JGoth.com :: Japan Goth and Industrial Music

[Gothic Lolita/Live] While it does have “Gothic” in its name, Gothic Lolita is a distinctly different kind of affair from your regular Goth night. Alice may be feeling some malice in Wonderland, but she’s not likely to entertain the idea of being lashed up in chains (at least in public).

Lolita Salon’s Bitter Honey seems to fit this mould and may be comparable to the A La Mode nights (which I will add due to requests from a couple of people including one of their DJs). I have seen two of the live acts before and quite liked their performances. Vexation are particular worth seeing in an event like this for their Grimm-styled story telling and classical music. Actually, Vexation’s CD scores very well in reviews on Amazon.co.jp (see here), and gets kudos from Closed Caskets’ Arch Pope Dach – excuse me, I effused for a moment there.

Those who enjoy A La Mode-style nights, or just wanting to find a quality EGL-style event (the E stands for elegant), should find this one worth snarking. This event seems less strict about the rules for men turning up than A La Mode, but all you male folk should tread carefully in the lair of Goth-Loli chan.

Special note: This event is dress-coded as Lolita, Fairy Tale and Gothic. Don’t expect to get away with a black T and a bull ring through your nose. Think Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka, top hats and elegance.

Lolita Salon: Bitter Honey
When: Saturday, 18 February
Start: 19:00
Where: Aoi Heya (7 min. walk from Shibuya station)
Address: B1F, Yachiyo Bldg., 2-12-13 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo :: Map
Phone: 03-3407-3564
Price: 2,300 yen (drink extra)
Live: Vexation, Kokusyoku Sumire (Black Violet), QuietNoiz
Other: Lolita fortune telling and talk show
Dress-code: Lolita, Gothic Lolita, Fairy Tale, Gothic, etc.

[Alternative Rock] Ooops. Late addition! Experience psychedelia and more as gadget. (with a dot) does Orgasm #25 @ Roppongi Y2K. The event is an alternative rock affair, although gadget. has done a number of sets at Tokyo Dark Castle. The sounds are rock (not J-rock, the real stuff), ranging from retro to flavors of stoner to heavy.

Orgasm #25 by Chaos
When: Wednesday, February 15
Start: 17:20
Where: Y2K Roppongi (nr. Roppongi station)
Address: B1, Urban Bldg. 7-13-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 :: Map
Phone: 03-5775-3676
Price: 2,000 yen adv. :: 2,500 yen @ door (drink 600)
Live: gadget., Ronde, Buchi Buchi 2, Kasu Shitsu and ikd-sj.

[Art/Creative Network] Well, Mizore’s got his new project up and introducing this to Tokyo this weekend. Mizore’s roots are with Ninth Circle an industrial band from Seattle. Could be interesting to see the new project on top of the regular mix of art and performance at ArtsyBugs.

ArtsyBugs is a monthly artistic/creative type event that brings together people from a range of backgrounds. It is a place to kick back with food, drink and people putting on their funky stuff.

People are more than welcome to bring their own stuff to show off or just appreciate what others are doing.

It starts @ 6 p.m. and is just 500 yen @ the door. They have some decent beers there and the food is good pubby stuff.

ArtsyBugs
When: Sunday, February 12
Start: 18:00
Where:The Pink Cow (nr. Shibuya and Omotesando stations)
Address:1-3-18 Villa Moderuna B1, Shibuya, Tokyo † Map
Price: 500 yen

The pink mutant and the wood-sporting twins face the daunting task of selling English like it has never be sold before!

Third quarter figures for Nova were released Friday afternoon at the close of trade. Sales figures were 48.3 billion yen for the the April to December period, over 10% below the same time last year’s sales of 54.2 billion yen. That’s over 5.8 billion yen!

The official company statement said that was that this was due to less-than-planned new enrolments and sales (really? wow!). To combat this they said they are strengthening or streamlining management, doing TV and other advertising, focusing on all aspects of their business and looking to reduce costs.

The company has stuck to their earlier sales forcast of 75.4 billion yen, which means that they are going to have to sell over 27 billion yen worth of stuff (technical term) in the next three months. That’s over 1/3 of the total annual projected sales! Last year they managed 21 billion yen of sales during the last quarter to achieve total sales of 75.2 billion yen. They are going to have to sell 6 billion yen or some 28% more than last year to make forecast. Even if they do hit the magic numbers the company is only expecting 250 million yen profit, which is 0.33% of sales.

I went in to use the toilet and came out with a two-year English course…

This is it folks. Tokyo Dark Castle re-ignites for 2006 on Saturday, February 4rd (sorry about the typo in the email version)!

:: Flash Question….
Does anyone know where you can get green lipstick in Tokyo? If so please let us know.

:: Tokyo Dark Castle and 666dB offer
Japan’s biggest live Goth event, Tokyo Dark Castle event launches its 2006 series at the new locale, Shinjuku’s Marz club. Featuring Auto-Mod, Destruct System, Violet & Selia as the Seirenes, Euthanasie and the first TDC performance from noise artist 666dB.

666dB has a special offer for those booking with him. Aside from saving 500 yen on the entrance fee, people booking with him can also pick up a copy of his “discopathology” CD for 500 yen (normally 1,500 yen). So if you’re going and haven’t booked yet give him a holler at: noisegirl (AT) hotmail.com

:: Monthly blah from Igor
Sorry for the lack of event updates, but things have been afoot with SKUNKWERX Goth Project #1. I cannot tell you what the project is yet, but it is looking to be way cool. Special toast to Jude from Sins of the Flesh for hauling ass on the West side and getting shit done!

:: Listening stuff :: Samples & MySpaces worth snarking
Baal (Tokyo)
http://www.baaljapan.net/
http://www.myspace.com/baaljapan

Harshrealm (Fukuoka)
http://www.harshrealm.info/
http://www.myspace.com/harshrealm

666dB – ex. Noise/Girl (UK/Tokyo):
http://brainwashed.com/666db/

:: New stuff: Gallery & News updates
Swastika Nite pix :: Psydoll and Nicht (I like’em!)
Igor’s take :: Vengeance for Blood @ Cyber
NOVA billed student illegally :: Kyoto court
Livedoor Chief arrested :: Horie makes jail bid

:: Popular News in January
Is Danse Macabre dead?
Tokyo Dark Castle #16 @ Marz, Shinjuku :: Sat. 4 February
Electrock @ Urga w/ Despair :: Igor’s Take

:: Live Stuff
Well there’s a few less events this month than normal, but give me a couple of weeks to catch up. While Tokyo will be enjoying the return of TDC, Nagoya continues going mad with another two events: Torture Garden and another Nagoya trip for Despair. U.S. stoner doom band, Acid Kind will be making a four-stop tour in early February (thank Golybs for this).

:: EVENT LISTINGS FOR FEBRUARY 2006 ::

February 2 (Thursday) from Golybs
:: Acid King @ Pipe 69, OSAKA 18:00

February 3 (Friday) from Golybs
:: Acid King @ Huck Finn, NAGOYA 18:30

February 4 (Saturday)
:: Tokyo Dark Castle #16 @ Marz, Shinjuku, TOKYO 24:00
:: Cut the Crap’s Vari-Tech #19 @ Chop, Ikebukuro, TOKYO 17:30
:: Acid King @ Loft, Shinjuku, TOKYO 17:00

February 5 (Sunday) from Golybs
:: Acid King @ Shelter, Shimokitazawa, TOKYO

February 11 (Saturday)
:: Club Walpurgis 6 @ Aoiheya, Shibuya, TOKYO 24:00
:: Torture Technique Vol. 4 @ Daytrip, NAGOYA 18:00

February 17 (Friday)
:: Toge Toge Tokagee @ Head Power, Shinjuku, TOKYO 18:00

February 24 (Friday)
:: Toge Toge Tokagee @ Head Power, Shinjuku, TOKYO 18:00
:: Despair in V.A. vol.1 @ Tightrope, Nagoya (Sakae) 17:30

February 25 (Saturday)
:: Midnight Mess @ Marz, Shinjuku, TOKYO 24:00

Cheers,

:: Igor
:: Web slave
:: www.jgoth.com

Club Walpurgis began as a Goth/Punk club in the 1980s. 18 years after the original club closed down Walpurgis returned as a club event in 2005 with a heavy emphasis on 80s alternative, glam, Gothic, industrial and electroclash. In 2006 Club Walpurgis will play the second Saturday of the month.

Chapter 6 (six sicks six) is the Pagan Saint Valentine’s Ball – how romantic… The event is not dress coded, but anyone dressing in black, glitter, gothique (and associated styles) is most welcome. The event seems to be DJ’d the entire night.

Club Walpurgis Six Sicks Six (Pagan St. Valentine’s Ball)
When: Saturday, 11 February 2006
Open: 24:00
Where: Aoi Heya (7 min. walk from Shibuya station)
Address: B1F, Yachiyo Bldg., 2-12-13 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo :: Map
Phone: 03-3407-3564
Price: 2,500 yen
DJs: Zinney Aerinamica (Zeus Machina), Nariki, Sato M., Nero

Check who’s going