A Collection of Comments from the Composers of Hoshimiya Toto's「IF」Compilation Album

HOSHIMIYA TOTO "IF" Artwork by mary, with new tracks from eight composers

HOSHIMIYA TOTO's long-awaited compilation album "IF" has been announced! Built on the bold concept of "finding a new self through music that suits Hoshimiya Toto," eight distinctive composers produce Toto's "what-if selves" in sound. The result is a record packed with experimental sounds that push beyond the usual boundaries.

Another highlight of the album is the visual world created by mary, who handled the artwork. Working around the theme of "travel," mary paints art that feels like a journey through all kinds of places, reflecting a different landscape and sensation for every track. The visuals sync beautifully with the songs the composers have crafted, creating a work where sound and image amplify one another.

What's more, all of mary's artwork is printed throughout the CD's lyric booklet, so you can enjoy the album from both a visual and a musical angle. It plays out almost like a single travelogue unfolding across one record — a truly special experience.

Colored by Hoshimiya Toto's spirit of challenge, "IF" is a work that reveals a different face every time you listen. Her pursuit of a pop yet unpredictable musical approach keeps listeners eager for whatever comes next. After release, the tracks will roll out one by one as singles, promising an experience that only deepens the more you listen.

There's no doubt "IF" will be a turning point as Hoshimiya Toto takes her next step. The first of those steps to watch: the early CD sale at M3 on October 27 (Second Exhibition Hall, booth E-23).

Tracklist & composer comments

01 Doda & Static "Learn to Swim"

Doda

"Collaborating with Hoshimiya Toto has been a long time goal! I really wanted to do that goal justice by combining my sound design style with Toto's dreamlike vocals."
Doda

Static

"I'm really excited to have 'Learn to Swim' featured on 'IF.' I wanted to capture Hoshimiya Toto’s vibrant style with dynamic sound design, playful vocal chops, fun arrangements, and layered textures!"
Static

02 Inu "tell!"

"For this track, my theme was expressing the feelings we forget as we grow up as human beings — treating my own existence as a kind of recording medium — while imagining that honest, childlike innocence. For the lyrics, I tried building them around the "what if" at the heart of "IF," and sound-wise I think I came up with a really interesting drop, so I'd love for you to listen for that too. I hope you enjoy it."
Inu

03 IX/ON "Timescroll"

"This was my first time making a vocal track for a collaboration, and I really thought hard about how to bring out my own color while matching the mood of Hoshimiya's voice!
Since the album is called "IF," it became a song that feels like winding back to the past and looking through your memories — "what if I'd done things differently back then…" Such a great track! I want you to listen to it tucked away in a corner of your room."
IX/ON

04 自由ヶ丘 (Jiyugaoka) "ブラッド・シュガー・スパイク" (Blood Sugar Spike)

"I was certain Hoshimiya's voice would pair perfectly with clean-tone electric guitar, so without a second thought I made a song where the guitar weaves in and out of the vocals. It's a simple track with few sounds, but topped with exactly the kind of crystal-clear vocals I'd imagined, I think it came together as one ideal form of what I was going for. Please give it a listen."
自由ヶ丘

05 Uztama "紺碧の空に飛び込んで" (Diving into the Azure Sky)

"I had the honor of making the track "紺碧の空に飛び込んで" (Diving into the Azure Sky) with Toto! Driven purely by the wish to do a Toto band song, it turned into something straightforward and refreshing, unlike my usual work. I think the lyrics and arrangement will bring back the scent of summer. It's a twin-vocal song with me and Toto, so I'd love for you to listen closely to the way our two voices layer together. It's an amazing track! I hope you enjoy it!"
Uztama

06 KAIRUI "ひかるゆめ" (Hikaru Yume)

"It turned into a song like drifting off to sleep with a diary in hand — like suddenly losing all your weight when you flop down in the middle of everyday life. In the best possible way, Hoshimiya Toto's singing feels like she's voicing the words exactly as they are. I have a feeling that those bare, honest words carry the lyrics straight through to somewhere. I'd be happy if this is a song where you can feel that. And once again, congratulations on the release."
KAIRUI

07 Rhino kawara "Image Scape"

"In collaborating with Hoshimiya, while holding onto the sounds and themes we both love, I set out to fuse the core of each of us — her singing and my piano — to create a new color. The theme was "tone and recording media, like a Polaroid camera." Drawing inspiration from there together, we tried things like giving it a faded, washed-out feel, and I think I was able to create in a way that's different from working alone. Beyond depicting Hoshimiya's "what-if self," this project let me take on something new too, and I feel like I caught a glimpse of my own what-if self. Look forward to it!"
Rhino kawara

08 sober bear "Transfer"

""Transfer" was made with the image of a dialogue with memory. I think it's a sound that's somehow airy — like when you're turning something over in your head — yet near-future. It's a track you can settle in and relax to."
sober bear

Schedule

• Early CD release at M3: October 27, Second Hall, booth E-23, ¥3,000
• November: CD sold successively through the online shop
• November: Singles start releasing little by little
• Atmos mix streaming at the same time!

"IF" is a must-listen packed with adventure for any music fan — an album where you can fully savor the thrill of wondering, "What will Hoshimiya Toto do next?" Come find out for yourself, with your own ears, the many sides of Hoshimiya that this work reveals!

XFD here!