Helping us say farewell to the Year of the Snake in this final Tententen of the year are icy fake-Russian synthesists Mir and disco-punk fantasists Jebiotto, with the Tententen team on decks and this month's exhibition by photographer and dedicated documenter of Tokyo backstreets Matt Schley.
Tokyo new wave/postpunk band Hysteric Picnic have a new mini-album available in shops now. Recalling the sounds of Joy Division, The Birthday Party, and The Jesus And Mary Chain, as well as elements of Krautrock, goth and psychedelia, Cult Pop is at once dark, powerful, intense and quite beautiful.
Audiences in Japan will have to wait until March, but Balkan fans can catch N'toko on tour over the next couple of weeks, including several shows with Serbia's ferocious Repetitor and Macedonian newcomers Molokai. Dates are: November29th 2013 Novo Mesto, LokalPatriot (with BeatMyth) November30th 2013 Ljubljana, Kino Šiška (solo concert with Repetitor and Molokai) December 7th 2013 Novi Pazar (solo concert, with Repetitor and Molokai) December 8th 2013 Skopje (solo concert, with Repetitor and Molokai) December 13th 2013 Belgrade (solo concert, with Repetitor and Molokai) In addition, Dutch fans will be able to catch him at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen on January 15th and 16th.
These shows will also be the first chance for audiences to get hold of N'toko's excellent new English language album Mind Business before its official Japan release in January. The album includes 13 new tracks, including some of the fruits of experiments he did on his last Japan tour as well as work with Swiss producer Beckoning.
The video for the title track, filmed in the backstreets of Koenji and Asagaya by Matt Schley in Summer 2012 is already up:
In addition, a video for The Baddest, directed by Tomaž Šantl is also now up:
Details on the Japanese release date and tour info will follow.
The last Fashion Crisis of 2013 welcomes back old pal Grant McGaheran who'll be spinning perverse electronic disco oddities, and live friends Loser & Ribbons, as well as slinky electro-new wave newcomer Gloomy. We'll bring the tunes and the Christmas spirit, you bring yourselves.
Date: December 6th (Fri) Place: Koenji One Time: 8:00pm-midnight Cost: FREE! LIVE: - Loser & Ribbons - Gloomy DJs: - Grant McGaheran (Abikyokan) - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
This month's Tententen is a celebration of all things alchemical, hysterical and chimerical. Live music features the menacing loops, rattles and chimes of Lo-shi and the explosive squeals and growls of Fallopian Disco Force, while our guest DJ is Tasmanian disco saint Evil Penguin.
Date: 17th Nov (Sun) Place: Koenji Art Bar Ten/天 Time: 8:00pm-1:00am Cost: ¥500+1 drink Live: - Fallopian Disco Force - Lo-shi DJs: - Evil Penguin - Gotal (Lo-shi) - Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)
November Fashion Crisis goes cosmopolitan with guest DJ Yasuhiro Higuchi from glamorous, exotic Fukuoka (his band Deltas will play at the Koenji Pop Festival on Saturday at Higashi-Koenji 20000V). He will be joined by alt-rock cowboy Carl Freire, who makes a welcome return on the decks.
Date: November 1st (Fri) Place: Koenji One Time: 8:00pm-midnight Cost: FREE! DJs: - Carl Freire - Yasuhiro Higuchi (Deltas, from Fukuoka) - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
October's edition of Tententen welcomes back the psychedelic sounds of Mars & Eye and the kayou-kraut adventures of Fancy Numnum. As usual, we'll be running from 8pm till late: come one, come all...
Date: 20th Oct (Sun) Place: Koenji Art Bar 天 (Ten) Time: 8:00pm-1:00am Cost: ¥500+1 drink Live: - Mars & Eye - Fancy Numnum DJs: - craig eee - Gotal - Ian Martin Expo: - Ada Flores-Vidal
The next Fashion Crisis welcomes back friends of the event and deadbeat Koenji scene reprobates DJ Rally of The Mornings and Gotal of Lo-shi. Come, enter The October Country with us...
Date: 11/4 (Fri) Place: Koenji One Time: 8:00pm-midnight Cost: FREE! DJs: - Gotal (Lo-shi) - DJ Rally (The Mornings) - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
Call And Response Records is having its annual anniversary extravaganza a bit later than normal this year, but expect all the usual raw excitement and postpunktastic, indielicious, alternavisceral delights.
As usual, we'll have cheap, disgusting wine available for ¥100 a pop (believe me, it's worth less), or proper drinks available at the bar.
Because of a one-off change in venue, this month's Tententen is temporarily becoming Dondondon. This month we welcome the disconcerting tones of Servals and the discount tunes of Nevernevereverland as live guests.
Since we're doing it at a studio, you're free to bring your own booze from the convenience store, or you can buy drinks reasonably cheaply from the staff at the studio if you don't fancy the walk.
Place: Koenji Studio DOM (A & B Studios) Date: 9/15 (Sun) Time: 8:00pm-1:00am Cost: ¥1000 (no drink charge - bring your own or buy cheap from the studio) Live: - Servals - Nevernevereverland - Hitodama DJs: - Sue (Rewind Tapes / Rhyming Slang) - Gotal (Lo-shi) - Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)
We're very proud to have as guests at September's Fashion Crisis old friends Satoru Ono and Sumire. This was our last chance to grab them before they leave town in October, presumably on some sort of Bonnie & Clyde-style cross-Japan crime spree, so come along and wish them well on their adventure. Satoru will be playing a live set, while Sumire will no doubt be DJing all manner of indie tweeness.
Place: Koenji One Date: 9/6 (Fri) Time: 8:00pm-midnight Cost: FREE! Live: - Satoru Ono DJs: - Sumire (Twee Grrrls Club) - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
After my experiment doing a show at Koenji's Art Bar Ten in May, it went well enough that in collaboration with good friends Gotal and Ralouf from instrumental kraut&bass duo Lo-shi, we'd try to make it a regular thing, so starting in August, the third Sunday of every month is hopefully going to feature two bands and a handful of DJs. Think of it as a more live-orientated companion to Fashion Crisis. Our first show is a Twin Peaks-themed event with Lo-shi performing live, along with indie duo She Talks Silence as well as art by Camille Bui and the mysterious "Toru Yamadera". Date: August 18th (Sun) Place: Koenji Art Bar Ten/天 Time: 8:00pm-late Cost: ¥500+1 drink Live: - She Talks Silence - Lo-shi DJs: - Soh (Hysteric Picnic) - Gotal (Lo-shi) - Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)
This month Fashion Crisis welcomes back as a live guest the spectral guitar songer and singer Gawd. Joining him are guest DJs Kaita Tanaka of oddball experimental garage-punks Worst Taste and intriguingly named local guest Gaylord Virginia Bitch Brown, esq.
UPDATE: Due to sudden bout of sickness, Gawd has had to cancel. The party will go ahead as usual with just the DJs.
Date: July 5th (Friday) Place: Koenji One Time: 8:00pm-midnight. Cost: FREE! Live: - Gawd DJs: - Kaita Tanaka (Worst Taste & Special Magic) - Gaylord Virginia Bitch Brown, esq. - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
A triple-celebration, of the release of our "Quit Your Band!" indie 'zine, Mir's new album "Я не могу без тебя", and finally of Ian's birthday! Joining Mir are synth-punk trio Jebiotto, electronic/psychedelic/kayoukyoku trio Fancynumnum, Gifu no wave noise punks Jubilee, and melodic indie-guitar band DYGL. Meanwhile, "Quit Your Band!" editors Ryotaro Aoki and Ian Martin will be spinning tracks between bands.
インディー雑誌"Quit Your Band!"のリリース、Mirの新アルバム「Я не могу без тебя」の発売、そしてイアンの誕生日、を一気に祝うトリプルお祝いイベントです！
Mirと共演するのは、シンセパンクトリオのJebiotto、エレクトロ・サイケ・歌謡曲トリオのFancynumnum、岐阜出身ノーウェーブパンクバンドJubilee、そしてメロディックインディーギターバンドDYGLです。転換中は"Quit Your Band!"のエディターのIan MartinとRyotaro AokiがDJを担当。
June's Fashion Crisis is very excited to feature the frazzled electronic dreams of Shizukanoumi playing live, as well DJ sets including the Teutonic industrial moods of Sascha Mandler and mutant disco tag team duo Judgment Cats.
(Please note the slightly earlier finish time, the result of complaining neighbours, and try not to make a noise outside the venue)
Some of the best Japanese postpunk, experimental and alternative rock there is, all under one roof this June. Making a rare visit from Fukuoka, Hyacca make the fiercest, most imaginative and exciting postpunk in the country, and they'll be joined by the legendary kraut-noise of Kuruucrew, the raucous synth-punk of Jebiotto, the chaotic broken alien pop of Mir, and the instrumental avant-pop of must-see up-and-comers I Know The Mouse.
With May's Fashion Crisis, we realise our long-held ambition of turning ourselves into a team of wedding DJs, as we play host to lovely newlyweds Matthew and Xiroh, who met for the first time at this very event. Other than that, expect the usual drunken mayhem, with live music by friend of the event Carl Freire, returning for his second time after his triumphant February appearance.
Place: Koenji One Date: May 3rd (Fri) Time: 8:00pm-last train Cost: FREE! LIVE: - Carl Freire DJs: - Xiroh (Buddy Girl and Mechanic) - Matthew Chozick - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
The last live event Call And Response did in Tokyo was in October last year, so I'm easing my way back into the game with this mini live showcase, featuring the effervescent Puffyshoes and the fluorescent Slow-Marico, as well as good friends and frequent collaborators Sue, Gotal and Methyl. Join us! Date: 5/5 (Sun) Place: Koenji Art Bar Ten/天 Time: 8:00pm-last train Cost: ¥1000 (includes 1 drink) Live: - Puffyshoes - Slow-Marico DJs: - Sue (YiW/Rhyming Slang) - Gotal (Lo-shi) - Methyl (Twee Grrrls Club) - Ian Martin (Call And Response)
Fashion Crisis has been going for four years. Come celebrate with us in the time-honoured way!
Date: April 5th (Fri) Place: Koenji One Time: 8:00pm-last train Cost: FREE Live: - Loser & Ribbons - Fidel Villeneuve DJs: - Duck Rock - Wizz Jones - James Hadfield - Ian Martin
Call And Response mates Lo-shi are unleashing their instrumental kraut'n'bass on the world for the first time in a home-listenable format, with a release party for their first album, Flasque, this Sunday. It's not strictly a CAR event, but everyone playing is connected with the label in some way, and all come highly endorsed. Jebiotto and Slow-Marico were on last autumn's Dancing After 1AM compilation, while DJ Memai has played at Fashion Crisis. I'll be playing, as will regular Fashion Crisis collaborator James Hadfield, and frequent DJ guest Sue from Youth is Wasted. Date: 3/17 (Sun) Place: Higashi-Koenji UFO Club Time: 6:30pm open/start Cost: ¥2000 + drink Live: - Lo-shi - Slow-Marico - DJ Memai - Jebiotto DJs: - Arbuste (Lo-shi) - Gotal (Lo-shi) - Sue (Youth is Wasted) - James Hadfield (Fashion Crisis) - Ian Martin (Fashion Crisis/Call And Response)
After the October Tokyo release party and January's successful Kyushu tour, there's one final promotional event for Dancing After 1AM, this time at the lovely KD Japon in Nagoya (seriously, it's a contender for nicest, most intimate venue in the country). There are four bands, three of whom featured on the album and one of whom is among my favourite bands in Japan. It's also the first event I've ever been involved in in Nagoya, so I'm obviously very, very excited about this. The compilation featured a track by Nagoya band Pop-Office, who will of course be taking part in the event, while Tokyo's Tacobonds, who missed the October party due to UK tour commitments, and Fukuoka's macmanaman, who missed the Kyushu tour because the drummer was on tour with another band, are also both playing. Finally, we've invited one local special guest band, the brilliant Freedom, to take part. Although they didn't feature on DA1AM, they were one of the standout bands from last year's Ripple compilation of Nagoya music (on which Pop-Office also featured), and they're one of the best bands in the city, so it's a supreme pleasure and honour to have them. Date: 3/15 (Fri) Place: Nagoya KD Japon Time: 6:30pm open / 7:00pm start Cost: ¥1800 adv / ¥2300 door Live: - TACOBONDS (Tokyo) - macmanaman (Fukuoka) - Pop-Office - Freedom
Super special guests at the March edition of Fashion Crisis, with the one-man fireball of synth-noise wonder that is Kitsch Hitori Gakudan joined by a special solo performance from Dokkun of old friends of the event Living Astro. Joining us on the decks are DJ Romantic Harp and Flute with Dolphins and later on in the night an appearance by DJP (a.k.a. Ponta) from the mornings.
Come down to Koenji One on Friday for a pan-continental love-in, featuring a partially reconstructed lineup of London powerpopsters Applicants, the dreamy melodic scuzz of Tokyo's Slow-Marico. Date: 2/8 (Fri) Place: Koenji One Time: 20:00-last train Cost: FREE Live: - Applicants - Slow-Marico DJs: - Fidel Villeneuve (Applicants/Digital Hardcore) - Tom Tigertrap (Tigertrap Records) - Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)
February's Fashion Crisis welcomes angelic indie boys DYGL, formerly De Nada, as well as grizzled alt-rock degenerate Carl Freire as live artists, while frequent collaborators NAH&SUE of indie event Youth is Wasted hit the decks as guest DJs. All welcome and all free, so please swing by for a drink after work for some of the usual skronk etc.
Place: Koenji One Date: February 1st (Fri) Time: 8:00pm-last train Cost: FREE! LIVE: - DYGL (Ex-De Nada) - Carl Freire DJs: - NAH&SUE (Youth is Wasted) - James Hadfield
Call And Response is a Tokyo-based independent record label and event organiser, specialising in post-punk, new wave and assorted experimental pop trash.
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