WOLF HOWL HARMONY: “We Don’t Erase Individuality. We Make It Stronger”

With Kokoniiru, the Japanese quartet transforms a ballad about uncertainty into a meeting of different voices and journeys. In this exclusive interview with CZMOS, RYOJI, SUZUKI, GHEE and HIROTO discuss what it means to build harmony without giving up their individual identities.

A voice carries more than a melody. It also carries a story, an identity and the experiences of the person singing.

That idea is at the heart of the project built around Kokoniiru, a WOLF HOWL HARMONY song written and composed by m-flo’s ☆Taku Takahashi. Released on 3 July 2026 and selected as the ending theme for the anime Iwamoto Senpai no Suisen, the track explores the uncertainty of facing oneself and continuing to move forward, even when no answer is yet in sight.

A few weeks later, the group opened the song to other voices. PSYCHIC FEVER’s KOKORO KOHATSU and ONE OR EIGHT’s YUGA joined the four members for a new performance. Other interpretations featuring THE JET BOY BANGERZ’s YUHI and WOLF HOWL HARMONY alone are part of the same project. 

The aim is not simply to add more vocalists to the original recording. When the voices, choral arrangements and interpretations of individual parts change, the song’s emotional meaning changes with them.

The concept is particularly consistent with WOLF HOWL HARMONY’s identity. Formed through the iCON Z: Dreams For Children audition, the group brings together RYOJI, SUZUKI, GHEE and HIROTO, four performers with different stories and personalities. Their name itself evokes solitary figures who appear destined to meet and create a single harmony. 

For CZMOS, the four members discussed what they discovered by hearing Kokoniiru through other voices, the relationship between individuality and collaboration, and how the group has reshaped their understanding of responsibility.

WOLF HOWL HARMONY IN CONVERSATION WITH CZMOS MAGAZINE

“Kokoniiru” began as a song performed by the four of you. When you heard other artists bring their emotions into it, did you discover anything you had not noticed before?

When the tone of the voice changes, I feel as though I can also hear the personal story of the person singing. A voice contains someone’s individuality and carries their whole life with it. This experience made me realise once again how important vocal harmony is. - RYOJI

Each interpretation brings together a different combination of voices. What do you hope listeners will discover by hearing the same song through different line-ups?

This time, voices other than our four join the song, and we changed the choral arrangements, the way each person sings and the overall approach compared with our usual performances. The presence of new voices naturally changed the way we perceive Kokoniiru ourselves. I would like listeners to pay particular attention to the harmonies and the groove, because they are different from what you usually hear in our performances. - SUZUKI

The name WOLF HOWL HARMONY comes from four people with different stories and the melancholy of “lone wolves” meeting. Is there a side of yourselves that you can express only when you are together?

Because there are only four of us, it is easier for each member to receive individual attention. That allows me to consciously focus on developing my own personality. I think that is exactly what defines WOLF HOWL HARMONY: each of us has to build a clear character of our own. - HIROTO

Since becoming WOLF HOWL HARMONY, have you had to let go of any belief about what it means to be part of a group?

I am very grateful to the other members because they help me face things every day while remaining myself. At the same time, I have understood how important it is to read the atmosphere, observe what is happening around me and act with other people in mind. - RYOJI

Compared with the past, I feel that my ability to collaborate has become much stronger. I used to find it difficult to adapt to others and could be quite stubborn. That sometimes created friction. Working as a member of WOLF HOWL HARMONY has also given me the desire to take the initiative and lead the group. I think that has changed me even further. - SUZUKI

In WOLF HOWL HARMONY, we try to remind ourselves every day that each of us has to be a superstar in our own way. We should not erase our individuality, but make it as strong and clearly defined as possible. I believe that is one of the best things about the group. - GHEE

I am an only child and, whenever I was part of a group, I tended to worry too much about how I would appear to other people. Because of that, I struggled to take the initiative. After joining WOLF HOWL HARMONY, I also came to understand the challenges of being part of such a small group. My three dependable “older brothers”, however, supported me, challenged my assumptions and encouraged me to take on many new things. Thanks to them, I have developed a much stronger sense of responsibility. - HIROTO

CZMOS is based in Italy, and we like to create a small connection between our guests and our country. Is there an Italian artist, musician or creative figure who has influenced any of you?

My uncle actually has Italian roots! I have listened to Måneskin’s Beggin’ a lot. I love rock, and they are one of the bands that have influenced me. - GHEE

A Harmony Built from Differences

In WOLF HOWL HARMONY’s answers, harmony never means uniformity. Collaboration is not about reducing differences to create a neater result. It means allowing each voice to bring its own story into the song.

That is what happens across the different versions of Kokoniiru, but also within the group itself. RYOJI, SUZUKI, GHEE and HIROTO describe four personalities learning to observe one another, take on new responsibilities and grow together without becoming interchangeable.

Perhaps this is where the name WOLF HOWL HARMONY reaches its fullest meaning: four lone wolves who do not stop being themselves, but choose to let their voices meet. Listen to WOLF HOWL HARMONY on Spotify.

Follow CZMOS to discover the voices and scenes reshaping contemporary Asian music.