Month: April 2004

THE JAPAN TIMES takes a look at how a lot of ramen shops are going upmarket. Ramen has long been known as a staple of construction workers and penny-pinching students. But in a push to win over new clientele, ramen chains are going upscale, serving special pork and organic vegetables at eateries featuring dark-wood interiors…

Last night I went to the release party of the 2003 FutureDesignDays book and movie. At the event this great band (actually music collective) called Rhythmus Modern was playing. They played a sort of dance driven live muzak, and the guy playing tambourine was easily one of the coolest dudes I’ve seen on a Swedish…

I’m presently enjoying my Golden Week holidays, and today is an especially beautiful and sunny day, in fact a perfect day to surround myself with sounds from the recently released compilation REMIX VOL. 1 FOR MODERNICA (which you can buy online from the wonderful Jet Set Online Shop), a sort of followup to the recent…

A new issue of PAPER SKY is out (9), and it looks like they’ve launched a new English version of their site (although only the Japanese version has info on the new issue). I imagine this is to coincide with the launch this month of a new US edition of the magazine. Paper Sky is…

Trevor, in town recently and the special guest at last week’s Tokyo Fun Party, runs an indie label from New York called Music Related. The next release is from Tokyo native Tokumaru Shugo, an album called NIGHT PIECE. If you go here, you can download an MP3 preview mix of the album, which I’ve ended…

A Dutch designer gives the surgical masks that most Japanese wear when they have a cold, or to fight allergies (pollen in the air), a design twist. Read the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE article.

The album seeing the heaviest play at Casa Snow these days (or on the iPod) is Tujiko Noriko‘s FROM TOKYO TO NAIAGARA, released on the Tomlab label. Combine a haunting voice backed with restrained atsmospheric electronics and you get something that has grabbed a hold of me. Think recent Bjork, but cooler. My biggest regret…

Today I met up with swedish artist HIRD. After a coffee we went to his studio (Pic 2) to listen to his newly finished album, due for release in Japan in August. Some tracks featured the lovely voice of Yukimi Nagano, mostly famous for her work with swedish duo Koop. I didn’t get a chance…

Sakura no hana makes me happy 🙂 Update (16/08/21): This post was part of a week-long “Next Century Modern Blog” stint, by guest blogger Jesper Larsson. The photo is no longer available.