Tokyo's Coolest Sound

This week was the release of Vanilla Beans' 2nd full-length original album "Vanilla Beans II"! They are now touring several record stores around the Kantō area in a promotion rush, but it all started on release day Wednesday July 20 at Tower Records in Shibuya. A large audience of maybe some 300 or more people filled the live space located downstairs.

The stage was shared with Niigata idol trio Negicco that was also seeing a release on the same day, mini-album "Get It On" also on label T-Palette Records.

Two reports of Yellow Magic Orchestra shows held in California last month (June 26 at Hollywood Bowl, L.A., with Cibo Matto, Buffalo Daughter and Towa Tei, and June 27 in San Francisco with Prefuse 73) have arrived from correspondent Nicholas D. Kent who was lucky enough to go to both. Read on for all details!

"BIG IN JAPAN"
Yellow Magic Orchestra, Cibo Matto, Buffalo Daughter, Towa Tei
June 26, 2011 at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles

KCRW, a non-commercial National Public radio station in Los Angeles books a series of themed concerts at the Hollywood Bowl annually. Well before the March disaster in Japan they managed to book Yellow Magic Orchestra for their first concert in the U.S. since 1979 and also Cibo Matto for what might have been their first appearance as Cibo Matto since 2001 (though as it turns out they played some charity and warm up shows before this one). Despite living in NYC I figured this was too good to miss if I could work out a trip to the opposite coast.

I thought the name "Big In Japan" has a hint of irony to it. I'm not sure what other parts in the world use the term "big in Japan" but it's often used euphemistically about a performer who is thought of as no longer or not being that successful locally but apparently gained some attention playing in Japan. To differing amounts I'd say all these acts became better known in Japan because they were known in the U.S. There is no question YMO became famous in Japan and still are. They began as a sort of conceptual side project but turned into a successful band. In 1979 their albums began to be released in the U.S. and internationally, an extremely rare occurrence for a Japanese band at the time. Cibo Matto are a core duo of two Japanese women who in 1994 started a band in New York City. They were signed to a major US label in 1995, so essentially other than being born in Japan are an American band. Buffalo Daughter began in 1993 as an indie act in Japan and in 1996 were signed to the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label in the U.S. boosting their recognition in both countries. Towa Tei had a major hit as a member of Deee-Lite in New York. He was able to use his NY club reputation to cement a solo career in Japan as both solo artist and DJ. He's collaborated with all YMO members as well as Cibo Matto's Miho over the years.

On Monday July 11 was held an in-store event at Tower Records Shinjuku with Maezono Naoki Group in promotion of 2nd album "tooku e." (translates to "To far away") released in May on CD and vinyl.

As the name says, the band features singer Maezono Naoki, and also Konishi Yasuharu who is the pianist. Konishi-san also takes the role of arranger, as all of the repertory so far consists of covers. Until last year this was a 3-piece band, together with Hatachi Mitsutaka on wood bass, but this new album also features trumpeter Orita Yūsuke (member of jazz band TRI4TH) and drummer Ariizumi Hajime.

The stage at Tower Records is really quite small, yet they managed to fit a real piano (upright), drums and all musicians on there. The show started with only 4 of them, without Konishi, as they opened with "nora neko" from the album. Then Maezono announced that was all for the 4-piece and called Konishi who came to sit at the piano.

On Monday June 27 was an event organized by CTO LAB. at Koenji High, a good venue for which I've heard many praises for its good sound and tall stage.

I got there just on time, catching a mini-live by Hitorimisaki who played instrumental electronic music with good beats. He was followed by Tenorierie, a girl who stood in a yellow raincoat (it was a rainy day after all) singing electro-pop songs accompanied only by her Tenorion, adding live parts and solos. She played 3 songs including "yowamushi no hikoshi" that can be heard at MySpace. For a song she added percussions by using scissors to pop small balloons kept in a transparent box by her side.

Hitorimisaki, Tenorierie