REI releases "2OFUS" music video, which samples masterpieces from its first EP

REI will release their first EP, “TOKYOTOTORONTO” on Saturday, June 28th. The music video for “2OFUS” has been released from the same work.

REI is a new R&B project by Rei Fukutomi, also known as KEPHA, a member of hip-hop crew kiLLa. This year, marking the milestone of her 10th anniversary of her debut, she began activities under her real name.

REI announced that she will be moving her own base to Toronto, Canada from 2024. The EP “TOKYOTOTORONTO” develops a unique sound style that combines the vibes of two cities, Tokyo, his musical roots, and Toronto, his new base of operation. The first of the new project includes a total of five songs, including “MUCHU,” which was released in advance on Sunday, June 1st.

“2 of Us” is a song that was sampled and self-produced by Grover Washington Jr.’s masterpiece “Just the Two of Us (feat. Bill Withers)” and written and composed lyrics and music. He was nominated for the R&B album for Recording, Mixing and Mastering in the Canadian Grammy Awards equivalent, The JUNO Awards, and has won multiple awards including Gold/Platinum Single Award and 2x Platinum Album Award.DotDaEngineer(Dominic Dot Okune) is in charge. All songs are private studios“334 Atelier”It was recorded in.

[Comment by MV producer Kuwabara Shinnosuke (to anyone inc.)]

This work, “2 OF US,” is an impressive song with lyrics that depict the vague and delicate relationship between being “more than a friend or less than a lover.” This subtle sense of distance has been carefully incorporated into the footage with an adult mood.

In this music video, various brands sponsored costumes that match the world of the work, bringing out the characters’ character and atmosphere even more. It is also a place where you can promote the appeal of each brand in a natural way, and it is also an opportunity to expand the possibilities for new collaborations.

The title of the EP, “TOKYOTOTORONTO,” also expresses the urban look of Tokyo and the traditional aspects that give it a sense of nostalgia. These create a worldview where sounds with a Toronto atmosphere intersect with the visuals unique to Tokyo.

[Comments from MV Director OZA]

This MV was asked by the producer and REI to make a video with the theme of ambiguous relationships, “more than friends, less than lovers.”

When I first heard about this theme, I insisted that the tug of war of emotions, “I want to touch it, but I can’t go back once I touch it,” was the heart of this work. From there, I thought about how to visualize the changing temperature of emotions and the fluctuations of the mind, and made a detailed look at the angles and composition.

On the surface, I think it seems like the two of them are gradually getting closer. However, the inside is always scattered with incongruity that you can’t step into and indescribable stumps.
To match this, I graded it with a blue base and reduced tone. To prevent emotions from getting overheated, we deliberately keep the temperature down and design the colors to leave you feeling anxious, somewhat calm.
I graded it along with Byron from DOP, but I spent more than double the time editing the cut.

It was only because of REI-kun and NIKI’s delicate acting that the video conveys the gradation of the relationship with just one expression. Thank you very much.

[Release Information]

REI “TOKYOTOTORONTO”
Release Date: 2025.06.28 (Sat.)
Label: REI
Tracklist:
1. TTT
2. MUCHU
3. 2OFUS
4. IFLY
5. OVERU