Tokyo's Coolest Sound

On Saturday June 22 was an event presented by blue marble, a band that released first album "Valerie" (Amazon) four years ago to then sort of disappear. This was to be their first official show ever, and some 50 fans gathered in a small venue named strobe cafe (ran by the Strobe Records label) for something they had been waiting forever.

The show started with a guest performance by mishmash* Julie Watai. I had been wanting to see them for some time but this was the first occasion for me. Their stage setup has musician Mishima Toyoaki (long-time programmer for Cornelius) on the left, with two MacBooks and a lot of cables dripping from his desk. On the right is drummer Tarawo, and in the center stands Julie Watai holding a vintage-looking microphone. Julie wore a white dress she made herself.

The electronic music and effected vocals sounded quite like the packaged version, though some synth phrases were played live. The biggest difference to the recordings was the powerful drumming that added loud breakbeats, making for a completely different experience. The large screen behind the stage showed each video and lyrics in sync with the music.