Opposite Pacifica

Does the world of dance music bother paying attention to Japan? At the moment, the answer is a resounding "no", with the exception of the French, who have been scientifically proven to be tremendously cooler than all of us. The Pitchoun blog (facebook), which has become a new fascination of mine in the past few months, documents the comings and goings of a ridiculous night scene in Tokyo (hardly surprising, I know)-- skimming through the archives will reveal not only a fair share of great mixes and live sets, but a nice resume of notable out-of-town djs gracing their past parties (think Institubes, KidzRec, and other international delights of similar flavors). Do take a look.

I can't help but to pay attention to the Japanese. It's a perverse curiosity driven by the idea that it could only be outrageous at the very least, and sometimes I'm terribly right about that. In many cases, though, I'm stricken with awe at the fine taste they exemplify.

The Noelle track below is HIGHLY recommended for more than the casual novelty. This unique specimen gets very interesting around the two minute mark, where a cascading lead synth twinkles away into buildup oblivion. The payoff groove hits with grace and power. This, I imagine, is probably the way it feels to wake up falling.


Noelle - Yumegiwa Last Boy

And oh lookie here, it's Yasutaka Nakata's live mix of the previously posted "Jumper":


Capsule - Jumper (Live Mix)

"Between two evils, I always choose the one I never tried before."
-Mae West, from the film Klondike Annie, 1936

- James C

Posted in: Capsule,Japan,Noelle