Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009
Courtesy of Phonika
Crispy’s plate is full this week with a surfeit of clubbing morsels. Starting things off is tech-house event Phonika, which celebrates one year of late-night hijinx with a big do at Warehouse 702.
Talent for the event comes in the form of Parisian sound stylist Dyed Soundorom, who may not have the catchiest name in the biz, but is no rank amateur when it comes to productions and engagements. Dyed purveys a sexy, soulful take on tech-house that imparts some of vocal house’s warmth and soul to the mix, and has been found behind the DJ pulpit at the legendary likes of London’s Fabric and Paris’ Rex.
While Dyed may be making his Japan debut, he’s familiar with the club culture here, having teamed up with Tokyo’s own So Inagawa for the track “No Thrills.” The DJ says he’s got no preconceptions: “I always try to feed off the crowd and make my sets into a ‘one-off.’ If I had to plan them, then it wouldn’t be as much fun…”
From Paris we cross the ocean to Philadelphia, a city that has nurtured more than a few musicians of note over the years. One of its leading forces from the electronic end of the musical spectrum is DJ/producer Someone Else, who will be heading up another installment of DJ Kiyoshi Inoue’s Blue Source nights at Axxcis in Shibuya.
Topping up his minimalist productions with zany vocal and instrumental samples, Someone Else (a.k.a. Sean O’Neal) is that rare dance-music producer with a sense of humor. The grandson of a music teacher who also once played bass with Bill Haley & His Comets, O’Neal is the force behind Foundsound Records, an imprint named after his penchant for weaving field recordings into his minimal techno compositions…
Returning to Paris, we go to Frenchman Audace, a DJ and trackmaker who has called Tokyo home since 2005. Along with Musou Production label partners Cloud Ni9e and Under Mellow Circle, Audace has just released the imprint’s first EP, Daydreaming.
Glitchy, dark and atmospheric, the six tracks on the album span from phat, heady, hip-hop beats and massive, dubstep basslines to more dancefloor-friendly boom-chick-boom. Look for Audace behind the decks at underground clubs like Shimokitazawa’s Era, where Musou recently celebrated the release of Daydreaming, and Nakano’s Heavy Sick Zero, where he will be performing next weekend.
Warehouse702
Phonika. Deep tech soul: DJs Dyed Soundorom, Alex Einz, etc. Oct 10, from 11pm, ¥3,500. Azabu-Juban. Tel: 03-6230-0343. www.warehouse702.com
Heavy Sick Zero
Mo Fun vol. 3. Hip-hop, dub: Nerz Era, XLII feat DJ Audace, Drastik Adhesive Force, etc. Oct 10, from 11pm, ¥2,500. Nakano. Tel: 03-5380-1413. www.heavysick.co.jp/zero
Daydreaming is available on Musou Production. Info: www.musouproduction.com.
