June 20, 2013
Summer Festival Guide ’13
From analog headbangers to techno raves, Japan's music fests have everything under the sun
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2013
Nano-Mugen Circuit
Headliners: Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Radical Dads
Ajikan, as locals affectionately call rockers Asian Kung-Fu Generation, are already on the tenth installment of their very own festival. Not bad for a melocore outfit whose heyday was over a decade ago. Their secret may be not trying to pull off a full-on rock festival each year, but toning things down on the off-years with their traveling Nano-Mugen (roughly “from nano to the infinite”) Circuit. This year’s lineup at Nano-Mugen is decidedly low-key compared to last year’s Suede and Fountains of Wayne, with Brooklyn outfit Radical Dads making what is apparently their first visit to Japan, alongside local rockers Siamese Cats, The Chef Cooks Me, and of course Ajikan themselves.
Tokyo Dome City Hall, June 28, ¥4,500. http://nano-mugenfes.com
Fuji Rock Festival
Headliners: Nine Inch Nails, Bjork, Cure
If last year’s headliners Stone Roses, Radiohead and the Gallagher bros made for an Olympics-themed Brit-fest, this year trends toward the American and otherwise. Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails front Fuji for the first time, and return to Japan for their first visit since their 2009 Summer Sonic appearance. After their break they are back with a new album due out later this year.
Also on an American tip are the likes of “brostep” kingpin Skrillex, New York indie-poppers Vampire Weekend and alt-hip-hop legends Jurassic 5. Unassailable art-diva Bjork hails from Iceland and original sad-sacks Cure are the only British headliners, giving Fuji a decidedly different vibe than recent years.
Japan’s most musically diverse festival—now in its 17th incarnation—will once again push the envelope, with sounds ranging from the downhome countrified freak of The Band keyboardist Garth Hudson to the moody downtempo electronica of DJ Shadow to the trendy millennial art-pop of England’s The XX.
The homeland is represented among others by reedy roots rocker Kenichi Asai, whispering chanteuse Chara, guitar hero Char and mysteriously reticent post-punkers Soutaisei Riron.
Those who’ve been to the great, wet, wooly mother of Japanese rock festivals will already know that it’s the country’s answer to Woodstock and Glastonbury. They’ll also know that it’s guaranteed to rain buckets. Don’t forget the galoshes for those long hikes up and down the Naeba valley, and portable camping chairs for when you get weary.
Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata Prefecture, July 26-28, ¥42,800 (three-day pass) ¥17,800 (one-day pass). http://fujirockfestival.com
Rock In Japan Fes.
Headliners: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Rip Slyme, Kreva
RIJ is an effort by Rockin’ On magazine, Japan’s timid counterpart to Rolling Stone or NME. On tap is a virtual who’s who of Japanese music industry leaders in a calm, safe seaside park in Ibaraki. If unadventurous, the bill is actually pretty diverse. Producer Yasutaka Nakata will be omnipresent both with his own unit Capsule and via the songs he pens for idols Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Perfume. Akai Koen straddle a strange territory between J-pop and indie-rock, while Zazen Boys’ angular skronk will attempt to inject some energy into the Puffy proceedings. Also on the rockier end (it is a ROCK festival after all) are the Okamoto’s, 9mm Parabellum Bullet and Back Drop Bomb.
National Hitachi Kaihin Park, Ibaraki Prefecture, Aug 2-4, ¥11,500
(one day), ¥22,000 (two days), ¥30,000 (three days). http://rijfes.jp
Summer Sonic
Headliners: Metallica, Muse, Stone Roses
While Fuji is headed in an American direction, Summer Sonic and Sonicmania’s bill takes its cue from the English-flavored lineups of recent years. This year’s festival welcomes Beady Eye (Liam Gallagher and fellow Oasis remnants) and Stone Roses, who both played Fuji last year. Muse blew minds with their anthemic set at Fuji in 2011 and Pet Shop Boys have also graced Fuji in the last decade.
Still, the US is well represented, most notably in the form of thrash metal pioneers Metallica, who have never played a festival here, usually preferring to tour on their own. More bones thrown to older fans come in the form of evergreen hard rockers Cheap Trick (of At Budokan fame), equally indefatigable singer (and recent Broadway songwriter) Cyndi Lauper, and Billy Corgan’s alt-rock warhorse Smashing Pumpkins.
For the younger audience that has been Summer Sonic’s bread-and-butter, there are nu metal banner wavers Linkin Park and emo rockers Fall Out Boy, along with trendy indie rockers Palma Violets, “Call Me Maybe” baby Carly Rae Jepsen and Sri Lankan provocatress M.I.A.
There’s perhaps less domestic music on the bill (gone too is the Asian Calling stage) than in recent years, but J-rock is represented by The Hiatus and Maximum The Hormone, and there will be jazzier sounds from guitarist Ovall and the pianist-led Ohashi Trio.
Japan’s biggest urban festival means lots of tramping across the concrete escarpments of the Makuhari Messe convention center. The festival has accommodated those weary from walking about and the Friday all-night Sonicmania event with chill-out spaces and campsites in recent years.
Chiba Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe, Aug 10-11, ¥15,500 (one day),
¥28,000 (both days). http://summersonic.com
