Tag Archive: Japanese Gothic


[Osaka DJ'd] Territory-D’s Midnight Necropolis is one of Osaka’s main event. It will be holding its Dark Summer Night event at Club Neo. The event will feature DJs from Osaka and Nagoya including event producer Taiki, Syarman, Bonzin and Doom Spider. It will be a grand night of industrial, electro, powernoise, dark trance and electro clash. The event will also include live painters and a special CD shop booth. View full article »

[Uber Goth-Industrial Live & DJ] Here is the 2010, second-half schedule for TDC. Tokyo Dark Castle (TDC) is the main event for the Gothic underground in Tokyo. Populated by the best-dressed Goths from all walks of life TDC delivers some of the best live acts and DJs in the scene. This makes TDC a must-see on any Goth agenda.

TDC have the second half’s event schedule for 2010 and rather than do a single post each time the event is set to roll.

Unless otherwise stated, TDC begins at 12 midnight Saturdays and goes through to the early morning (around 6 a.m.). Remember that as with all overnight events you need photo ID to enter. View full article »

Neurotic Doll performing @ Urga in Shinjuku, Tokyo on Saturday, May 29.

[Goth - DJ’d] The only regular Goth event in Nagoya, Stigmatic takes place on the third Saturday of odd-numbered months this year. That means you better turn up to every event, or you are going to be piking for 60 days for the next industrial-EBM-alt outing in Toyota land!

Soundwise the event’s master, DoomSpider, is harsh EBM industrial Goth with flourishes of lighter sounds mixed in. He’ll be joined by VenoMoth (aka Sister Levi) doing femme-future and elektro-Goth, and riz-K with elektro-clash.

They usually have 25 mix CDs available for the first 25 to book.

To book you need to send the following information to staff[at]stimatic[dot]jp:

  • Date of event you want to book
  • Name
  • Number of people
  • Contact number

As always, remember your ID for all-night events. Organizers will never bend this rule for because it could mean a whole world of trouble if the cops visit.


Where: P.O.D. Nagoya
Address: 4F VOICE Bldg.1-23-1 Izumi Higashi-ku, Nagoya :: 1 minute North walk from exit 1-A of Hisayaodori Station (the 4th floor of the grey building)
Tel: 052-953-0393
Bookings: staff [at] stigmatic.jp
Open: 21:00
Price: 2,000 yen adv. :: 2,500 yen @ door.
DJs: DoomSpider, Venemoth, Riz-K

Event Schedule for Stigmatic in 2008:
January 17 (Sat)
March 21 (Sat)
May 16 (Sat)
July 18 (Sat)
September 19 (Sat)
November 21 (Sat)

More information

[Goth/80's - Live & DJ] Club Walpurgis is a quarterly Gothic event in Tokyo. Club Walpurgis began as a Goth/Punk club in the 1980′s and became a kind of underground mecca in its day. 18 years after the original club closed down Walpurgis returned as a regular event in 2005 with a heavy emphasis on 80′s alternative, glam, Gothic, industrial and electro clash. View full article »

Sino GalvanismGalvanism represents the fourth mini-CD from Sino Re-Build Projects. Since 2000, Sino Re-Build Projects has been a one-man instrumental band with Sino taking care of programming, noise and guitar work. When performing live Sino is often accompanied by VJ Hal who, donned in a Darth Vader mask with fluorescent dreadlocks, handles the visuals of the performance. However, the music is with one man, Sino and he is able to create an interesting mix of pure electronicka, power noise and metal that is very listenable.

The new CD, Galvanism, features four tracks starting quietly enough at the beginning of Drainage with cathedral-like prayers droning in the background. This lasts about 50 seconds before the harsh glitch noise kicks in with heavy bass igniting your eardrums. It moves smoothly between hard noise with guitar, and a more straight electronic style kicking in between the aggressive parts.

The second track, Flash Back, has an almost Jarre-esque soundscape somewhat akin to style of Metamorphoses. It is a very original piece with heavy emphasis on the keyboards and deep glitch sounds. At a couple of points through the song Sino crashes in with heavy guitar solos, which complement the more sublime sounds of the keyboards.

To Die starts off racing with frantic programmed base beats rapidly dragging the song into a complete metal and power-noise piece. Nothing is held back here and this brutal, relentless sound has enough to get a serious moshpit going.

The final track, Everlasting, creates a more melancholic chilling soundscape with its ambiance crushed from time to time by mammoth percussion and guitar. Overall it is the mellowest song in the album, but is not without the heavy electronic and guitar elements.

As far as the overall feel of the album goes, it is very accessible for power noise, metal and electronicka lovers.

Galvanism - SinoGalvanism :: Track List
01. Drainage (5:28)
02. Flash Back ( 5:14)
03. To Die (4:46)
04. Everlasting (5:25)
Total Playtime: 20:43

International distibutors include Nanimato (France) and Mile 329 (U.S.A.), or you can connect with Sino directly at his Web Site or Sino’s MySpace.

I couldn’t find a sample page, but there are a lot of videos of Sino Re-Build Projects here.

[youtube UC21NkWPccc][

2BulletLocation: Tokyo, Japan – Genre: Industrial, Electro, Techno

Combining a unique mix of thumping electronicka with thrashing guitar-led industrial rock makes 2Bullet’s a very addictive and enjoyable record even three years after its initial release. 2Bullet began in 2003 in Tokyo. The term 2Bullet refers to power balance or pointing a gun at each other, a metaphor of MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction). The album, Democratic Violence was released in August 2004. They have uploaded a new EP that is free to download here, but for today I am focusing on their 2004 album Democratic Violence.

The lyrics of most of the songs carry a strong political message against totalitarianism and empire that makes it as relevant today as when it was initially released. Considering the U.S. government’s strategy to subjugate Afghanistan and Iraq (and possibly Iran) through military action, the current monitoring of civil society, rendition programs and the like, this thumping industrial album should connect well with anyone who is against senseless war.

The first track, Democracy starts with an ominous back beat that explodes into a wave of industrial rock. Underneath the powerful electronicka the vocals may have been focused on the rise and fall of South American Junta’s in the 1970’s & 80’s, but has gained even deeper meaning with the controversial U.S.’s engagement of the Middle East:

Is this democracy?
Is this hypocrisy?
Is this your justice?
Is this your business?

Likewise it refers to violent endings of some of the junta’s in the past, but connected with the downfall and ultimate hanging of Saddam in Iraq.

Your time has come
You lost your power
You’re dying lie
Hanging by your tie
Your life has failed
Your rule is dead
Yours is not democracy

This is not to say that the song supports this kind of action – the band is against all forms of totalitarianism and authoritarian control.

The other tracks are carried through with speeding electronicka and heavy guitars from DeeLee (who also does the ax-work for Agent Murder). The only exceptions would be Liquid Seed which is more like an acid trip and the tragic Lost, which focuses on the internal permanent damage of a soldier and the guitar-heavy Tell Me Something, which expresses the pain of killing in war. One of my favorite tracks is Shockwave with its powerful guitars backed by keyboards and percussion with the anthem-esque chorus:

Follow the army, this is reality
Heads up! Wake up! Just become a shockwave!
Follow the government, this is the violence
Heads up! Wake up! Just become a shockwave!

My call on this CD is that it is a MUST HAVE for those interested in Japanese underground music. Whereas many Japanese groups (famous or not) tend to have limited appeal (relying on the “Japanese” tag for selling themselves, 2Bullet’s Democratic Violence stands on its own as part of the international Goth-industrial scene with a sound that is really tuned for an international audience. For 1,500 yen for nearly 50 minutes of quality sound you cannot go wrong!2Bullet Democratic Violence

Democratic Violence :: track list

1. Democracy (5:41) ** +
2. Pray For Me (5:28)
3. Drain People’s Blood (5:38) * +
4. Survivor (5:06) +
5. Liquid Seed (3:44)
6. Tell Me Something (4:23) **
7. Shockwave (3:31)
8. Lost (5:31)
9. Tell Me Something -remix- (4:45)
10. Survivor -remix- (5:24)
Total time (49:01)
* Available on MySpace
** Downoadable remix available on MySpace
+ One-minute samples on 2Bullet’s site

Available on:

Wreckords
iTunes

Finally a few videos for you to check out!

2 Bullet slideshow (Music: Worthless Future)

[youtube 3SSpyO-iwC8]

Humankind (Live)

[youtube 62HQU3zyxrU]

MORE VIDEOS

 

Psydoll picturesDecember 26 was a Monday and the icey rain was coming down hard. That didn’t stop me from heading out to the Neuromancer event featuring Psydoll (info) and Musu Bore, among others.

Turnout was expectedly light, but the bands were doing their thing on stage, the bar was open, and those who braved the sudden cold snap got a dose of Cyber – things were good.

I only really watched Psydoll and Musu Bore. Both bands put on a good performance and, despite my suit dripping all over the club, I had a pretty darned good time. Actually, truth be told, I enjoyed racing through the rain to the club as it felt like I was in some dark Gibsonian novel. I also got a chance to chat with Nekoi Psydoll and met another mad Monday gaijin (hi Synboi!). A nice night.

There are only a handful of photos in the pixie gallery here – I am still getting used to my new just-out-of-date digicam.

Psydoll are taking a short break, but should be back in February when Tokyo begins to thaw out ready for Spring eventing.

Psydoll pictures from the Neuromancer event.