Every year, more than 2,000 bands flock to Austin, Texas, for the South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW). The internationally recognized event has recently leaned heavy on tech, but music still plays a big part. During this year's mid-March music showcase, Japan was represented by a small yet diverse group of performers.
For the second year in a row, a Japanese band performed as part of SXSW's official music opening party. This year, Kyoto's Otoboke Beaver started the party with intense rock chaos, unexpectedly crowd surfing multiple times. "We are honored! I'm so glad that we could get the chance (to do that)," said guitarist Yoyoyoshie in reference to the opportunity. Still, she admits that members were "a little nervous" about opening the prominent event.
Last year, Tokyo's yahyel brought its dark, atmospheric electro-pop to the party. Singer Shun Ikegai says that it was a cool yet "totally random" experience, since the band was not part of the lineup initially. He says yahyel joined after another group had to cancel.