Although the major spectacle looming on Tokyo's horizon is undoubtedly the 2020 Olympics, there is one event this year that will be eagerly anticipated by anyone who spends longer on their gym playlist than their workout: The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) is set to take place here in October.

The 15th edition of the annual celebration of electronic music and underground culture will feature lectures (some exclusive, others public), the club scene will get a boost from nightly events featuring overseas acts and participants will reap the benefits of tailor-made studios and infrastructure. The lucky few who are chosen for the academy (60 each year, split into two groups of 30 over fortnightly terms) have access to the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment. And, of course, there's an endless supply of the eponymous energy drink, which fuels late-night recording sessions. Graduates from previous years include artists who have gone on to become big names in electronic music, such as Flying Lotus and Hudson Mohawke. The production credits on one of this year's biggest releases, Kanye West's "Yeezus," read, unofficially, as a roll call of RBMA alumni.

Of course, it's hard not to be sceptical when a major corporation steamrolls its way into the arts. "We had a bunch of people who absolutely hated the idea of Red Bull being involved in culture," says Torsten Schmidt — who co-founded the academy alongside Many Ameri after being approached by the company in the late 1990s.