[2025] Recommended Instrumental Bands in Western Music: Popular Overseas Bands

All I Know Is TonightJaga Jazzist

Jaga Jazzist – ‘One-Armed Bandit’ (Live with Britten Sinfonia)

Jaga Jazzist is an avant-garde jazz collective that Norway is proud of—an extraordinary group that constantly changes and evolves, absorbing influences from genres like electronica, post-rock, and progressive rock into jazz.

Formed in 1994 around leader and principal songwriter Lars Horntveth, who was reportedly 14 at the time, they present the classic face of a big band while, as mentioned above, voraciously assimilating cutting-edge musical ideas to create a unique sound.

As a result, they’ve become highly popular in Japan not so much among pure jazz purists, but rather among listeners who love club music and post-rock.

Their second album, A Livingroom Hush (2001), received high acclaim in their home country of Norway and achieved significant commercial success, and their energetic live tours raised their profile across Europe.

They later signed with Ninja Tune, the venerable UK label known mainly for club-oriented releases, and in 2005 put out the acclaimed What We Must.

After a five-year interval, 2010’s One-Armed Bandit featured mixing by John McEntire of Tortoise—a collaboration that seemed destined to happen.

Despite its forward-leaning content, the album became their first to enter Japan’s Oricon charts.

In addition to their studio albums, I personally recommend checking out their live albums as well, where you can enjoy their organic performance at its best!

Time Destroys Everything, But Our Foundation RemainsThis Patch of Sky

This Patch of Sky – Time Destroys Everything, But Our Foundation Remains

Unfortunately, they disbanded in 2019, and while they may be little known in Japan outside of dedicated post-rock listeners, I’d like to introduce This Patch of Sky as a high-quality instrumental band.

Formed in Oregon in 2010, their sound features melancholic arpeggios, guitar tones drenched in spatial effects, and guitar orchestrations that weave explosive walls of sound—grand and dramatic.

If you enjoy the roaring, atmospheric side of post-rock like Explosions in the Sky, you’ll almost certainly love them.

Starting with their second album, This Patch of Sky (2014), a cellist also joined, and the quality of their songs—where beauty and sorrow surge toward you—is remarkably high.

They have three albums, and including EPs (some released in Japan), their catalog isn’t extensive, so if you’re into it, you won’t regret checking out their entire body of work!

PeponiThe Piano Guys

Peponi (Paradise) | Coldplay’s Anthem Reimagined by The Piano Guys ft. Alex Boyé

This is a cover of Coldplay’s song “Paradise” by The Piano Guys, a creator group active mainly on YouTube.

The ensemble of piano and cello is beautifully complemented by guest singer Alex Boyé’s vocals.

“Peponi” means “paradise” in Swahili.

Elbow greaseNiacin

Niacin- Elbow grease

From a super-skilled three-piece fusion band comes Elbow Grease.

The lineup is notably without guitar—just bass, drums, and Hammond organ, which is a key point.

John Novello on organ may be the most understated member, but having him up front seems to bring everything together.

There’s plenty of technical flair, like full-band unison lines, yet you can still fully appreciate the strengths of a three-piece instrumental group.

HavonaWeather Report

WEATHER REPORT & PASTORIUS “Havona”

Among Weather Report’s tracks, “Havona” is one of the catchier ones.

It’s a masterpiece that achieved a fusion of electric sound and acoustic instruments in 1970s jazz, and it also marked a turning point that shook up the bass world through Jaco.

It hasn’t aged a bit.

It’s the kind of piece where you discover something new every time you listen.

PipelineThe Ventures

The Ventures – Pipeline

Isn’t this probably the most famous Western instrumental song in Japan? The ‘teke-teke’ sound is exactly what you’d call electric.

If you’re tired of modern music, it might be good to cleanse yourself by listening to a piece like this once in a while.

You might discover something new that you couldn’t see before.

FableINTERVALS

INTERVALS // FABLE feat. Leland Whitty // THE SHAPE OF COLOUR

It’s included on the 2015 album “The Shape of Colour.” Up through the previous releases, Intervals had a vocalist and a Djent-oriented sound, but before this album guitarist Aaron Marshall left, and the band was reborn as an instrumental act.

I recommend it to anyone who wants crisp yet highly skilled guitar instrumentals.