Fragments of the everyday in Haruomi Hosono's soundtrack to Shoplifters

Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda has consistently churned out films that have wowed audiences on the international film festival circuit and is now in the spotlight once again both in Japan and abroad for his latest film Shoplifters' win at Cannes. I'm a big fan of Koreeda myself and his first feature film Maboroshi has left a lasting impression on me for its slow, affecting portrait of a woman who abruptly loses her husband to suicide and starts a new life. The story is told slowly, with little dialogue, but my favorite thing about the film is the grainy film texture and its portrayal of little pockets of urban Japan and the later scenes by the rural town by the sea.

The music in his films has never been bad, so to say, but I can't say its ever left a big impression on me. Then again, it seems that many of his recent films that I haven't seen contain music composed by some artists I'm familiar with. Nevertheless, music is usually not one of the things I look forward to in a Koreeda film until I saw Shoplifters. The compositions were great and when I eagerly waited for the music portion of the credits to roll by I was shocked to see none other than Haruomi Hosono's name appear in the credits, especially since Hosono's film scores have been something I've been really interested in lately, as evident in my last post.

In some ways it was a surprise but at the same time I nodded my head in agreement. There was something about the ways in which the music was composed that drew masterfully upon the imagery in the film. It melded so well, and the electronic sounds used were very particular and distinct; the style had character and a personality all its own. It was not on accident that these particular tones and sonic textures were used--they seemed to be the result of careful deliberation by a musical expert that had searched for just the right way to craft the delicate moods of the visuals into sound form.

It's  no wonder that someone with the talent to search out instruments and tones from all different corners of the sound spectrum and fuse them into pieces so intimate and embracing would pair with a director that has a similar talent for searching out the beautiful yet intricate details of daily life that we naturally take for granted. Hosono's score also sounds as if the composer dove deep into the human conscious to tease out arrangements that complimented and represented these simple moments and the emotions they carried in the film. The choice of Hosono's style of minimalist electronic sounds versus a full scale orchestra matches perfectly with a film that focuses on a marginalized group of individuals in Japanese society living a meager but happy lifestyle. It highlights the small joys of daily live that are rooted in the bonds we share with other people, "family," whether this word implies blood relations or not. Orchestrated compositions would have felt too moody for the film, too grand for its subtle depictions of the mundane. A score placed at the wrong moments or simply used too liberally in the film would, too, have felt out of place as well for injecting way too much forced emotions through sound. The almost atonal air of Hosono's work feels strangely distant and chained to the film, in a way that never tries to frame the scenes, to suggest a certain mood. That's the beauty of Koreeda's film, one that I remember vividly from Like Father, Like Son: he is a director that depicts the trivial but exponentially complex tangles of human emotions that are never easy to convey. We feel many things in a Koreeda film, and Hosono only helps the director by adding a fantastic score that echoes his efforts. I would like to think that besides the hard work of all those behind the scenes, the director, and the talented cast, that Hosono's memorable soundtrack for Shoplifters was also instrumental in the film's win at Cannes.

The soundtrack is available on CD in Japan, and streaming worldwide via Spotify.
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Chris

Paradise View: Haruomi Hosono's imagined Okinawan soundscapes for a forgotten film

Haruomi Hosono is a legend in the world of Japanese music who needs little introduction. He became well known as part of one of the country's earliest groups to embrace the now worldwide moniker of J-pop, Happy End, but is even better known for his role in the trio Yellow Magic Orchestra, pioneers of electronic and new wave music with a reputation across the globe. Hosono has been a part of numerous other groups as well, not to mention all of his song writing credits and participation as a session musician or in backing bands for any number of famous solo acts: Yumi Arai and the eclectic Akiko Yano just to name a few of the favorites, and a comprehensive list of all his credits could easily fill a dictionary sized manuscript. It's hard not to randomly dip your hand into the sea of Japanese music and pull something out that hasn't been directly handled by Hosono, or at least in some way or the other influenced by his music in some way.
Hosono resounds in just about every corner of the Japanese music scene and navigating the amount of work he has put out can be a daunting task--where do you even start? I would suggest his solo career, an equally expansive catalog, in terms of quantity, quality, and genre diversity, but perhaps an easier to traverse library of albums that captures all the twists and turns his musical interests have taken, from the early folk sounds of his debut Hosono House, to the more experimental, electronic urban landscapes that emerged parallel to his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra in the 1980s.

The year 1985 was a particularly busy year for Hosono, putting out four albums in his solo catalog alone: Coincidental Music, Mercuric Dance, Thinking like Talking, and the film score for a little known film called Paradise View. The latter is probably the least well known, being a film score, and as such, sort of existing on the periphery of his body of solo work, not quite qualifying itself to be heralded among the aforementioned three albums. Still, Paradise View is an interesting entry into Hosono's work that provides a mystical sonic exploration of Japan's southern island Okinawa, the basis of the film. Hosono's take is less of the airy acoustic guitars and ukelele found in every travel commercial and instead paints with sounds that evoke a mystical air, using his synthesizer to traverse the exotic jungles rather than the shorelines. The 30 minute compilation feels a lot like it could be parallel to the acclaimed soundtracks for the early Donkey Kong games, and I mean that in the best sense of the word.

While it may seem like a small, insignificant little drop in the bucket of Hosono's endless stream of sound production, the soundtrack to Paradise View is quite important because it is one of the few traces of the little known film it is attached to. A hallmark of 'Okinawan cinema'--the film was noteworthy for employing the island's traditional language in its script, making it a Japanese film that no Japanese could actually understand without subtitles--Paradise View only saw a home release on VHS and in recent years has been screened in limited numbers through festivals and retrospectives of its director, Go Takamine. Listening to the film through its soundtrack is much easier than seeing it, giving added weight to music here since it serves both as score and accompaniment and also as a springboard to fantasize about what the film looked like. Noone else could have been a better choice for transposing the mood and images of the film into sound, and I feel confident that the soundscapes by Hosono are reminiscent of an equally rich and complex images that the film will contain. So perhaps not having the film conveniently at one's disposable to form the images that pair with the words makes this soundtrack especially unique. The film seems to be garnering some cult attention however, and according to a Twitter, it has been screened in Blu-Ray at recent exhibitions...which could signal a future home release.



If the film didn't need another reason to be sought out by Hosono lovers other than the man's musical involvement it would be for his role in the film itself: he turned down initial offers from the director to be cast as the lead and instead opted to star in the film with a supporting role.

Speaking of the cast, the female lead is none other than the 80s anti-idol Jun Togawa, a cult figure in her own right that still holds a huge following in the Japanese underground. I can't fathom how the film remains so obscure and unobtainable with stars like Hosono and Togawa attached to it.

For now, however, a fanciful piece of the soundtrack and low-res bonus footage of the film is on Youtube that can be used as a kind of referent for piecing together the pieces of Hosono's score with images of Okinawa. Let's hope for a home release soon so more people can see this wonderful(???) film.

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Chris

岡山 cafe moyau

Don't let the aging architecture deter you - cafe moyau is a cafe/restaurant in Okayama prefecture that embraces its antique look to create an almost dreamlike atmosphere, evoking both familiarity and nostalgia. Even if we don't all live in a picturesque shack right by a river it's hard to not think of it as feeling like home - or at least establishing what home is supposed to feel like.


The cafe faces the Asahigawa river, lying on the outskirts of downtown Okayama, positioned right between the office buildings and skyscrapers of the business district the two biggest tourist cultural tourist attractions a bridge away: the Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's best, and Okayama Castle. Moyau's location in between the tourism and business sectors feels symbolic, offering an escape both from the concrete jungle to its left as well as the busy commercial tourism and sights on its right.

The wooden entrance door rattles as it moves into place and the steep wooden stairs to the second floor loft creak underfoot with even the most careful step. The chairs and tables look slightly worn but are obviously clean and well kept. The furnishings lack the uniformity of most restaurants and cafes in favor of picking and choosing what looks to be the most comfortable over the most symmetric. The lights are dim and you call the servers, all whom looked to be at home here as well while dressed in their own attire, with a small bell placed on your table. The menu is made of bound, decorated cards and is hand written. The smell of stewing curry filled the room from the first time I opened the door and  conversations were short and sweet among the men getting off work and the woman with her two children sitting across the way. The mood seemed to always hover just slightly above the ground, being neither too gloomy and quiet nor too festive and rowdy. It was just right.

A small library with shelves of books is located just to the side of the cafe in a separate room where you can also enjoy your drinks or lunch, with windows facing the river. The sun was just setting when I was there and I saw a girl enjoying her lunch outside the window on a chair she pulled up by the small road in front. I chose a short story collection by Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo and skimmed through a novel by Ryu Murakami. There are a variety of drinks and food on the menu and the whole place smelled of delicious home stewed curry, but what caught my eye the most was the azuki coffee. It arrived at my table with a topping of whipped cream and the expected red beans fashioned on top.

One of the reasons I was so inclined to go to cafe moyau when a friend suggested it was because the name sounded familiar: Oomori Seiko stopped by just a few weeks before I was there to give an intimate acoustic concert in the event space located in the basement of the cafe. They seem to do a variety of interesting events besides live shows, too. I spotted a signed vinyl record of singer-songwriter Shibata Satoko's EP on the way out.

If you ever find yourself looking for a nice place to relax off the beaten path or after a days worth of sightseeing in Okayama city, cafe moyau is a convenient place to unwind. Okayama is a city best explored by bicycle, the transportation of choice for most of the city's inhabitants, and rental bicycles for non-residents are available from a number of places. Cafe moyau is a short bicycle ride from Okayama station, although it can be a little longer on foot. For directions and more information, check out the cafe's official website as well as this handy google map location or the map posted on their homepage.
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Chris

水曜日のカンパネラ (Suiyoubi no Campanella / WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA ) @ Ebisu Liquid Room 03/29/2015

Because I don't live in Japan, perhaps the biggest inconvenience to me is not being able to see all these great concerts that go on for artists I like when I want to see them. Concerts are sometimes great leaps into the unknown that unearth numerous musical discoveries or opportunities for me to reaffirm my love for an artist I used to obsess over. But nothing beats going to a gig when I'm completed and utterly obsessed with an artist, when my interest is at its peak.

So imagine my chagrin when the perfect day for a Suiyoubi no Campanella / WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA concert occurred during my trip and the tickets sold out in just two hours. A friend of mine apologized - even he couldn't get tickets to a small Suiyoubi no Campanella show days before at a local club - and I was disappointed I would be missing the one artist I had listened to so obsessively in the months prior to leaving to Japan. Not only was my interest at its highest point, but Suiyoubi no Campanella was also reaching a milestone in their career and becoming a lot more popular. The sold out gig in question took place at Liquid room, a pretty sizable concert hall in Tokyo that followed an equally successful(see: sold out) tour of Japan, plus getting spread about on the net via word of mouth (kyary pamyu pamyu helped and is supposedly a big fan). The concert would mark the artists departure from the confines of the underground club circuit and into the ears of many more people. I myself had been listening in to the artist as this was all unfolding and I had savored every music video and every track on their prior EPs, doting on each release and never wanting the music to end.
It was terrible that I couldnt see them...but then came my saving grace - a kickstarter-esque website was created to give people the chance to pledge for rewards related to the show. You could pledge for images, an audio recording, or HD video footage of the concert and I opted for the complete package, thinking it was better than not being able to go. On the top there was also an option to pledge a paltry sum of 1000yen($10) for a chance to win one of 10 extra tickets to the gig. It wouldnt hurt, I thought, so I kept that day open in my schedule. Then, miracle would have it that one day at work I glanced down at my phone to an email with a vague title - containing a winning ticket to the gig. I guess I'd be watching it from my computer and attending afterall.
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I rushed back to Tokyo from Nagoya after seeing two shows there, with the Suiyoubi no Campanella gig to round out the weekend. I stopped first in Ueno park after hearing the cherry blossoms were in full bloom before heading to the gig later that afternoon. The dress code for the show was red or blue, the theme was to have the audience dressed like the Onis(Japanese demons/monsters) that were the theme of the show's title "Take me to Oni island!". On the subway I saw a few people in the train dressed in matching colors who I would later see at the show and felt a little out of place with my plain, faded red jacket.

Plenty of people had already gathered inside the venue well before the gig was to start and I lined up to grab a poster and some CDs, then wandered around the neighborhood for a bite to eat before they let people in. Since I won my ticket, I was the last to go inside the venue and by then it seemed like an endless stream of people had already been inside.
The stairway was lined with posters of a fake film starring the group, styled like an old Japanese film poster. Once inside the hallways blared tribal music and had two folks in Oni garb greeting people entering. It was sweltering hot and the crowd made it difficult to move, but I wiggled to grab a drink, downed it, and finally went inside. Being last, the entire floor was already full as was the back of the stage but I was keen on getting as close as I could and found a spot on the floor to squeeze into. From font to back the place was completely packed. But it wasn't long before the loud hum of the crowd was silenced as a movie came on screen and signaled the start of the gig; see below.
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I've always thought of Suiyoubi no Campanella as a kind of chimera - as a group, they seek to engage multiple senses while also having so many different facets to them, so many things to appreciate, that it feels so encompassing to be a part of their experience. It's not just an aural experience comprised of music, it's visual, ala their attention to detail on music videos. It's not just komuai's vocals, but Kenmochi's track making. It's not just about a unique live performance as it is about the studio recordings. This idea was cemented at the very foundation of the gig, with a combination of komuai's stage performance, antics, vocals, and background videos moving the performance along and making for a unique live show.

Then of course, you had various highlights, like seeing "Mitsuko" (above) with an accompanying stop motion video taking us through Tokyo's winding streets and right up to the Liquid Room venue. A similar new approach was also done for Marie Antoinette where Komuai struggle to throw   Or in "Inca" when the group of performers came out and had a tussle with Komuai on stage. There was also a semi-failed attempt to live broadcast the merchandise table from just outside the concert hall - there were some technical difficulties and Komuai ended up just bringing the shirts out and showing them that way. She leapt into the crowd after a few songs and took a Go-Pro strapped to her microphone around the entire Liquid Room, weaving in and out of the crowd while trying to sing "Dracula," giving just about everyone in the large room a chance to get close to her.

Things started to wind down and personally I was getting a bit tired myself when the entire stage changed and some unknown music started blaring on the speakers. This was another far out experience provided by a musician who would later be announced as Oorutaichi, a producer for one of Suiyoubi no Campanella's new tracks. His set dragged on a bit, again, probably just because of my fatigue, but my favorite part was his use of this laser animation that reminded me of the targeting computer stuff from the first Star Wars film. Afterwards, Komuai joined him on stage to perform their new track, "Yuta," which also had a really neat background movie that was broadcast across the stage and ceiling.

The night rounded out with Diablo, a track off her new(at that time!) Triathalon EP, featuring the aforementioned track by Oorutaichi as well.

It was a pretty great night, albeit a very tiring one, and I was a little disappointed I didn't get to hear Janne da Arc, especially because the accompanying performance involves Komuai getting onto a makeshift cardboard bus and riding it through the audience...but I was already pretty satisfied with getting into the show of my dreams, being able to catch every single song that came on, and getting to see an artist I probably won't be able to see again - at least because Suiyoubi no Campanella has grown exponentially in popularity since March of last year and has sold out many of their shows.

Anyway, cheers to the next time they decide to do something really ambitious again. It was fun!
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Chris

Perfume Anniversary Project: Perfume展 Exhibit Vol. 1 @ 渋谷 Tower Records

The main purpose of my last trip to Japan was to see one of Perfume's shows at the legendary Budokan venue as part of a bigger ten day series of events meant to commemorate the group's ten year anniversary of signing to a major label.  Part of the festivities included dance contest preliminaries　and even an advance screening of the next Perfume world tour documentary movie, showing in cinemas come October. By chance I happened upon one I overlooked: the first part of a small Perfume exhibition being held in the monolithic Tower Records Shibuya's eighth floor event space. The entrance of the massive record store had Perfume on large monitors greeting those walking by to come check out the event.

Tickets were a bit confusing: you could purchase them in advance or at Tower Records and they allowed admission at the top of every hour for the price of 500yen. You had to get in line to purchase the tickets, bring them to a redemption counter, then bring them back up to the 8th floor. An audio guide was also available for an additional 500yen. Pictures were allowed in the event so I made sure to snap as many as I could. After going up and down a few times figuring this out, I finally handed my ticket to the counter on the 8th floor and made my way in. Pictures were allowed, so of course I tried to snap as many as possible. 

Member's Rooms

One of the highlights was that each member was able to setup their own "room" in a corner of the exhibit. Once you enter, A~chan's room is off to the side and is the most decorated of the three, with a plethora of little details and small memorabilia that keep your eyes looking for something you may have missed. I'm sure it's what anyone would expect from the girly A~chan!

Nocchi's corner was much more simplistic, organized, and chic. She put up various trinkets that meant a lot to her and I believe the rocking chair in the center was a gift from the other members.

Perhaps the most bizarre was Kashiyuka...her "room" consisted of just a single item on display. The text reads that she received this special gift from Nocchi and A~chan and just the site of it made her really happy. Interesting choice! 

Outfits

The Perfume exhibit had some of the girls' most recognizable outfits on display, placed on mannequins doing their signature dance poses. In a video that played at the exhibit, the members mentioned that although they wanted to put some outfits on display they were unable to use some because they had become completed worn out due to using them so much. Here are some they were able to use: 

 Cling Cling

Laser Beam

Dream Fighter 

 Glitter

 MTV Video Music Awards

The bonus DVD that came with the GAME album contained a concert at Liquidroom where Perfume wore these outfits. Can't say I really liked them!

Others

The exhibition had a couple of other things on display as well. 

This huge wall of posters lined the wall towards the exit of the exhibit. I'm particularly fond of the Perfume Complete Best and Vitamin Drop posters, although I know they must cost a fortune. 

Merchandise and other goods were also on display in some showcases. I build plastic model kits so I was really fond of the logo for the CBS Radio show. There were also T-shirts, pamphlets and other goods from previous tours, and these interesting framed signatures from the girls in which A~chan insisted on not being very uniform with her "A". 

Lastly, upon exiting the event there was a large glass case housing every Perfume CD in existence and just beyond the glass were the two extremely early era Perfume CDs for Omajinai Perori and Kareshi Boushuu chuu, all sought after collectibles for any Perfume fan that fetch a lot of money on auction sites. Just being able to see these copies was alone to satisfy me. 

There was a large stack of notebooks and a variety of writing utensils available at the other corner of the entrance for anyone who wanted to pen a message to Perfume. The books were mostly filled cover to cover and most included adorable little caricatures carefully and whimsically invented by fans. I wrote a heartfelt note to the girls in English in my best efforts to stand out among the pages of kana and left the event feeling completely satisfied. 

Unfortunately, World PTA members are not able to receive the event exclusive post card as it requires a hard copy PTA ID, something not issued to members overseas yet. The event also has some exclusive merchandise available for purchase although it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Since I was going to the Budokan concert a few days after, I decided to save my good shopping for then. 

The sign says there is a part two in October and I can't wait to see what is put on display then if I won't be able to attend. 

Thanks for reading!

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Chris 

Imaike GO NOW @ 今池 名古屋 2015/03/28

I was at a loss of what do on the Saturday between the Oomori Seiko show and Suiyoubi no Campanella's Liquid Room gig in Tokyo until Hayden, a fellow member of a Japanese indie community, directed me to an all day event with a massive lineup - in both the quality and sheer number of bands performing - being held in Nagoya. The event fit perfectly in my schedule - I was already in Nagoya to see Oomori Seiko they day before - and the lineup had a ton of really fantastic looking bands on it. A lot of these bands could have easily held solo concerts to a sold out crowd and some might argue that experiencing a band's music is better this way as opposed to the shorter set lists that have to accompany huge events like this one, but given that most of these bands were only relatively familiar to me in name and sound meant that the short and sweet set lists at this event would be just enough for me to enjoy them without feeling lost in a two hour long concert. It was a perfect opportunity to get a taste of a number of great artists, both staples in the scene and upcoming talent.Unfortunately I was still fighting my cold and my hotel reservation was messed up. I had to get booted from my room in the morning and I spent a good part of it wandering around the Sakae downtown area, exploring the area around the science museum - it's hard to miss a giant orb among the skycrapers. It was strange seeing an area so bustling with life at 2AM that morning suddenly transformed into a tranquil, mundane neighborhood once the sun came up.

The event, Imaike Go Now, was a sort of mini-music festival that took place in the Imaike neighborhood of Nagoya (imaike is a homophone - it's both a place name and can be translated into English as go now, hence the event name!), where there was a large concentration of live houses all relatively walking distance from one another. The event kicked off at 12PM and lasted until evening, with band's playing at around 10 live houses simultaneously. With a lineup of so many bands worth seeing, it was definitely going to be difficult to carve out a schedule in which I got to see all the groups I wanted to. Take a look at the lineup:

The first task was deciding between Bonobos and Homecomings, the first two acts opening the event. I heard nothing of Homecomings at the time, but I knew they were getting a lot of exposure and I had a feeling I would enjoy them (after I got back from my trip I couldn't take their album out of my stereo!), but I opted to see the indie/reggae outfit bonobos instead...most likely because they were conveniently playing at the large venue where the event required you to get your wristband anyways.

I hadn't kept up with bonobos since their album "Gold" many, many years ago, but I tuned in again with their album "Ultra," a fantastic updated take on their sound, and the group played some fantastic songs off of there as the crowd trickled in. Bottom line, the event's home base and the largest live house with the most popular acts, was packed: bonobos were obviously really popular, and they closed on a high note with their classic, "Gold". Their set was enjoyable but I found myself yearning for the songs I had known from them before.
It wasn't until people were shuffling out of the live house that i realized the first concert I had been to in Japan was bonobos playing in Okinawa in 2009 and I was only seeing them again six years later. Both the band and myself had changed a lot since then, an epiphany that would probably lead to some emotions welling up in me during their set but thankfully I only realized this after they performed. Crisis averted.

Afterwards I took off to see a band I listened to a few times when their debut EP came out, the post-rock trio palitextdestroy. I briskly walked down the street to Valentine Drive and as I walked down into the basement of the building where the club was the attendant urged me to squeeze in as best I could to the center of the room. Inside, the band was playing in the center with a small crowd strewn in front of them. There couldn't have been more than 30 people inside and I hadn't moved an inch from the door in my attempt to squeeze in. They were closing out their set, the drummer beating the life out of the set and the keyboard player going nuts as well. palitextdestroy were energetic, that's for sure, and despite them lacking a certain depth in their sound, their stage presence and energy was great and benefited from Valentine Drive's miniscule size and minimal stage setup.

I walked back to Bottom Line to check out the ska band Zainichi funk, managing to groove in place despite the crowd being packed in the place as tight as ever. These guys were great: definitely a staple at something like a big, outdoor music festival.

The progressive jazz band jizue was next on my agenda and I walked further to Tokuzo, a club on the second floor of a building along a side street after popping into a convenience store for a beer(and waiting in vain for 20minutes for the bathroom to free up). Seeing plenty of young, energetic people walking about the neighborhood in band T-shirts made for a really inviting atmosphere. Other peopel were waiting outside the club, located on a second floor, and I joined them while sipping a cold one and sitting on the pavement. It was rather roomy when I went up and by the time I arrived the room was already filled to the back with a lively crowd (who made constant remarks of how cute the keyboard player was, she blushed and thanked them). They arrived to enthusiastic applause and put on a fantastic set. Jizue's style is both jazzy and progressive, relaxing and intense. It's something you can leisurely enjoy but also admire for each members virtuosity. I play the drums so the coolest part of the gig was seeing their drummer effortlessly destroy during his solo. They played a cover of "When you wish upon a star" that they had recently recorded for a Disney covers compilation, so even if this was the first time I heard them there was small familiarity. With all the jazz-like improvisation jizue did and how they captivated the audience, familiarity isn't exactly necessary to enjoy them at all.

I didn't know any of the other bands playing at the time and the only name that was even relatively familiar to me was Turntable Films, so I marched to 3Star Imaike, where they were playing, and stayed for a majority of their set before Wuja Bin Bin. For some reason I thought they had been a shoegaze band(I was laughed at for this, maybe their name just gave that vibe?) so I was surprised when their music turned out to be a lot more folky than I had thought. They were decent - I wasn't familiar with their work at all - but by this time the hunger and crankiness was setting in. I hadn't eaten since lunch and the combination of hunger pangs, being slightly sick, and the creeping annoying feeling that was permeating since the annoying kids at the day before's Oomori Seiko concert made me feel pretty gross.

Wuja Bin Bin and grou_inou were both performing at Club Upset, and according the map it would be quite a walk. When I finally got there, I was greeted by a small entrance to a tall building with Upset on the 6th floor. The elevator had a big X marked on it and a sign directing the groaning patrons to use the stairs.

I walked in (probably sweating, panting, and tired) just as they were playing the single of their last album "Safe driving." Their lineup is a massive chimera of veteran musicians playing a wide variety of instruments, kind of like a mini orchestra without a conductor. The band can get pretty abrasive and just as easily come back down to earth for some soft jazz.

I had to get back to Upset for group_inou but in the meantime I went back to Bottom Line to see Humbert Humbert, a singer/songwriter folk duo I had listened to a few times in the past. Most people by this time seemed less interested in who was playing than trying to relax and a lot of people on the first and second floor were sitting on the ground trying to recover. I found a space on the second floor and managed to relax a bit while listening to the two play a cover of the theme song to Kiki's Delivery Service as well as some original songs. Everyone else seemed to appreciate the soft acoustic melodies after a long day of wailing electric guitars and pounding drums.

Teen Runnings sounded familiar to me as well and after the short rest (both physical and aural) of Humbert Humbert I went down the street to Second Vision to give them a listen.

Cool indie rock, and I got to take some nice pictures at that. I purchased their album and made the long trek back to Second Vision to see group_inou.

People were getting shoved into the club and the warnings not to the block the aisle were all but ignored after a certain point. A ton of people were wasted already and bumping into people obnoxiously while the crowd waited for the duo to come on. Impatience was at its limit when it mixed with the fact that I had walked up those stairs(again!) and hadn't eaten any solid food since lunch, but when group_inou came on and got the crowd jumping everything momentarily faded. Their unique style of electronic music meets hip-hop worked great in the club setting and I had only wished I had been closer to the front to experience it...and the room had been less cramped so I could get out my camera for some pictures.

A lot of the bands closing out the event at each live house were familiar to me and sure to be good, but I was too tired to decide who to see. The closest live house was Bottom line on the way back from Second Vision - so I decided to check out Ogre You Asshole. The band was a far from cry from what I remember them sounding like, and they built up some great, almost post-rock-esque walls of noise during their set, the kind that engulfs the crowd and immerses them in the sound. I can't call myself a fan yet - I never was before, either - but I probably should check out how they've changed.

It was a long day but full of a ton of great music. Events like this are always a great way to cover a lot of ground when traveling to Japan. Being here for a short time it's a great and inexpensive way to check out a bunch of bands all at once and this kind of live house hopping event, even if it doesn't happen often, had the variety of a festival minus the insane price tags and bloated capacity of stadiums and fields that can often destroy the intimacy created at a live house. Even if these events don't happen often, Imaike Go Now is a good example of what to look out for if you want to sample a lot of music in Japan with little time on your hands...although, you do need to clear up an entire day and get a great pair of jogging shoes for it! 

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Chris