Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2011

Let’s face it, for a megalopolis this big, Tokyo is crap at getting anything except for the odd goya out of its sprawling rooftops. Kudos to artist, photographer and DJ collective Eggworm, then: for the last two summers they’ve taken over Laputa, an open-air central Tokyo venue replete with panoramic views and a pool good enough to push your drunken date into, and held Summer Sounds. Lucky for us, because troisième partie is on its way. Metropolis caught man-in-the-know Nick Clarke, aka Groovepatrol, to find out what’s lined up…

Summer Sounds is into its third year. What’s the secret to its growing success? I think the hard work we’ve put in over the last three years is key. Myself and my partner at Eggworm, Mark Oxley, have stuck to our gameplan and tried to keep standards as high as possible regarding promo, design, photography and, of course, music.

A unique aspect is that it’s in the open air, in the daytime, yet still right in the city center… Of course that plays a part, and those who have attended this party will know that Laputa is special. But it’s much more than that—the staff is very supportive, and by the second event they really were on point. It’s the whole aesthetic—the view, the pool, the staff and the location. As far as I know, Eggworm is the first to try something like this in Tokyo.

Given the amount of potential, do you think there should be more rooftop events here?I think there should be a lot more going on using the outdoors in Tokyo but any person who has lived here knows that just isn’t the case. Whether it’s bars with outdoor spaces, sound restrictions after 9pm or licensing laws, it really is difficult to make things happen. But those of us who have made Tokyo home have to keep trying, no?

Has there been many “pool incidents?” It’s actually gotten less and less each year… I think we are all getting old!

Describe your current sound… I’ve always maintained a real deep house feel, which is hard to stick to in Tokyo because most parties are tech-orientated. When DJing, you have to follow the vibe of what is going down on the night so it’s sometimes tricky to maintain deepness. That said, this is what DJs get paid to do. If we can’t do it, we may as well go home and start knitting.

Are you happy to see a sort of house revival? Not really, as I am a big fan of techno too, and that has seen a rapid decline here over the years. There’ll always be something more popular that people will dive into, whether that’s minimal, funk, Chicago, Detroit, tech or whatnot. To me, the good stuff stands the test of time.

You played a mesmerizing set at “micro-club”/live streaming site Dommune a few months back. What’s it like engaging an audience but only being aware of a tiny portion of who’s actually watching? After 15 years in the game I should know what I am doing by now, I hope. At the end of the day, I’m just there playing the music I love, so I always try not to take it too seriously. The fact they have Funktion One speakers there is also a massive help—those puppies will knock any nerves right out of you.

Who else is playing this year’s Summer Sounds? We’re fortunate to have one of Tokyo’s funkiest bands, Bremen, performing. We caught their album launch in Shibuya a few months back and booked them on the spot. Singer Ely is something else. We also have Chicago house heavyweight Miles Maeda—a leader in that scene for years. We’re lucky to have him spin. Also playing on the day will be myself, Aron T, Alex Einz, Salmon and many more.

July 31 @Laputa Garden. See club listings for details. www.facebook.com/eggworm, www.clubberia.com/events/181174

Check out Groovepatrol’s “Aliens Don’t Dance” DJ mixes at www.facebook.com/djgroovepatrol