The jazz cafe offering sounds of the 1960s in a Shinjuku basement
For many Tokyoites, Shinjuku is inextricably linked with the 1960s and '70s and with jazz. "There used to be jazz kissa (cafes) everywhere," says Dug cafe owner and jazz photographer ...
The Abjects: London-based, but internationally minded
It has been exactly two years since The Abjects, a London-based power pop and garage trio, last toured Japan, and since then the one thing that has been constant is change. Some of that change found its way on to the group's debut LP "Never ...
Embracing the Japan of the past through music with Meitei
As the Reiwa Era begins, Japanese music producer Daisuke Fujita, aka Meitei, is looking forward while sticking to the traditions of the past. Fresh from last year's spook-summoning album "Kwaidan," which featured in "Best Albums of 2018" accolades curated by the likes of Pitchfork ...
Scavenging for samples from the '70s and '80s with Night Tempo
Jung Kyung-ho came to an artistic crossroads last year. The South Korean producer creating music under the name Night Tempo was trying to figure out where to take the project, recording new songs while experimenting with a live band for his shows — a ...
Heisei offered a number of lessons J-pop artists should learn from going into the Reiwa Era
The past year in Japanese pop has felt like one big musical revue devoted to the Heisei Era (1989-2019), with TV shows reflecting on the biggest hits of that period. Now that Reiwa has finally started, the cultural discourse can turn to figuring out ...
The Outcasts: Forty years after their debut, Japan finally beckons
For a small country, Northern Ireland has produced a lot of punk. Similar to Fukushima Prefecture in size and population, this corner of the U.K. gave rise to acts such as The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, Rudi, Protex, and The Outcasts in the 1970s, at ...
'Pacific Breeze' collates the slick sound of Japanese city pop
Long overlooked by international labels, Japan's rich musical history has been undergoing thorough excavation over the past few years. Some of the most satisfying archival releases to date have come from Light in the Attic, the U.S. label behind last year's Haruomi Hosono reissues ...
Snarky Puppy lets Japanese fans sink their teeth into its new album 'Immigrance'
Snarky Puppy is back with a new album, "Immigrance," and is currently on a world tour. Bassist and band-leader Michael League talks to The Japan Times about Grammy success, why "Immigrance" is likely to be the band's last studio album and what to expect ...
The Cinematic Orchestra: Absence makes the fans grow fonder
Twelve years since its last studio album, The Cinematic Orchestra released "To Believe" in March. Band-leader Jason Swinscoe talks about his writing process and The Cinematic Orchestra's long hiatus.
George Clinton: The godfather of P-Funk's final visit to Japan
George Clinton has packed a lot of funk into his six-decade career. In the 1970s, the American singer rose to fame with Parliament and Funkadelic, sister groups that established a musical dynasty known globally as P-Funk. After numerous trips around the world, Clinton is now preparing ...
Tetsuya Komuro: J-pop inventor's synth-powered dance tunes set the tone for post-bubble Japan
The term J-pop, a Heisei invention, needed a defining characteristic to make it stand out from the Showa Era's soundtrack, and Komuro provided a synthesizer-powered foundation.
Connan Mockasin finds his Japan groove ahead of his debut gig in his adopted country
"Sorry?" splutters Connan Hosford, better known as Connan Mockasin, as his bandmates cackle in the background. "Excuse me ... What did you say before?" He's got me on speakerphone, and I've just mentioned the name of the group he'll be appearing alongside at his debut ...
