I would like to know about Japanese dance music?

[Rita]

Who are the best Japanese Dj`s or group? I adore house music! everybody who has the same interest - reply me!!!!

 

[Vinylhoer]

I don't think dance or anything related is very popular here

I was just thinking the same thing and looking through some topics, but it's mostly j-pop...

 

[E_Motion]

Japanese Dance?

Only three names pop up in my mind:

Ken Ishii (techno)
Yoji Biomehanika (hardstyle)
Ram Jam World (DnB-like chilled out stuff)

 

[Twisted]

Ha, well, just because there's not many topics about it (there are quite a few actually, but not much recent ones), doesn't mean there's no knowledge about it on this forum. You can gather that from the replies that will appear below this one (fingers crossed).

I personally like Takkyu Ishino a lot. He used to be in Denki Groove and is one of the best techno dj's and producers from Japan.

The latest Mondo Grosso album also features some brilliant house-tracks.

Globe and Move are two groups that produce really good trance, but they're plagued by cheesy vocals. Still, if you pick up and instrumental track, you won't be disappointed.

Many popular JPop artists also get a remix-treatment. You can find some great stuff if you check out the b-sides from singers like Ayumi Hamasaki, Kumi Koda, Rina Aiuchi, Every Little Thing. Many of them have even released high quality remix-albums.

What i've mentioned here is just a small selection. I leave some room for input from other forum-members.

 

[MHtrStevie]

I have to agree first and foremost with recommendations of Takkyu Ishino and Mondo Grosso... Ishino did that great remix of the Vangelis theme for the 2002 World Cup, and Mondo Grosso's album MG4 is one of my permanent favorites!

If we mention globe and Move here, I suppose we could include Two-Mix as well... they're slightly more pop than the recent globe stuff featuring Yoshiki (ex-X), but are in the same vein as older globe and Move stuff.

You can also go back to some more classic dance-oriented groups too. Tetsuya Komuro, the main guy behind globe, was first popular in the combo TM Network... their regular stuff is more pop than dance, but there are two good dance-remix albums of their biggest singles... I think they're called TMN Classix 1 & 2, IIRC...

Or go even further back to the roots of Japanese techno-dance, Yellow Magic Orchestra! I've only heard their very early work, but I'm sure there's more recent modern remix work of theirs too...

What about Towa Tei? He was featured in the group Deee-Lite, and his solo work is quite good. I highly recommend Sound Museum as a good starting place...

 

[Hideko]

two-mix remixes, beatmania, DDR stuff lol, I like two-mix remixes a lot though

 

[Vinylhoer]

Thanks! Looks like I've got some work to do

I've also found this topic: electronic music in japan
3 pages of digging to do, but something tells me I'm going to enjoy it

 

[Satori]

Konnichiwa, Rita! Welcome aboard!! (I think this thread got moved from the "Introduction" section!!)

 

[Ruri-Ruri]

Kyoto Jazz Massive's album Spirit of the Sun is really good, though it's probably more jazz funk than dance. Mondo Grosso is great, I agree w/ MHtrStevie about MG4. Petitions by Fantastic Plastic Machine is a really catchy tune - I haven't heard much of his stuff but he's quite big on the Japanese dance scene apparently.

 

[Twisted]

Fantastic Plastic Machine is similar to Pizzicato Five, in that sense that he's from the Shibuya scene. If you like that, you could also listen to Cornelius for instance. It's not strictly dance-music, but it shares some elements with dance.

As for Mondo Grosso, i agree that MG4 was a great album, but it's still delving a lot into latin-dance. Shinichi Osawa (the man behind...) has mostly done away with that with his more recent album Next Wave. Check out Dance Floor Combat, which features Armand van Helden. I think it's one of the best tracks on that album.

I can also recommend Joujouka (DJ Tsuyoshi), who's a great trance and techno producer.

And this thread can't possibly continue without mentioning the Boom Boom Satellites, mostly known for their track Fogbound on the Ridge Racer IV soundtrack (or was it Ridge Racer V??).

 

[MHtrStevie]

Which Mondo Grosso album contained "Everything Needs Love", featuring the voice of Korean singer BoA? I picked up that on a single, so I don't know where that falls in Osawa's sound development...

Thanks for any help!




:sing:

<< A little JREF smilie dance concert for this thread >>

 

[Twisted]

"Everything Needs Love" is also from "Next Wave".

Mondo Grosso also released a remix-album a few months after "Next Wave", which contains a Cornelius remix of that song. The remix album is titled "Henshin" and would also contain some new tracks. I haven't been able to obtain it yet, but it's definitely on my wishlist.

 

[budd]

thanks to admin for providing excellent info!
i got mad again and left
in the meantime, i have bought a lot more music though
as in america, there are labels to watch out for that produce and dist dance music
toy's factory
organ bar
especial records
playlabel
i forget again -- will be back

 

[playaa]

I hope to get to see a good bit of the Japan Night Life while I am there, anyone living in Japan who knows a good bit about techno, etc.. Interested in meeting and showing me around?

 

[budd]

the quck answer is cyberjapan or ciajapan, because they have a variety of clubs + pages in english
good luck and have fun
can vouch for womb and for loop

 

[budd]

EXTRA FREEDOMの公式ページ。所属アーティストの活動情報、プロフィール、ディスコグラフィー。 for kyoto jazz massive
notice the difference between the japanese pages and the english pages?
this is a striking example of the reason why i have little patience for people who cry woe when i link a japanese page
plus i got to it (i had forgotten the link!) from here
MSN エンタメ
"the room" is known for house music, as evidenced by the cd pics on that page
note also that to advance through the pages, just click the pictures...
hth, enjoy

 

[Hachiko]

IMHO, I know one dance that is popular: para-para. Waving your arms to Eurobeat/Initial D-style music is something paralists across Japan and the world are hooked on. Also, any Bemani-style music (i.e. DDR), is popular in Japan.

There are a lot of other artists that know the meaning of groove: Ken Ishi, Cornelius, Yasuharu Konishi, YMO...too many to count.

 

[budd]

bust a move was more true to club life imo, the moves were obviously motion-captured
plus the styles/costues were on point!
but i like both

 

[goggles]

When I think of Japanese dance, the first word that comes to mind is Eurobeat. I have Initial D to blame. Folder 5 do catchy eurobeats. There are countless Hamasaki Ayumi eurobeat mixes. m-flo are great but they are more disco and RnB type. I like m-flo the most.

 

[Ka-tisu]

When I think of Japanese dance, the first word that comes to mind is Eurobeat. I have Initial D to blame. Folder 5 do catchy eurobeats. There are countless Hamasaki Ayumi eurobeat mixes. m-flo are great but they are more disco and RnB type. I like m-flo the most.

I got Ayumi's RMX eurobeat mix although I'm more into the trance scene. ELT's cyber trance is the

Anymore J-trance mixes or J-trance dj's that you guys know about? :?

 

[budd]

most clubs have a trance night over there hmm
it's on the edge of my cerbellum, brbe

 

[budd]

fantastic plastic and basement jaxx are playing @ ageha this weekend
http://www.ageha.com/contents.html

 

[Chipi]

..Hmm. I've been looking through the pages of ciajapan and cyber japan, and they both list some clubs in the tokyo and osaka area. But do I have _any_ chance at finding some (techno or d'n'b preferrably)parties in Kyoto...? In a way I doubt it myself though.. and I don't even know yet if I'm going..
I think it would be actually great to hear some not-so-famous dj's etc...some locals.

 

[budd]

kyoto jazz massive has parties in kyoto, osaka, and tokyo...
hmm

 

[Chipi]

Budd, ok, I'll be doing some searching then if I'll spot those. Thanks