Friday 18 May 2012

Praha Depart in Canada, June 18th-23rd

After Hyacca's successful blitzkrieg through Canada as part of last Autumn's tour package, Praha Depart are joining Group Inou, Zazen Boys and Charan Po Rantan on the next Next Music From Tokyo tour. Dates are:

May 18 Toronto @ The Rivoli
May 19 Toronto @ The Rivoli
May 21 Montreal @ Divan Orange
May 23 Vancouver @ The Waldorf Hotel

More info from the Next Music From Tokyo web site.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

June 2nd & 3rd: Kyushu x Nagoya Electric Pop Festival (update)

「九州×名古屋 Electric Pop Festival」は新宿Motionで2日間連続で開催されるアンダーグラウンドミュージックイベントです!九州、名古屋のみならず東京からも選りすぐりのローカルバンドを集め、大興奮必須のオルタナティブアーティストらがこぞって出演するこの熱いフェス。

The Kyushu x Nagoya Electric Pop Festival is a two-day underground music event at Shinjuku Motion, bringing together some of the best, most exciting alternative artists from Kyushu, Nagoya as well as some of the best local Tokyo bands.

地盤沈下/Zibanchinka (From Kagoshima)

このイベントで聴くことができる音楽は、70年代後半から80年代初期のポストパンクやノーウェーブシーンからインスピレーションを得ながらも、新たなる起点を生み、さらに新境地に押し出すパワーのあるサウンドだ。どのミュージックムーヴメントにもあるような止まることのないクリエイティブエッジを駆動力として爆走予定!

Taking inspiration from the late 1970s and early 80s post punk and no wave scenes, the music at this event takes that starting point and pushes the sounds into new areas while retaining the same restless, creative edge as a driving force.



九州からは熱狂させるダンサブルポストパンクの百蚊とcynicalsmileisyourfavorite。そしてインストポストロックのマクマナマン、コンセプチュアルなアートポップ・ガールサウンドを奏でるMiu Mau。その他、多数バンド出演予定!

名古屋からはファンク/ジャズ/ポストパンクほか様々なスタイルをカバーする6eyes。そしてヘビー&ローパワーのSika Sika。東京からはパンクバンドThe Morningsや、80年代のゴスサウンドを彷彿とさせるPlasticzoomsなど。

From Kyushu, sounds range from the  fierce, frantic, danceable postpunk of Hyacca and cynicalsmileisyourfavorite to the instrumental postrock of MacManaman and the conceptual art-pop girl group sounds of Miu Mau. Nagoya's 6eyes have been dancing from style to style for many years now, covering funk, jazz, postpunk and more, often within the space of one live set, while Sika Sika provide heavy, raw power. Tokyo indie stars ranging from the edgy, jittery punk of The Mornings to the 80s-influenced gothic rock of Plasticzooms complete the lineup.



このフェスのオーガナイザーは、Call And Response Records、Style Band Tokyo、十代暴動社。3者全てが、東京アンダーグラウンド音楽シーンの心臓部である高円寺を拠点として活動中!ここ数年の間で、日本内外のボーダーを飛び越えてバンドを出し合い、東京周辺でパーティーやイベントを共に開催してきたオーガナイザー集団。

The festival organisers, Call And Response Records, Style Band Tokyo and Teenage Riot are all based out of Tokyo's underground music heartland of Koenji and have been putting together parties and events around Tokyo for several years, bringing together bands from all over Japan and beyond.

The Mornings (Tokyo)

DAY 1: 九州ナイト/Kyushu Night (Call And Response Records)
Date: 6/2 (Sat)
Time: 16:00
Place: 新宿モーション/Shinjuku Motion
Cost: 2,000円 (3,000円 2日通し券/2-day ticket)
Live:
- 百蚊/Hyacca (Fukuoka)
- cynicalsmileisyourfavorite (Kumamoto)
- マクマナマン/MacManaman (Fukuoka)
- Miu Mau (Fukuoka)
- 白痴/Hakuchi (Saga)
- 小林どろりKobayashi Dorori (Kumamoto)
- z/nz (Fukuoka)
- 地盤沈下/Zibanchinka (Kagoshima)
- Chainsaw TV (Fukuoka)

DAY 2: 名古屋x東京 ナイト/Nagoya x Tokyo Night (Style Band Tokyo & 十代暴動社)
Date: 6/3 (Sun)
Time: 16:00
Place: 新宿モーション/Shinjuku Motion
Cost: 2,000円 (3,000円 2日通し券/2-day ticket)

Live:
- 6eyes (Nagoya)
- The Mornings (Tokyo)
- Sika Sika (Nagoya)
- Less Quantic (Tokyo)
- Plasticzooms (Tokyo)
- どついたるねん/Dotsuitarunen (Tokyo)
- Odd Eyes (Kyoto/Nagoya)

Call And Response Records
-WEB: car-records.blogspot.com
-MAIL: carrecords [at] gmail.com

Style Band Tokyo
-WEB: http://stylebandtokyo.tumblr.com/
-MAIL: stylebandtokyoparty [at] gmail.com

十代暴動社
-WEB: http://teenage-riot.jugem.jp/
-MAIL: teeenage_riot [at] yahoo.co.jp

Saturday 12 May 2012

VIDEO CLIP: Zibanchinka -- Nagisa no Hors d'Oeuvres

In the thirty minutes between the end of rehearsals and the doors opening at Sangenjaya Heaven's Door the other week, the wonderful Matt Schley filmed a video clip for Zibanchinka's song Nagisa no Hors d'Oeuvres, off their album Hatsubai Chushi. We filmed it in the toilet, which led to a few awkward moments with people coming in wanting to do their business and being freaked out by the camera we had set up facing the seat. It was worth it for the result though, which was exactly the sort of cheap-yet-cool, simple-yet-effective indie video clip we were after. Hopefully more to come over the next couple of months.

Sunday 6 May 2012

Kyushu x Nagoya Electric Pop Festival (June 2nd-3rd 2012)

Call And Response Records has been organizing the Kyushu Pop Festival at Shinjuku Motion for the past three years, but this year, with the help of fellow event organizers Style Band Tokyo and Teenage Riot the event has expanded into a two-day alternative/postpunk/no wave music festival bringing in some of the best bands from Nagoya as well as some fantastic local Tokyo bands.

DAY 1: KYUSHU NIGHT (Call And Response Records)
Date: 6/2 (Sat)
Time: 16:00
Place: Shinjuku Motion
Cost: 2000yen (3000yen for a two-day pass)
Live:
- Hyacca/百蚊 (Fukuoka): New/no wave disco blitzkrieg.
- cynicalsmileisyourfavorite (Kumamoto): Uncompromising dance-punk funkcore.
- MacManaman/マクマナマン (Fukuoka): Propulsive instrumental post-rock.
- Miu Mau (Fukuoka): Conceptual new wave avant-pop.
- Hakuchi/白痴 (Saga): Broken hardcore/postpunk.
- Kobayashi Dorori/小林どろり (Kumamoto): Poker-faced, angular, erotic new wave.
- z/nz (Fukuoka): Offbeat alternative/lo-fi rock.
- Zibanchinka/地盤沈下 (Kagoshima): Garage-punk through the looking glass.
- Chainsaw TV: Hack and slash post-hardcore.

DAY 2: NAGOYA/TOKYO NIGHT (Style Band Tokyo & 十代暴動社)
Date: 6/3 (Sun)
Time: TBC
Place: Shinjuku Motion
Cost: 2000yen (3000yen for a two-day pass)
Live:
- 6eyes (Nagoya): Tebasaki-funk.
- The Mornings (Tokyo): Jittery 400km/h spazzcore.
- Sika Sika (Nagoya): Fierce, heavy punk rock.
- Less Quantic (Tokyo): Post-Gang of Four disco-punk.
- Plasticzooms (Tokyo): Goth.
+more?

Thursday 3 May 2012

Fashion Crisis (May 2012)

I skipped mentioning the last Fashion Crisis due to not having a computer, but it was a pretty spectacular double feature with James taking charge of the Tokyo party at our regular venue of Koenji One and me hooking up with CAR stalwarts Miha and Zana in Ljubljana for our first European edition of the party. Disco madness ensued.

Anyway, we're back to normal this month with James and I both playing at One, backed up by friend of the event and minimal wave disco infiltrator Komlaski, as well as Soh from 80s-influenced psychedelic punk noise terrorists Hysteric Picnic. Appearing live will be Loser & Ribbons, the latest project of Her/Yamaco mastermind Noriko Yamada.

Place: Koenji One
Date: March 2nd (Fri)
Time: 8:00pm-last train
Cost: FREE
LIVE:
- Loser & Ribbons
DJs:
- Komlaski
- Soh (Hysteric Picnic)
- James Hadfield
- Ian Martin