Ableton Forum

[quote="subbasshead"]this might seem obvious in hindsight but the best way to find such places
is to find an artist that you respect who has toured there.. & check their website
and see what venues they played at!

eg taylor deupree on 12k.com has toured in japan a few times
& so has christopher willits... deadbeat was there just before my last trip....
lullatone lives there....

plus obviously all & any japanese artists eg have a look
at the websites for fourcolour, minamo, tujiko noriko, ryoji ikeda

it obviously SO depends on what you are into...

but imho Japan is easily the most inspiring country on the planet i have visited....




I totally believe you. As i know ikeda lives in new york, but this idea with the websites is quiet good.

If you have something more please post it up...
I am gonna be there for mostly 10 days so i want to prepare my schedule enough well not to waste time.
How did you feel with the public transportation and the distances?

AdamJay wrote:i played at a club there last year called "A-Warehouse", its in the aforementioned Roppongi area.

very cool place, i recommend it.
they got me some thai redbull!

i miss tokyo...

more info:
http://www.a-warehouse.net/

sadmac....here are a few good places/resourses. i go to tokyo every 6 weeks or so, and i dig improvised/abstarct electronica...so here are places i recommend.
im at work now, so ill post more links when i get back home....

resourses:
www.tokyogigguide.com
www.japanimprov.com

galleries/music venues:
www.ntticc.or.jp
www.watarium.co.jp
www.haramuseum.or.jp
www.mori.art.museum
www.loop-line.jp
www.uplink.co.jp
www.enban.org

How did you feel with the public transportation and the distances?

the first time round the subway is no worse to work out than anywhere else ...
eg berlin, london, osaka etc.... theres always a method to the madness
& especially in japan theres always a local who is happy to help point you
in the right direction (& practice their english) if you are looking lost...
a few of the ticket machines always display english... no fear...
dont be afraid to ask for help... its a very respectful country....

but really, some of the best moments travelling occur through being lost...

while you understandably want to maximise your time in tokyo
do allow free time for happily getting lost... you can only get so lost...
and what you discover about there (& yourself) along the way is incredibly valuable...

& definitely set some time aside for visiting a zen temple or two...
a city of contrasts is only fully appreciated from spending some time
in the less, as well as the more...

& just an opinion but other than a few specific instances i actually
preferred osaka to tokyo... wilder, less tourists & better record shops!

but to put it in perspective more than anything else..
while standing on top of the Osaka sky tower building
(a phenomenal piece of architecture - and u cannot visit japan
without devoting a day to visiting & appreciating key contemporary
architectural sites - it will influence yr music more than u might think)
my friend commented how the GDP of osaka city is bigger than
all of the England combined!!!!!!! my brain melted....

but please go to the ICC gallery

whereas corporations in the west fund sport
it seems in japan they support art
& the ICC is supported by a mega telecommunications corp
as a form of R&D.... and god/buddha/jah bless them!
in my county such corps fund infantile blood sports

some more artist/label websites that may have upcoming events...

http://home.att.ne.jp/grape/charles/
http://swo.jp/news.html
http://homepage2.nifty.com/~bota/
http://www.yoshiomachida.com/index.html
http://www.hibarimusic.com/e/index.html
http://www.geocities.jp/hormarecords/
http://www.critical-path.info/
http://www3.alpha-net.ne.jp/users/t-kita/frame.html
http://atak.jp/
http://www.kojiasano.com/
http://www.two-lines.org/
http://www.cubicmusic.com/index_f.html
http://fox.zero.ad.jp/cocoa/
http://www.geocities.jp/magicbookrec/

the trains/subways in tokyo are good. not a lot of english (actually very little for such a big city), but if you cant figure out the ticket machines, just buy from an attendant, they can usually handle a bit of english. using the yamamote line is EASY, circular train line that goes by all the main areas of interest, plus these trains are all bilingual.
unfortunately off-site closed a while ago, best venue for onkyo and improvised music. check the improvised music in japan site, lots of event info, or email them as a foriegn girl deals with english enquiries, so you could find out all thats going on just with a quick email!
good luck and enjoy your trip!!!

oh, and i agree with subbasshead about the ICC, brilliant for media/sound art, ive been to ryoji ikeda shows, sinewave orchestra and carsten nicolai installations there and lots more. unfortunately there are no upcoming shows for the next while. theyre between exhibitions at present.

Thanx evrybody....amazing help guys...thank you,

I ll have a little delay in my trip.....so more suggestions are welcomed.

Do you know if in that area named roponggi r any hostels?

you may find a few links to whats on in these web-magazines

http://www.shift.jp.org

http://www.pingmag.jp

seems lots of interesting music at this venue too:
http://www.super-deluxe.com/schedule/sc ... hp?lang=en