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.

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?

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

Praha Depart in New York, March/April 2012

Tokyo's finest psychedelic dance-punk power trio Praha Depart will be in New York this week for a series of shows that should not be missed by any Gothamites. You can catch them at the following venues:

Thursday, Mar 29th@ Pianos (Manhattan)
Friday, Mar 30th @ Fontana's (Manhattan)
Saturday, Mar 31st @ Lit Lounge (Manhattan)
Sunday, April 1st @ Don Pedro (Brooklyn)
Monday, April 2nd @ The Trash Bar (Brooklyn)

Fashion Crisis (March 2012)

This March will mark 36 months of uninterrupted events for the Fashion Crisis team, setting the stage for our third anniversary celebrations next month. Joining us this time will be the wonderful Masatoo from Shibuya's Rewind Tapes event, and DJ Rally from post-hardcore, prog-bubblegum noiseniks The Mornings.

Place: Koenji One

Date: March 2nd (Fri)

Time: 8:00pm-last train

Cost: FREE

DJs:

- Masatoo (drwng)

- Rally (The Mornings)

- James Hadfield

- Ian Martin

Call And Response bands with Bo Ningen in Kyushu

This coming weekend, UK-based psychedelic rock quartet Bo Ningen are on a short three-date tour of Kyushu, with Call And Response bands Zibanchinka and Hyacca supporting them on all dates, along with some other good friends of the label.

Date: Feb 10th (Fri)

Place: Kumamoto Navaro

Time: 8:00/8:30pm

Cost: 2000/2500yen + drink

Bands: Bo Ningen / Zibanchinka / cynicalsmileisyourfavorite / The Fruits / Ecology Kannon

DJs: Tomo (Style band Tokyo)

Date: Feb 11th (Sat)

Place: Saga Rag-G

Time: 5:00/5:30pm

Cost: 2000/2500yen + drink

Bands: Bo Ningen / Zibanchinka / Hakuchi / Strawberry Chocolate's Surf Club Band / Yaoyoruzu / Freaks / The Crunch Dog

Date: Feb 12th (Sun)

Place: Fukuoka Utero

Time: 6:00pm

Cost: 2000/2500yen + drink

Bands: Bo Ningen / Hyacca / MacManaman / The Fridays / Chainsaw TV / Nekuraman

DJs: Tomo (Style Band Tokyo) / Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)

Fashion Crisis (February 2012)

Fashion Crisis this February features the cyborg pop stylings of Kanterbury, the only man in the world who uses a non-Apple laptop onstage -- come marvel at the strange sight and sound of this curious instrument! Guest DJs include the jet setting sounds of pop cats 3TE1 and the eclectic alien transmissions of J.A.G.U.A.R.

Date: Feb 3rd (Fri)
Place: Koenji One
Time: 8:00pm-last train
Cost: FREE
LIVE:
- Kanterbury
DJs:
- J.A.G.U.A.R.
- 3TE1
- James Hadfield
- Ian Martin