Special Others is a Japanese post-rock band formed by high-school classmates Ryōta "Toyin" Miyahara, Yūya "Segun" Matayoshi, Takeshi "Dayo" Yanagishita, and Yūma "Remi" Serizawa in 1995. Based in Yokohama, Japan, the group began performing live in 2000, mixing improvisatory jazz instrumentals with vocally-driven material. Ben, the group's five-track debut EP, was released in 2004, with Uncle John following in 2006. A full-length album, Good Morning, was released later that year. Special Others cracked the Top 40 for the first time with the EP Star, which reached Number 37 on the Oricon chart in 2007. Quest climbed to Number 20 in 2008, with 2009's PB and 2010's The Guide both reaching the Top 10. Working with MONGOL800's Kiyosaku, the band charted a Top 20 hit with "Empty," which reached Number 19 in 2011. Another collaborative single — "Sailin'," which featured Kj from the band Dragon Ash — was similarly successful, climbing to Number 15 that September. As the decade progressed, Special Others continued to release albums like Window (2015), the compilation Special Others II (2017), and Telepathy (2018), all of which charted within the Top 20. This success continued during the 2020s with Wave (2020) and Anniversary (2022).
