DUSTCELL

Overview

DUSTCELL is a two-person Japanese music unit made up of composer Misumi and vocalist EMA, currently signed to ALLT STUDIO. They began activities in October 2019. The name combines "DUST" and "CELL" and was coined by EMA. Their songs turn emotions that surface in everyday life into lyrics and tracks.

Members

• Misumi: composer. Formerly a Vocaloid producer, with works including "Alter Ego" (オルターエゴ), "Kuruu Kemono" and "Dorothy". Names Hikaru Utada as a musical root and is inspired by the structure and progression of K-POP; fond of songs full of twists, influenced by his Vocaloid-scene background.
• EMA: vocalist. Formerly a utaite. Writes lyrics and music for some songs, rereading her diary and transforming past feelings and memories into new words. Influenced by BTS, BLACKPINK, Hikaru Utada, amazarashi and Awich.

Career

• 2019: Debuted on October 11 with the release of "CULT". On October 18 they formally joined KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO as it was announced.
• 2020: Released "SUMMIT" on May 20, which peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes overall album chart. Held the DUSTCELL exhibition at the "3.5D" space in Shibuya PARCO from July 15 to August 13. Their first one-man live, "SUMMIT" (July 31), became a no-audience online show due to COVID-19; the second, "HOWL" (November 15), was their first show with an audience.
• 2021: Released "Inochi no Yukue" (命の行方), the TV commercial song for HAL college, on April 10, and took part in YouTube Music Weekend vol.3 on July 17.
• 2022: Held their first Tokyo–Nagoya–Osaka tour, "Hyakki Yako", April 14–18. Released "Tarinai" (足りない) on June 1 as the ending theme of the TBS drama "Ashita, Watashi wa Dareka no Kanojo"—their first co-written lyrics. Published the song-based novels "Cross no Yukue" (July 22) and "Dokuhaku Cinema" (August 26), and opened the fan club DUSTROOM on December 1.
• 2023: Released "Alter Ego" (February 22), the album "ROUND TRIP" (March 29), "Caffeine" (May 17) and "Flashback" (October 4). Appeared at KAMITSUBAKI FES '23 DAY2 on March 31, and joined ANARCHIC RECORD in July after a label reorganization.
• 2024: Moved to the newly created ALLT STUDIO on May 8. Released "Nighthawk (feat. Tanaka)", "Hikari" (single and album), "Hyojo Sabun" and "NO PAIN".
• 2025: Released "Hikkyo", "Shinzo", "SCAPEGOAT" and "Tomoshibi", followed by the album "Aoi Umi" (碧い海) on December 10.

Live support members include Shoma Ito (guitar, band master), camacho (drums) and Sosuke Oikawa (keyboards).

Musical Style

Rooted in J-POP, DUSTCELL favors intricate, hook-laden arrangements shaped by Misumi's Vocaloid background, with influences from Hikaru Utada and K-POP song construction. Lyrics distill everyday emotions into words.