Dos Moons (Full Moon)

Extending their reach beyond Japan's domestic scene, rap trio Dos Monos-who will host alternative hip-hop heavyweights billy woods and By Storm for their self-curated event "Theater D vol.5" on January 31 - have release their latest album, "Dos Moons (Full Moon)".

The album reconstructs two EPs released in 2025- "Dos Moons" (May) and its follow-up "Dos Moons 2" (December) - into a single, unified work, newly framed with an original intro and outro.

Originally built around imagery drawn from original artwork by legendary horror manga artist Junji Ito, "Dos Moons" marked a turning point for Dos Monos, colliding the experimental language they had developed as a rap trio with a raw, band-driven ensemble approach.
Its continuation, "Dos Moons 2", pushed this trajectory even further, foregrounding impulses sharpened through live performance and embracing bold, structure-dismantling shifts in form.

"Dos Moons (Full Moon)" is not a simple compilation of these two EPs. By placing the previously fragmented tracks onto a single orbit, the album presents the duality of the moon - its light and shadow - as a cohesive statement that reflects what Dos Monos originally set out to express.

Beginning with "Gekkō (Moonlight) Intro", a skit-like vocal passage led by Botsu, the album unfolds through "Gilda", which signals the opening of the narrative; "LETSUGOU", now a live staple powered by the repeated chant [Let's go] ; and "KIRA KIRA", an anthem that overlays new-wave-inspired riffs with nostalgia for a shimmering past.
From there, the album moves into "Really Free", where avant-garde experimentation collides with visceral band energy, before closing with "Oz" and finally dissolving into "Gekkō (Moonlight) Outro".

As with nearly all of Dos Monos' previous work, the album was mixed-and this time also mastered-by their long-time collaborator and renowned engineer The Anticipation Illicit Tsuboi.

Shortly after the release, Dos Monos will host "Theater D vol.5" at LIQUIDROOM Ebisu, inviting billy woods and By Storm from the United States-artists who have profoundly influenced the trio's musical outlook.
Rather than remaining confined to Japan's local scene, "Dos Moons (Full Moon)" stands as a declaration of Dos Monos' intent to actively connect with a global context where experimental, radical hip-hop and forward-moving musical expressions intersect.