From Thursday (December 1st) through Saturday (December 3rd) the capital of the land of the rising sun hosted its first-ever Tokyo Dance Music Event.
A SXSW-style conference covering all aspects (and levels) of electronic music, TDME aims to provide “the first truly bilingual music festival in Japan”.
After sampling its digital smorgasbord, these are our conclusions…
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All You Need Is Love (And A Laptop)
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Virtually surrounded by an endless array of DAW’s, as well as a plethora of plugins and synths on the market, it’s easy to think that one has next to no chance of success without purchasing a world-class studio. Not so, says Umek, a legendary Slovenian techno and tech-house producer who gave a talk at Red Bull studios. “(I found that) writing was easier in the old days, when we only had access to the synths that we could carry,” he confided to a rapt crowd, “but the truth is that, these days, you could make a good record using only one of these (laptops).
We Are Family
Far from being just a disco song’s title, it is a reassuring truth. The first-ever TDME saw Toolroom staff offer support (via e-mail) to anyone around the world, anytime. Club owners and label staff rubbed elbows with journalists over complimentary champagne, courtesy of G.H. Mumm. Even “Sunday DJ’s” were pulled into the fold of networking conversations, like beloved cousins. From every aspect and level of this industry, we’re all in it together, and Tokyo’s brand new forum for it showcased a community of rare communal warmth.
There Is Strength In Numbers
“The people sitting in this room with you are one of your most valuable resources,” stated Stuart Knight, Director of Toolroom Academy, answering a question about how to take your career to the next level. “People who share your musical interests can offer peer support and feedback. Together, you can help build local scenes and, when the hype around them grows, that’s when things go global.”
It’s Never Too Late
The aforementioned Umek is forty. Prok & Fitch – a top-selling Tech House act who conducted a groove-building demonstration for Toolroom Academy at Red Bull Studios – are also in their forties. Piko Taro (of PPAP fame) scored his first hit at the age of forty-three. And, “I started my DJ career three years ago,” laughed seventy-six year old Giorgio Moroder, in an exclusive interview before his 2 a.m. set at Club Contact. Last year he also released his first new album in twenty-three years.
What Better Place Than Here? What Better Time Than Now?
Japan is integral to the history of electronic music; from the creation of the Roland 808 – on which countless hits were built – to the insane catchiness of PPAP. And, in addition to Tokyo’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, local governments and businesses are pooling increasing funds into providing bilingual experiences for tourists, as the whole country works towards the 2020 Olympics.
Case in point, Tokyo Dance Music Event offers simultaneous-translation headsets, “so that all attendees can hear and speak to the Japanese music industry directly”. Investments like that garner the approval of headliners like Giorgio Moroder, “I love it, because people of the world who don’t speak Japanese can interact with each other, and there is a lot of good dance music coming out of Japan recently.”
In short, there has never been a better time to visit a city throbbing with cutting-edge technology, and stuffed with an array of eateries that surpass those of Paris. Also, with world-class brands like Ableton and Sony sponsoring TDME, for anyone who loves electronic music, it’s the place to be in 2017.
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Words: Laurier Tiernan
Photo Credit: E.H. Teirnan