Tag - rock

 
 

ROCK

Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jun 8, 2019
Freyja Dean: Art, mythology and prog rock
Once an anatomical model maker, always an artist, Freyja Dean's work is inspired by science and mythology — and a little prog rock.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2019
The Abjects: London-based, but internationally minded
It has been exactly two years since The Abjects, a London-based power pop and garage trio, last toured Japan, and since then the one thing that has been constant is change.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 10, 2019
Morgan Fisher and all the (not so) young dudes of Mott the Hoople join forces again
In early March, 35 people gathered on the first floor of a two-story house in Tokyo to listen to the British keyboard player Morgan Fisher reminisce about his days with 1970s rock act Mott the Hoople. This month, Fisher is joining a reunion of the band for brief tours of the U.S. and U.K. Since 1985...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 3, 2019
'JK Rock': A rock 'n' roll battle of the sexes
There are many Japanese musical films about aspiring rock and pop stars (though not Hollywood-style musicals, which are seldom made here.) Among the best-loved is "Linda, Linda, Linda," Nobuhiro Yamashita's 2005 film about four teenage girls who hastily form a band and wow the kids at a school cultural...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 28, 2019
Chai, Otoboke Beaver and Yahyel: The Japanese musicians representing at SXSW 2019
Every year, more than 2,000 bands flock to Austin, Texas, for the South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW). The internationally recognized event has recently leaned heavy on tech, but music still plays a big part. During this year's mid-March music showcase, Japan was represented by a...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 18, 2019
Review: Sid at Yokohama Arena
Passionate fandom has become the domain of pop music. Or, at least, that's the image that has developed globally over the past decade, as intense groups of diverse people throw their support behind a wide range of mainstream acts, from Beyonce to BTS. Rock, once the hub for this type of devotion, doesn't...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 13, 2019
Twenty years after frontman Shinji Sato's death, Fishmans is still walking in the rhythm
In the eternal present of modern listening, when the entire history of recorded sound is just a few clicks away, some music reverberates for longer. That's been the case with Fishmans, a cult Japanese act from the 1990s whose blend of dub rhythms and dream-pop reverie continues to lure new fans 20 years...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 8, 2019
Chemical Brothers, The Cure and Sia among first batch of acts for Fuji Rock Festival '19
Also appearing on the bill are Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, James Blake, Mitski and Janelle Monae, with many more still to be announced.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 31, 2019
The Future Eve gets experimental with prog rock pioneer Robert Wyatt
Progressive rock and experimental music personality Robert Wyatt said goodbye to the music world in 2014 when he announced his retirement with the cryptic statement, "there is a pride in (stopping), I don't want (the music) to go off." That didn't mean that something pre-dating his retirement wouldn't...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 12, 2019
Aki Fujita Taguchi on life behind the camera
Rock photographer Aki Fujita Taguchi reveals how to snap the essence of a band in just three songs.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 28, 2018
Music and charity come together at Second Harvest Japan fundraiser
Instant Karma will provide the soundtrack to a night at What the Dickens that hopes to make a difference.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 31, 2018
Kate Sikora carves out a space in Tokyo's indie scene
Kate Sikora is an odd sort of import.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 23, 2018
It's pop, but complicated: Tokyo Shiokouji takes minimalism in new directions
Fuji Rock Festival's Rookie A Go-Go stage has served as a springboard for bands from Asian Kung-Fu Generation to Chai, but each year it draws a few acts with rather less obvious commercial appeal. The most peculiar group to appear this year was Tokyo Shiokouji, an eight-piece ensemble featuring percussion,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 10, 2018
Haru Nemuri's rapping and roaring speaks to the zeitgeist of 2018
Haruna Kimishima knew her music had found an audience overseas when her Twitter DMs began to fill up with English.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 26, 2018
Seiko Oomori: J-pop's reigning rule-breaker
Pop music often opts for positivity rather than confronting the uncomfortable, but Seiko Oomori has never really adhered to J-pop norms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 29, 2018
British rockers Reef make a revelatory return
The thriving British music scene of the mid-1990s was awash with techno, Britpop and newer genres like jungle and trip-hop. When Reef burst onto the scene, the group's heavier style of rock must have felt like an actual oasis to some listeners.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 31, 2018
More hip-hop, more J-pop and a typhoon: Fuji Rock 2018 was full of new energy
Nothing encapsulated the strangeness of this year's Fuji Rock Festival than the spectacle that unfurled on the main Green Stage on Saturday night. After delivering what was already one of the silliest sets of the weekend, EDM producer Skrillex returned for his encore, accompanied by a surprise guest...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jul 26, 2018
Kendrick Lamar and the politics of Japanese PR
The news of Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar returning to Fuji Rock, one of Japan's most celebrated music festivals, was met with excitement from hip-hop fans here as soon as it was announced in February. To leverage the hype ahead of the festival, Universal Music Japan launched a politically...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 25, 2018
Fuji Rock sees a slow pivot to a more Japanese lineup
When Fuji Rock Festival started in late 1990s, the principal attractions were invariably imported. Although the event also featured plenty of Japanese bands, even in the early years, it was Westerners that exerted the biggest draw — from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters to Bjork, Aphex Twin and...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 29, 2018
Ogasawara Islands: A distant archipelago, barely connected
Resplendent with pristine beaches, clear blue waters and outdoor activities aplenty, the Ogasawara Islands are a relaxing 'Japan away from Japan.'

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