Creativeman President Naoki Shimizu says he had the perfect idea for this year's Sonicmania. The event, an all-night party that comes ahead of Creativeman's Summer Sonic music festival, would feature EDM heavyweight Skrillex and long-running synthpop outfit New Order as the headliners, bringing out young fans and seasoned punters in equal droves.
Unfortunately, this fantasy booking couldn't happen due to scheduling, so Shimizu decided to nix Sonicmania altogether.
"I tried to think of other artists, but I didn't think we could get the perfect booking," Shimizu tells The Japan Times from an office packed with "Star Wars" memorabilia in Shibuya Ward. Hostess Entertainment will instead handle the only additional programming on top of the festival, an all-night bash with Dinosaur Jr., Animal Collective and more.