like a lot of work for me. […] Mass of heart made me the most effort with murAta Yuzi who made the video.”
An electro sensation, Camellia also infiltrated video games with his fast tempo EDM. Camellia’s music has been featured in BEMANI video games. The theme song for Konami’s Steel Chronicle VICTROOPERS Ver3.5 introduction video and INSECTICIDE for SOUND VOLTEX II -infinite infection was produced by Camellia.
The talented DJ Camellia has provided his spectacular melodious rhythms on BEMANI’s beatmania and has been award-winning.
“Also, if I imagine a scene of a rhythm game like BEMANI, I can name 2 songs, Bangin’ Burst and Bassdrop freaks. The former is a song that received the best award at the contest in SOUND VOLTEX of KONAMI, and many people still play it,” stated Camellia in an article published by the Journal du Japon website.
Not opposed to collaboration, the illustrious Japanese DJ and one of BEMANI’s unique music video game producers Camellia paired with sassy J pop singer Nanahira; becoming a duo in 2012 and releasing hit song Bassdrop Freaks in 2014. Bassdrop Freaks was later added to the beatmania IIDX saga.
Otaku influence encapsulates the Camellia and Nanahira era, mostly because of Nanahira’s high pitched voice that is illustrative of kawaii. Today, Camellia continues making good music and has crossovers into the US market when he published one of his songs in the worldwide game osu in 2015!
A fan may be able to even catch him live streaming on Twitch now and again and he has also recently dropped his new album Xronial Xero in March of 2020. Camellia is definitely the future of EDM and he has much more to come!