The late great DJ, producer, composer, arranger, Nujabes passed away in 2010, but we still see his music live on through others. His production infused soulful, melodic, beautiful, haunting sounds, with Jazzy Hip-Hop rhythms. Truly one of the greatest musical artists to come out of Japan in the past few decades. 4th graders from South Korea play their cover of Nujabes’ “Aruarian Dance.” It’s good to see music teachers giving their students a more contemporary piece of music to learn, …
Category: Japan
90’s throwback trivia: Remember Cibo Matto, a duo of Japanese women expats in NYC from the mid 90s, playing Shibuya-kei, trip hop, indie pop rock, ambient, bossa nova, and acid jazz? They had songs, and performances on shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and in movies like Half-Baked. Sean Lennon was briefly a former member of the band. They’ve collaborated with The Beastie Boys and contributed to The Beastie’s now defunct record label Grand Royal. With two albums out: Viva! La Woman (1996) …
On November 2nd, Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo was the recipient of the Japanese government’s Medal with Purple Ribbon. The award usually goes to individuals who have contributed to traditional art forms. Otomo, 59, won critical acclaim for his 1983 manga debuts, “Domu: A Child’s Dream” and “Akira.” In 1988 he directed the classic cyber punk animation film version of Akira. The manga world’s foundation is partly built on the shoulders of this film. Its super nova force continues to spread and …
Shot in Tokyo, here’s the visual for “Turnt Up,” Talib Kweli’s new single off his latest album “Prisoner of Conscious.” Think that blondie is DJ Sarasa, a well known DJ in Japan. …
In Tokyo, Shinjuku Creators Festa 2013 is popping off right now. The 17-day all art everywhere is an ambitious attempt to get heads poked in parts of Shinjuku that otherwise go unexplored by mainstream foot traffic. Special honored guests include poke-a-dot lady Yayoi Kusama and CG artist Yoichiro Kawauguchi. Kusama’s work is ever hypnotizing and unassumingly fascinating. Kawauguchi is a man of his times, but it took decades for the times to catch up to him. If you can read …
Socials