Blog - Weekly revue: 2019 week #26 (June 22 to 28)

Weekly revue: 2019 week #26 (June 22 to 28)

Creatures in the city

Food: - Steak & more at Meuglement, Nishi-Eifuku
- Dry curry at Kitchen Ohnami, Kichijōji

Music events: - On Saturday June 22 was event "Midsummer Witchcraft" at Salone Fontana, an event organized by ammakasie noka (Mayutan) and also featuring Mokumedori. Held in a concert hall made to look like a small European-style church, it was more than just a live music event, with a mystery solving game for which hints had to be collected throughout the show and by walking around the venue.

After some time to explain the game and let the guests look around the venue and taste a special drink (by Piyototochat, an always good-tasting and friendly restaurant in Nishi-Ogikubo) that were needed to find answers to the riddles. That was followed by a special live music set by Mokumedori, a strange and beautiful life-size doll-like character who skillfully plays toy piano, pianica and xylophone.

I love the soothing sounds of latest album "Little Ghost House", which has a concept taking place in a deep forest and featuring two sisters, one who is a ghost and the other a witch. ammakasie noka's show brought to life some of that album's music, showing it being performed part of the white witch's ritual. Accompanied on piano by Aoki Hiroko, Mayutan (in the role of the main witch) was later joined by more white-dressed witches who danced along in circle around the large cross.

Midsummer Witchcraft

The whole event was a lot of fun and a unique experience, and the amount of work put into details of the stage decorations, props and the game (with several quiz sheets all designed beautifully) was very impressive. I had the great pleasure to give just a tiny bit of advice, and Mayutan put my name in the credits! Thanks Mayutan!! :)

- I also went to event "Joy Ride vol.259" at Koenji High, featuring CTO LAB. and Blanc. CTO LAB. is formed of Okada Tohru (Moonriders), Polymoog (Elektel) and Imai Kentarō (The Aprils), while Blanc is formed of Narita Shinobu (Urban Dance) and Yokokawa Tadahiko (ex-P-Model) (both members of 4-D mode1). So, yes, this show was full of big names of techno/electronic music!

First on stage was Blanc, a unit of two that seems to have been active since 2017. The music consisted of guitar and sometimes violin over a backtrack, and both of the members singing. I had just recently heard early Urban Dance for the first time (on the "Non-Standard collection" compilation) and that had left me impressed with the vocals, so it was great to be able to confirm that live. Blanc's show was great and had some funny MC'ing. I'll be looking forward to see them again sometime, and also in their other projects (Urban Dance has also been active in the recent years it seems, releasing an album in 2016).

Next up was CTO LAB.! Their show featured dancers Taichi and Saki of Genius, and also a guest appearance by vocalist Younapi (You'll Melt More!/Yurumerumo!). The show featured many songs from latest album "Beyond The Box" and some live favorites, and also several previously unheard covers such as Moonriders' "M.I.J." (a song that originally featured Nomiya Maki!), one of You'll Melt More ("Hello, See You"), and another of Stereo Total's "Ushilo Sugata Ga Kilei", all of these featuring Younapi. They also did a cover of Moonriders' "hitsuji no Triangle" which was sold as a limited CD-R at this show only.

But the best moment of the show for me was the next song, "Nazo No Enban"! The reason is that I wrote its lyrics, and it was my first time hearing it live! Yay!!! Those lyrics were even projects on the big screen by VJ Portasounds! What a great moment! :)

Listening to CTO LAB.'s songs, whether live or in recording, is always a great delight for me. Such a wonderful variety of synth and electronic sounds at their best. On the way out I also bought VirtualBoys' latest CD-R "Red - Green". VirtualBoys is the game music-inspired unit of Imai Kentaro (The Aprils, CTO LAB.) and Asahi Taichi (Genius).

Set list: 2001: A Space Odyssey / The Theme of Ma.K. / not(.)but(,) / hitsuji no Triangle (Moonriders cover) / M.I.J. (Moonriders cover) feat. Younapi / Hello, See You (Younapi cover) feat. Younapi / Ushilo Sugata Ga Kilei (Stereo Total cover) feat. Younapi / Nazo No Enban / sekai wa Bon Hi-Bon! / The Elements (Tom Lehrer cover)
Encore: hitogomi no naka no obake dōshi feat. Younapi / Crash Bandicoot

- Then the next day I dropped by HMV record shop Coppice Kichijoji for a double in-store release event featuring Enoshima Bakusō Gals (Kanou Emiri + WAY WAVE) and WHY@DOLL. Enoshima Bakusō Gals's first single "Surume Boy" has a remix by Yoshida Tetsuto for its B-side, and WHY@DOLL also had a new 7" out the same day ("futari de ikite yukereba / Love Story wa shūmatsu ni") with both songs written by him (and co-arranged by Hase Yasuhiro (Yume To Cosme)). There were karaoke-style mini live shows by Kanou Emiri solo (who had also just released CD single "1988" a few days before), then WAY WAVE, and then one song as Enoshima Bakusō Gals, to finish with WHY@DOLL. A total of 12 songs!

I bought both 7"'s so I could collect autographs of all singers after the show. I also got to take a photo with Enoshima Bakusō Gals, doing the squid pose. :)

Kanou Emiri set list: Next Town / Because of You / 1988

WHY@DOLL set list: sumire Iolite / koi nano kana? / futari de ikite yukereba / Love Story wa shūmatsu ni

江ノ島爆走ギャルズ / Enoshima bakusou Gals

- I also went to a talk event titled "chō Fami-man Caravan 2019" at Asagaya Loft A. "Fami-man" refers to "Famicom manga", a genre of comics that was about Famicom games and read by Famicom kids back in the day. While Famicom (NES) was popular worldwide, Fami-man trend probably could only exist in Japan. I was myself a NES (and Sega Master System) kid, and an avid reader of US magazine Nintendo Power, so I was curious to learn about this other genre of game-centered culture that came from the same place as the games.

This talk event was held by writer Uchida Meijin who just released book "chō Fami-man" about this very topic, a book that reviews some 150 of those comic books. The other guests were DJ Fukutake (who owns so many game records, just watch his daily Instagram posts which often have me drooling), and also game/anime magazine "Continue"'s editor Hayashi Kazuhiro. The talk event showed many pages from those books and talked about all sort of memories and favorite episodes, etc. Meanwhile DJ Fukutake played rare records from the day, starting with the theme of "Super Mario Bros." and then "Kid Icarus", and also game-inspired songs or songs that ended up used in games, and recent imported re-issues of Nintendo classics.