Categories
Events Music

Shobo Shobo BBQ

If you’ve been enjoying the Shobus Diary, the following events are going to be a nice way to take in the Shobo Shobo experience live.

For about one month, Shobo Shobo mastermind Mehdi Hercman is traveling all across Japan in a bus, together with O.lamm, Domotic and some other folks of the French label Active Suspension. Each time they park their vehicle the artists hold lectures and performances, or engage in other forms of cultural exchange with local creatives. The final presentation/lecture/live performance on 8/30 at Super Deluxe is of course recommended, but the barbecue party one day earlier sounds like an even more unique event. There will be mini live sets using the original Shobo Shobo Portable PA, but that’s about all information available to the general public. For more details please get in touch with the organizers from Mobium (contact info on the “Details” page). In any case this semi-private home party will be a good occasion to enjoy food, drinks, music and chats with lots of interesting people from France, Japan and other countries. (REALTOKYO)

More info here.

Categories
Music

RATN: J

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I was late discovering Tujiko Noriko, but I’ve become a fan, and this new collaboration album, RATN: J, sounds like something I’m set to enjoy (as well as news of the new Disques Corde label).

In the first of a series of collaborations this summer, Tujiko Noriko teams up with Japanese breakbeat master Riow Arai (forthcoming are albums with Aoki Takamasa and Australian Lawrence English). As Arai is known for massive rhythm constructions, and also from the funky visuals used to promote the album one would expect a punkish array of driving beats backing up Tujiko’s fragile voice. But as a matter of fact, the Paris-based chanteuse is responsible for all the music, and consulted primarily Arai’s producing skills. The result is a very personal yet refined, and surprisingly wide-ranged collection of songs. After a set of similarly titled, rather unexciting opening numbers, the album gradually reveals its true beauty, and even though comparison is always tricky and better avoided, sooner or later Bjork will surely pop up in most listener’s mind. “J” marks the first release of Disques Corde, the new platform for high-quality music set up by Hara Masaaki (Soup-Disk) and Shonai Masayuki (Onsa). Watch out for more good stuff to come from here. (REALTOKYO)
Categories
Technology Web

The Wired Momus

currie_white_tMomus is now writing a bi-monthly column over at Wired News, and the first edition, “Reading Green Tea Leaves in Tokyo,” is now online.

My first Wired column is online. It’s a piece called “Reading Green Tea Leaves in Tokyo” and it’s about how capitalism shows different faces in different places, how some of its localized versions are less toxic than others, less injurious to human health and human intelligence, and whether these differences are down to consumers or producers.

Also, his latest Click Opera entry examines Xeni Jardin’s Wired piece on the book PERSONAL, PORTABLE, PEDESTRIAN: MOBILE PHONES IN JAPANESE LIFE.

Categories
Music

MXUT

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While I was busy enjoying my time in NYC, our second Radio OK Fred guest mix got released in the form of Marxy + U.T.’s MXUT megamix hour of fun (hopefully the first of many)! In his own words:

We went back in time to the year 1993 to ask 75 middle-school students what they would want to hear on an Internet radio “podcast” from the year 2005. Their answers very much surprised us – Liz Phair! The Turtels! [sic] The Russian Futurists! The Answers to this Pop Quiz on Animal Farm – and we hightailed it back to 2005 to put the cooler kids’ song selections and self-written skits (!) into a fifty-five minute radio mega-mix, adding only the occasional mashup and George Michael track to make things sound adequately futuristic.

You can download the show directly here, or subscribe to the podcast feed. Enjoy!

Categories
Web

It Grows

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Chin Music Press’ Craig has something growing just outside his window, which inspired him to create a neat little time lapse movie.

Categories
Magazines Web

GQ Japan Vs. Boing Boing

GQ_Japan-tmGQ Japan published an article on the Boing Boing site — here’s a translation.

Categories
Architecture Design

Make Mine Micro

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I love these little micro-homes (a bit like the Muji+Infill Ki no Ie). From Boing Boing:

These “Micro-Compact Homes” were designed at the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technoloogy, inspired by the highly designed compact spaces in first-class airplane cabins and Smart cars. They are lightweight, transportable, and cost a mere 50,000 Euros. They’re going to be installed in a “village” on campus at the Technical University of Munich.

The tiny cube provides a double bed on an upper level and working table and dining space for four or five people on a lower level. The kitchen bar is accordingly arranged to serve these two levels. The entrance lobby has triple use and functions as a bathroom and drying space for clothing. Storage is provided off each of these four functioning spaces.

Categories
Meta

The Boy Is Back in Town

Well, after a 14-hour flight from NYC, we were back home in our apartment last night at 5, and I only made it to 7 before falling asleep. It’s now 3 am and I’m completely awake — the joys of jet lag! Expect things to finally get back on track here as normal life now resumes. It is possible that the site goes down for a bit as my hosting is upgrading to new servers this week, but you might not notice it at all.

Oh, and for those wondering, yes, I did have a chance to go to the MoMA Design Store in NYC and see the Muji goods on sale (the only place in North America I believe). Everything was more than double the price!

Categories
Art Web

Google Maps Versus TAB

This site uses Google Maps in conjunction with Tokyo Art Beat listings. Link via Archinect.

Categories
Design

Tokyo Color Designer

As some of you have noticed, I had to take down a post recently regarding design work as it wasn’t meant for the general public. This one, from a recruiter at Nike, is:

It’s time to determine where you work, and not the other way around. From guitarists to graphic designers to people whose skills defy description, the Nike design group is definitely an atypical work environment. Start playing. I am looking for Tokyo Color Designers.

If you know of any qualified candidates, please email me: michelle.dechene[at]nike.com

Since I’ve been receiving info regarding design work of late, I wonder if I should start a design job listing area on the site? I do often get contacted by designers looking for work in Japan, so employers, take note!