Tag - music

 
 

MUSIC

Oasis band members Liam and Noel Gallagher are the subjects of a mural by artist Pic.One.Art in the Burnage area of Manchester, England.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 14, 2024
A potential reunited Oasis gig in Japan should have promoters salivating
The British rock act has a huge Japanese following, one that could provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the country's summer festivals.
Maestro Seiji Ozawa (center) lays flowers at the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in October 2005.
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Sep 9, 2024
Maestro Seiji Ozawa’s prayer for peace lives on in Hiroshima
His musical roots — and passion — can be traced back to the city where the first atomic bomb was detonated.
Pasocom Music Club’s “Love Flutter” marks an important moment for Japan’s electronic community as project members Aoi Shibata (left) and Masato Nishiyama step into a role other artists once held for them — scene veterans who are inspiring the next generation.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 5, 2024
Pasocom Music Club returns to the pure pleasures of the dance floor
For the Kansai-born duo, new album “Love Flutter” isn’t just an evolution of its sound — it’s the next step in pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
British hard rock outfit Bring Me the Horizon delivered a dramatic set that featured a surprise appearance from local metal-meets-idol group Babymetal.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 23, 2024
Summer Sonic: The heat doesn’t matter when the lineup works
Where would you see a bill with Maneskin, Gen Hoshino, Christina Aguilera and Bring Me the Horizon in the prime slots? At a sold-out music festival, that’s where.
J-pop act Atarashii Gakko! is set to deliver a jubilant performance at Summer Sonic this weekend.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2024
Summer Sonic bets on a more local lineup
The international music festival seeks to boost attendance figures with more domestic and Asian acts such as Atarashii Gakko!, Number_i and Creepy Nuts.
A crowd gathers at the main Green Stage on Saturday to watch headline act Kraftwerk. It looked to be the pioneering electronic band's last performance in Japan, and included a tribute to Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.
CULTURE / Music / Photo essay
Aug 5, 2024
A weekend in Naeba: What went on offstage at Fuji Rock '24
The summer music festival has both its size and location going for it in building a communal experience off the stages.
Okinawan rapper Awich’s dynamic and emotional set proved her ability to headline any festival moving forward.
CULTURE
Aug 2, 2024
Why Fuji Rock is still the best party in Japan, no matter who headlines
Kraftwerk paid tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto in a sentimental set, while Awich, Man with a Mission and Turnstile provided some of the weekend's most thrilling moments.
What would the Fuji Rock Festival have looked like if it had been an urban festival? Not like this, that's for sure.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 2, 2024
The Fuji Rock experience is as much about its natural setting as it is about music
Having attended every edition of Fuji Rock except one, Philip Brasor believes the concert's natural setting is one of its best draws.
Experienced festivalgoers know it always rains at Fuji Rock. But don’t let that scare you away from a weekend of fun at one of Japan’s largest annual music events.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 24, 2024
Heading to Fuji Rock? Make sure to bring these essentials.
Before traveling to Niigata Prefecture for a weekend of music, check your bags for these handy items.
Fuji Rock Festival's smaller stages such as the Field of Heaven offer a number of younger acts that demonstrate the thrilling new directions Japanese music is taking in the 2020s.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 21, 2024
Domestic acts at Fuji Rock's smaller stages are not to be missed
From Summer Eye to Nene, this year’s gathering offers one of the strongest collections of Japanese music present at a large-scale festival in recent times.
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Jul 14, 2024
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Great pianists aren't made overnight, it takes years of practice. It can all be undone in a matter of days, however, due to a medical condition called dystonia.
The members of Glay — (from left) Jiro, Teru, Takuro and Hisashi — are celebrating 30 years of rocking out as a band.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 12, 2024
Glay celebrates three decades of rock greatness
The band's 12-month-long Glay Expo takes the idea of a concert tour to the next level for the anniversary of its major label debut.
You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 4, 2024
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one
Summer music festivals are back, but for how long? Climate change is putting the heat on our favorite outdoor entertainment.
Workers collect detritus after the Britain's Glastonbury Festival on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jul 4, 2024
Music festivals seek greener footprint
The world's top 1,000 DJs took 51,000 flights in 2019, equivalent to 35,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, according to climate group Clean Scene.
Yuta Orisaka strips things back on his latest album, “Jumon,” though it still features a few explosive moments.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 28, 2024
Yuta Orisaka's folk style is far more than a throwback
The singer-songwriter wanted to make songs his grandmother could enjoy, but that doesn't mean he'll skimp on the electronic touches.
Water is sprayed over the stage at a Taylor Swift concert in Rio de Janeiro in November 2023.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 19, 2024
On a warming planet, outdoor concerts need a new safety playbook
Climate change is ushering in more extreme weather worldwide, and with it, greater risks for outdoor events.
Colin Croy's Japanese is still a work in progress, but he hasn't had much trouble communicating with local customers in Sapporo due to the mutual language of musical performance.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jun 10, 2024
Colin Croy: 'After I built my first pedal, I just kept making more and more'
A St. Louis transplant in Sapporo serves the Hokkaido capital's music scene with equipment repairs, upgrades and customizations.
People wait for the main act to begin at Summer Sonic, which holds simultaneous music festivals for those in Tokyo and Osaka.
CULTURE / Music / Longform
Jun 9, 2024
Can Japan's summer music festivals adapt to a post-pandemic reality?
Soaring temperatures, the cheap yen and a dearth of headline options may require reshaping the outdoor concert formula.
While Japan is home to many jazz cafes, its summer festivals will let you listen to the music in the open air.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 9, 2024
Japan's summer offerings include jazz and classical music festivals
Not up for the rock and rap that's front and center of Japan's many summer concerts? Try a few jazz festivals instead.
Nemo representing Switzerland appears on stage after winning the Grand Final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 12, 2024
Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision Song Contest
Twenty-four-year-old Nemo's "The Code" won the highest score from nations' juries, and enough of the popular votes to get 591 points.

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?