There will be fishy goings on at Salmon Sound, which returns to club Wire in Shinjuku on March 1. The concept for the event is simple: a night of Norwegian music spun by Norwegian DJs.
"Most events don't play Norwegian music," says event co-organizer DJ Snow Plow. "In Tokyo, it seems like everybody either likes British rock or American rock. The rest of the world hardly gets a mention."
Despite its unique spin, Salmon Sound is an irregular event, something the organizers say is unavoidable.
"It would be difficult to put on a night like this every month," says Snow Plow. "There wouldn't be enough music to play, and the party's sound would quite quickly become repetitive."
This should not detract punters, who will hear quality music from the likes of electronica act Royksopp, punk-dance band Data Rock, and legendary purveyors of cheesy pop A-Ha, as well as the odd black-metal song and music the organizers have found by unsigned bands through Web sites such as MySpace.com.
The party is taking place in an intimate venue, but the DJs are quick to point out that this makes the event easier to fill, creating a great atmosphere. "After the last party in October, the club demanded we come back and do another event," says DJ Aurora.
The Norwegian Embassy is also lending a hand. "The Embassy really wants to promote our country's culture," says DJ Fjord. "They've even given us free salmon, a Norwegian specialty, to hand out to the crowd on the night."
Salmon Sound 2 takes place at Club Wire, 5-17-6, Shinjuku, Tokyo, on March 1. Entrance is ¥2,000 with one drink. www2.norway.or.jp/culture/news/salmonsound.htm
