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by Don Crispy
Holidaze
The inevitable big namesand
some intriguing lesser-known acts make for a banner Golden
Week of clubbing
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Glasgow’s Slam
photos courtesy of ageha |
Tokyo’s clubs rely on acts with worldwide
reputations to bring in the crowds during the competitive
Golden Week season, but along with some of dance music’s
heavyweights, the city will also be hosting a number of less-well-known
but intriguing DJs and performers.
Guesting at the latest edition of expat DJ/producer/promoter
Mike McKenna’s “Addiction” events is a three-man
outfit from the Northwest of England. Comprising the DJ duo
of Koma & Bones and former drum’n’bass producer
Proteus, Koma and Bones came together when the three began
to produce the kind of twisted breakbeats tracks that they’d
been wanting to spin in their sets.
Things started to happen for the three when their remix of
the classic “God Within” track became a club anthem
in the US. Remix and solo work followed, with the three getting
support from the likes of breaks god Adam Freeland. Also issuing
singles on their own labels, Forged and Burrito, the three
finally released their acclaimed debut album, Blinded By Science,
in 2002 on leading breaks imprint TCR...
Meanwhile, along with two legendary DJs who both happen to
be named Frankie, a singer from the African country of Guinea
will be on stage at bayside superclub Ageha as part of tobacco
brand Kool’s Dimension K series.
Hadja Kouyate belongs to the noble Kouyate lineage, and has
been a rising world music star since appearing on the celebrated
2002 album Frederic Galliano presents the African Divas. The
disc was the result of the famous French DJ’s travels
across Africa, where he made a number of recordings using
a portable suitcase-sized studio. Kouyate and Galliano will
be performing their unusual blend of African tradition and
contemporary dance music in Ageha’s outdoor tent as part
of a bill organized by French expatriate DJ Alex from Tokyo.
In the main Arena room, meanwhile, the two Frankies come in
the form of Chicago legend Frankie Knuckles, credited with
launching house music with his post-disco mix sessions at
his Chicago club Warehouse, and veteran New York house DJ
Frankie Valentine. The second largest Rose Room has a strong
bill, too, with Japan’s top two club-jazz DJs in the
form of Shuya Okino of the influential Kyoto Jazz Massive
and Toshio Matsuura, formerly of stylish trio UFO...
Later in the week at Ageha, in an event called “Live,”
a Scottish duo who are little-known in Japan but legendary
in their own country will be making a rare visit to Japan.
Known collectively as Slam, Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle
practically single-handedly brought the rave experience to
Glasgow.
Almost every Scottish clubber from their teens into their
30s will have danced to Slam at famous Glasgow venue The Arches.
Hosting their first raves in 1989, McMillan and Meikle caused
havoc in the streets of the city with all-night bashes the
likes of which Glasgow had never experienced.
Through their “Slam” events at the Arches, they
were also responsible for bringing to Scotland a sound that
owed more to the funky, bass-heavy grooves of American house
and techno rather than the acid house sound of the more prominent
London dance scene...
Getting back to those big names… Yellow will be hosting
Ibiza chill-out master Jose Padilla and Detroit techno legend
Derrick May; Velfarre has New York’s storied Body &
Soul house trio; Womb has Canadian minimalist Richie Hawtin
as well as Japanese abstract hip-hop producer DJ Krush and
UK drum’n’bass innovators Fabio and Grooverider;
Air has X-UK house unit Press 2 and US hip-hop duo MC Madlib
and selector J-Rocc...and the list goes on. For the dates
and details, see club listings.
Addiction@Air, Apr 30. Dimension
K presents “-100”@Ageha, May 2. Live@Ageha, May
7. See listings for details.
Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter
to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
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