Go behind the scenes of Splatoon 3’s Deep Cut band with a live studio recording

The real-life faces behind Splatoon 3’s different bands have released a live studio recording online, where they play some of the songs they performed for the game. While the Splatoon series is known for its virtual idol bands that act as background singers and the hosts that speak to the players between the rounds, their music is performed by flesh and blood singers outside of the digital, ink-soaked realm.

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A new video on the official Nintendo of America YouTube page features the voices behind Splatoon 3’s Deep Cut and Damp Socks & feat. Off the Hook performing”Anarchy Rainbow,” “Fins in the Air,” and “Tentacle to the Metal.” These musicians include Anna Sata (Shiver) and Laura Yokozawa (Frye) as the members of Deep Cut, and Rina Itou (Pearl), and Alice Peralta (Marina) as the singers of Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook, with all of them performing vocals in the unique language of the Splatoon series.

Much like Simlish from The Sims before it, the music in the Splatoon series is performed in a language called Inkling, which is intentionally meant to be gibberish, so don’t worry if you don’t understand any of the words in the Splatoon 3 soundtrack. Fortunately, Splatoon 3 has a jukebox that lets players enjoy the OST at any point outside of battle without the need for YouTube, so long as they have the cash to buy the individual songs.

The music of the Splatoon series and its virtual idols have always been a big selling point, as they match the peppy world and its colorful characters. The Splatoon idols have, in the past, even performed sold-out shows, where videos of the digital cast performing the songs are played alongside a live band, similar to acts like the Gorillaz or Hatsune Miku. The fact that people turn out in droves to see cartoons dancing along to songs is a huge endorsement for the soundtrack of the Splatoon franchise, but seeing the faces behind the music and the love that goes into performing these songs also offers a unique look into the artists that bring these bewildering audio tracks to life.