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by Don Crispy
Deetron
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| Sam Geiser, aka Deetron |
For clubbers with stamina, this week is a
busy one, with two very different record release parties and
a visit by one of Europe's emerging techno names to
watch.
First up is a party that's sure to get Tokyo's
biggest club, the bayside Ageha@Studio Coast, thumping in
a serious fashion. Whether under his own name or as Mondo
Grosso, producer Shinichi Osawa has been at the heart of Japan's
acid jazz and house scenes since breaking a decade ago.
Osawa has just released his first full-length in some years,
Next Wave (Sony), with an international cast of contributors
that runs from Japanese nu soul songstress UA to Korean heartthrob
Boa, to producers with serious house credentials such as Armand
Van Helden. He debuts the CD tomorrow with a live set at Ageha
that also calls on some of Japan's most creative house
vinyl jockeys for support, including Towa Tei of legendary
dance unit Deee-Lite fame. With the kind of following that
Osawa has gathered over the years, Ageha, which has recently
been packing 'em in, should be bumping…
Meanwhile, at the cozy Cay in the heart of Aoyama, Tokyo-based
Indo-electronica imprint Dakini celebrates the third and final
release in its Sky Dancing series with another of its evocative
Dakini Nights.
Founded in the '90s by resident Tokyo American DJ/producer
Makyo, Dakini has proved the viability of the Tokyo electronica
scene as the base of operations for a niche, expat-run record
label. In recent years the label has forged a strong identity
in the "Asian Massive" movement by bringing
together artists, like Makyo, who have an obsession for Indian
sounds with South Asian diaspora producers such as the US's
Karsh Kale. The diversity of the new disc, Sky Dancing: Nada
Masala vol. 3-artists run from Sweden's Ascendence
to Canada's Bageshree to France's Jaia-points
to the spread of the Asian Massive as a worldwide phenomenon.
The upcoming event will feature the Japan debut live performance
of Ishq, a Greek producer signed to Dakini, as well as a set
by electric violin artist ABA Structure with special guests
Jimi Miyashita (santoor), Shig-ji (tabla) and Keiku (voice),
and performances by Dakini's indispensable retinue
of dancers. Mayko says the emphasis will be on downtempo,
so be prepared to chill…
Finally, while Switzerland is known to Europeans as a hotbed
of dance culture, the country has produced few internationally
known DJs. Until now, that is.
Sam Geiser, the man behind Deetron, has been raising his profile
of late, with a string of productions finding their way into
superstar DJs' record cases. A quick name check would
see the likes of Jeff Mills and Laurent Garnier among his
supporters, with Darren Emerson and Carl Cox licensing tracks
for mix compilations.
Geiser hails from the city of Bern, where he got plenty of
exposure to music growing up as the son of a jazz musician.
First getting behind the decks as a hip-hop DJ in the early
'90s, Geiser played a steady diet of gigs at clubs
all around Switzerland that brought him into contact with
Mills and other veteran jocks, fueling a passion for techno.
Productions began to stream forth from his home studio in
the mid-'90s, and the DJ also traveled to Japan in
1999, where he recorded with Tokyo techno veteran Shufflemaster.
Recent tracks include the acclaimed "Dolls for a Diva"
on Music Man.
Shinichi Osawa@AgeHa/StudioCoast,
9/27, 11pm, ¥5,000 (adv), ¥6,000 (door). Info:
03-5534-1515.
Dakini Nights@Cay, 9/27, 10pm, ¥3,500 (adv), ¥4,000
(door). Tel: 03-3498-7840.
Deetron@Core, 10/2, 10pm, ¥3,000. Tel: 03-3470-5944.
credit: ArcTokyo
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