The Nostalgic Shibuya-Kei Sound of Tomatomat
Photo: @tomatomat.exe on Instagram
Y2K is in full swing, with 2000s looks and sounds making its way through the industry. Many K-pop acts, old and new, are taking advantage of the era’s colorful clothing and accessories to bring a sense of nostalgia. But a quick look at the K-band scene shows otherwise as few acts are getting in on the action. Nayeon, Sueun, and quinn_ of the K-indie band Tomatomat bring a specific J-Pop-inspired 2000s influence to their music. With a name combining “tomato” and “mat,” meaning “flavor,” the trio has released three songs so far with creative concepts.
Tomatomat uses the Shibuya-kei subgenre of Japanese pop music throughout their digital singles. Described as a mixture of western music styles such as bossa nova and jazz, the genre reflects the similar melting pot of aesthetics seen in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. While Shibuya-kei may not seem like a dominant music genre in South Korea right now, Japanese hip-hop trio m-flo saw success in the country performing Shibuya-kei songs in the 2000s. m-flo member and rapper VERBAL even appeared on Mnet’s survival show Unpretty Rapstar : HIP HOP Princess last year to remix “the Love Bug,” a 2004 m-flow collaboration single with BoA. VERBAL’s appearance referenced this the show’s status as a Korean-Japanese collaboration, and continued m-flo’s crossovers in the K-Pop scene; including 2014’s “Go Crazy” with BIGBANG’s TAEYANG and 2025’s “EKO EKO” with ZICO and Japanese singer-songwriter eill.
“Tomma Nova”
Tomatomat’s debut single “Tomma Nova,” released on July 11, 2025, offers the first look at the band’s positive energy. Using a fusion of electronic elements and the bossa nova genre, “Tomma Nova” carries a calming nature that makes the song easy to listen to. It feels reminiscent of something heard on the Nintendo Wii’s Mii Channel.
This sound comes with equally lax lyrics, describing what a simple day would look like if people were reborn as tomatoes. “Tomma Nova” also comes in English and Japanese versions. All members contributed lyrics to the Korean version, while quinn_ helped write the English version and Sueun helped write the Japanese version.
“Mushroom House”
Tomatomat made their first comeback with the single “Mushroom House” on October 5, 2025. It carries a similar peaceful sound like “Tomma Nova” but the J-Pop influence shines through another distinct electronic tune: its 8-bit-like notes.
Produced by artist @hwaibulchi, the song’s music video functions as a visual novel-inspired lyric video. The members get reimagined as chibi video game characters who speak directly to the viewer. It differentiates itself from “Tomma Nova” by using a separate aspect of pop culture to reference the 2000s.
“Collect Call Garage”
Tomatomat’s latest single came out on December 3, 2025. “Collect Call Garage” shows a jump in both song production and music video production, displaying Tomatomat’s growth in such a short amount of time. The ringtone sample together with inspiring yet melancholy piano chords make for a unique mix of sounds. The addition of a rap section from sonodin comes by quickly but injects some punchiness into the song.
In contrast to Tomatomat’s previous music videos, the one for “Collect Call Garage” receives an upgrade with a full production crew behind its visual storyline. It takes from the song’s instrumental to showcase both serious scenes and those with Tomatomat’s familiar whimsical and silly nature. As Tomatomat assumes roles as cupids watching over a failed love story, they crafted this release with evident effort and care.