For those with a taste for an eclectic mix of pop, techno and house, June 25 at Liquid Room -- the final date of DJ Towa Tei's Motivation Tour -- should hit the spot. Tei is promoting the April release of "Motivation 3," the third CD in a series featuring his classic pop-house sound.
Tei founded his reputation on 1990's "Groove is in the Heart," which he wrote and performed with the band Dee-Lite. These days, when he isn't DJing, Tei is more often than not in the studio, either working for his Akashic record label or producing up-and-coming artists such as Ayuse Kozue, whose debut single, "Boyfriend" was a best seller in Japan.
Kozue, who had further success with the follow-ups "Pretty Good" and "Kimi no Yasashisa," will be playing her trademark combination of pop, jazz and house. Recent appearances on Space Shower TV and MTV make it likely that she'll become a fixture on the J-pop scene.
Also in the lineup will be Okinawa's Ryukyu Disko, an act well established at clubs throughout Japan, who play traditional Okinawan music mixed with harder techno. If you haven't seen them live yet, expect a fresh-sounding band that a pop crowd can enjoy as easily as hardened clubbers -- and visuals that reflect the band's Okinawan roots.