Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ryoichi Kurokawa: SonarSound’s most intriguing act isn’t strictly musical

Posted on April 15, 2012 by dangrunebaum

“Since European countries share boundaries over land with other countries, they share their arts scenes more naturally,” Kurokawa answers when asked about his decision to leave Japan. “The European scene is much bigger than Japan’s, and this means new art scenes are easily born and young artists can be more widely active here.”

Metropolis, Apr 14, 2012

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Orbital: The Hartnoll bros’ second coming

Posted on March 20, 2012 by dangrunebaum

“These days everyone’s spoiled. We’ve got too much technology.” – Paul Hartnoll

Metropolis, Mar 19, 2012

Gabez: Silent comedy gets the Tokyo treatment

Posted on March 16, 2012 by dangrunebaum

“We Japanese respond to comedy because we’re so serious in daily life,” Hiroshi says, pointing to forms from 600-year-old kyogen to contemporary owarai. “But Gabez jokes around all the time.”

Metropolis, Mar 14, 2012

Photo by Dan Grunebaum.

Shuichi Hidano: The taiko virtuoso is banging the drums of change

Posted on March 7, 2012 by dangrunebaum

““My elders were really angry at my cross-genre experiments,” Hidano recalls. “They said, ‘That’s not taiko.’”

Metropolis, Mar 6, 2012

Photo by Cedric Leherle.

Ken Ishii: Out of the dark and into the daylight for Japan’s biggest techno DJ

Posted on March 4, 2012 by dangrunebaum

The electronic music innovator says he almost lost the will to create after 3.11, while working on his new album Music for Daydreams.

Metropolis, Mar 1, 2012

My Morning Jacket: They may be from Kentucky, but don’t call ‘em Southern rock

Posted on February 22, 2012 by dangrunebaum

“I feel like the internet should be a free and open place. We can see how the music industry has been impacted by people stealing music on the internet, but there’s a larger issue about the fact that a lot of my friends can’t afford health care. Until we get that figured out, if my friends can’t afford healthcare I welcome them stealing music on the internet all day long.” – Jim James, My Morning Jacket

Metropolis, Feb 22, 2012

Yokoso Kyogen: Manzo Nomura and Thane Camus bring “mad words” to the barbarians

Posted on February 17, 2012 by dangrunebaum

“The previous generation overcame war and disaster to preserve traditions, but we need to evolve.” Kyogen master Manzo Nomura IX

Metropolis, Feb 15, 2012

Africaemo: Shouty raps, slashing beats—and a bottle of wine

Posted on February 8, 2012 by dangrunebaum

“Just to do Afrobeat would be boring, so we thought to bring in a completely different genre like emo rock would be an interesting clash of concepts,” explains keyboardist Yuki Abe.

Metropolis, Feb 3, 2012

Anna Calvi: The English-Italian diva pens torch songs for the new millennium

Posted on February 4, 2012 by dangrunebaum

Are people around her concerned about her coming to Japan? “Concerned? About what?” she asks. Seems like Fukushima may have fallen off the international radar. “It’s my first time to Japan,” she says, brushing off the gloom-and-doom. “I’m really excited because I’ve always wanted to go there. It should be cool.”

Metropolis, February 1, 2012

“Home Alone” Oshogatsu Edition: Top 10 ways to while away the holidays

Posted on January 25, 2012 by dangrunebaum

For the resident foreigner, Japan’s Oshogatsu New Year holidays are a time of enforced inactivity. With the nation at a standstill, your foreign friends off in Thailand and your Japanese mates in their hometowns, things can be pretty quiet. In the holiday spirit, we offer ten ways to enliven the downtime.

Metropolis, December 25, 2011