DOM in Moscow

On September 23, Hikashu will perform at the DOM cultural center in Moscow, Russia.

There is already a notification of the event in the center's site:

http://www.dom.com.ru/event/2011/09/23/ (Russian)
http://www.dom.com.ru/eng/event/2011/09/23/ (English)


DOM was founded in May 1999. Its aim is to present performing arts, especially avant-garde and ethnic music.

In November 2000, Makigami Koichi performed there as a duo with a pianist Hojito Ryoji. It turned out quite a success, much-acclaimed performance. In 2002, the recording from the concert was released as an album called "Idu Tuda - Over That Way" by Long Arm, the recording company based in Moscow.





There is an article in English about the history of the center by a DOM's staff:

Official culture centers of parallel cultural activity


To the fans in Europe: How about considering to attend the DOM show? Moscow could be reached by about 4-hours flight from most major cities in Europe. It's uncertain when the band come to Europe next time and it's a nice chance to see them in action.


DOM Cultural Center
Bolshoi Ovchinnikovsky Pereulok, 24,
building 4
113184 Moscow
RUSSIA
Tel: 7 095 953 72 36
Fax: 7 095 953 72 42
E-mail: info@dom.com.ru
Site: www.dom.com.ru

DOM Cultural Center, Moscow

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The reissue project reconvenes

Since the re-release of the remastered "Ningen No Kao" album last December, there has been no release from the band. And finally we'll see some, very interesting material.

The reissue project of Hikashu will reopen this fall and it's going to be a huge deal. Three albums have already been remastered and now waiting to be released.



In October, the "Kawatteru" will be reissued. Originally released in 1996, it's a sort of the best album, the popular tunes of the band were re-recorded with new arrangement, and some of them were drastically altered. It contains "Pike" "Ningen No Kao" "At the End of the 20th Century" "Teicho Na Omotenashi (Courteous Hospitality)", "Biro Biro" et al. It's notable that it comes with a booklet containing English translation of the lyrics.


The other two titles are also to be out later this year.




"Hanauta Hajime" is the album originally released in 1991 and features the original version of the ever-popular track, "Biro Biro." It's very jazzy album, and filled with ungrounded, impenetrable happiness. Pastoral. Or some might feel it's euphoric. Anyway, this is their representative piece of work in 1990s, so you have to get a copy.




"Teicho Na Omotenashi" is the 1990 effort and it opens with a 5-minutes totally improvisational piece of music called "Kashiwade" (The Clap). The title track is a very tight, immaculately constructive funk tune, penned by Mitama Masamichi. An album cut "Chimera" set the album's tone - dark, serious and monotonous, in a good sense. Also "Daikoukai" (The Grand Voyage), written by Inoue Makoto, is outstanding - its grandiosity only rivals to "Nihon No Egao," the other masterpiece of Mr. Inoue.


Of course, all the titles are remastered by Ono Seigen under the supervision of the members and come with a cardboard paper sleeve.

Those 1990s albums are hard to find for a while and it's advisable to get them as soon as possible. In fact, some recent reissues are now scarce and not available, especially the "Hikashu Super" album (Fortunately, the album is going to be pressed again but it takes some time.) So get them while supplies last.

The Russia-Siberia Tour

It's official. Hikashu just announced that they set to embark on a Siberia tour at the end of this summer. The dates are:

September 23 - DOM, Moscow (guest: Alexey Aygi on violin)
September 27 - Kyzyl, Tuva (guest: the Masters of Khoomei)
September 30 - Altai (with Bolot Bairyshev)
October 1 - The National Drama Theatre, Gorno-Altaisk, Altai (with Bolot Bairyshev)
October 3 - a camping site near Gorno-Altaisk, Altai (the band will perform at a cultural event as guest)
October 4 - Club Agarta, Balnaul (with Bolot Bairyshev) venue info
October 5 - Club Tass, Novosibirsk (with Bolot Bairyshev) venue info

(note: the tour info updated on September 14)

This is the first time to be in Russia for the band. Makigami has been visiting the Siberia region every year since early 1990s, but the band themselves have never been in the country.

It's also the first time for the band to play with throat-singers. Especially a gig with Bolot Bairyshev is notable. He has been a frequent collaborator with Makigami and Sato for years, and throughly interesting to see him perform with the band. It's gonna be a majestic show.

Take the opportunity and experience the band!


Related Entry:
DOM in Moscow

Jazz Art Sengawa 2011

The 4th Jazz Art Sengawa, simply the best Jazz and Improvising Music event for the advanced minded in Japan, will be held on September 9-11 in Chofu, Tokyo. The producers are Makigami Koichi, Fujiwara Kiyoto and Sakamoto Hiromichi.

The festival will take place at the three venues in Sengawa: Sengawa Theatre, Kick Back Cafe and Jenny's Kitchen.

The ticket plan is much simpler this year. You buy tickets for each day and it's valid for all the venue, all the program (there are some exceptions - see notes below)

The line-up, which shown below, is a killer.

September 9, Friday

@ Sengawa Theatre

17:20-
Art Parade

18:00-18:30
Opening Ceremony

19:00-19:40
Shiraishi Kazuko (poetry reading), Ino Nobuyoshi (bass), Makigami Koichi (theremin)

20:30-21:20
Hosoe Hidenori (photo screening), Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass), Umezu Kazutoki (reeds), Yoshida Ryuichi (baritone saxophone), Ono Yoshito (butoh)

@ Kick Back Cafe

19:30-21:30
Sato Masaharu and his friends - Jazz Art Special
Sato Masaharu (drums, voice, guitar), Ota Keisuke (violin, voice), Kido Natsuki (guitar), Kira Tomohiko (guitar), Sakaide Masami (bass), Yanagiya Koharu (shamisen, vocal), Izumi Kunihiro (alto saxophone)


September 10, Saturday

@ Sengawa Theatre

11:00-11:40
Voice Play for Children
Hachiya Maki (voice), Rocket Matsu (keyboard), Ishikawa Koji (percussion)

12:30-13:10
Hihokan
Saito Ryo (drums), Kouketsu Masayo (alto saxophone), Suga Dairo (piano), Sato Erika (bass), Atami Houko (secrecy)

14:00-14:40
Kaze
Christian Pruvost (trumpet), Tamura Natsuki (trumpet), Fujii Satoko (piano), Peter Orins (drums)

15:30-17:00
Free Improvising Open Session moderated by the producers #1

17:40-18:20
Fujiwara Kiyoto Jump Monk Bass Band Special (Jump Monk BBS)
Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass), Kuriyama Yuuki (trumpet), Miyaki Kensuke (baritone saxophone), Hirose Mariko (guitar), Ito Kazuki (guitar), Matuyama Osamu (drums), Endo Osamu (bass), Kakimoto Ronri (bass), Suzuki Hajime (bass), Kato Hisashi (bass)

19:10-19:50
Sakai Shun (vocal), Ishibashi Eiko (vocal, piano), Yamamoto Tatsuhisa (drums), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello)

20:30-21:10
Hikashu with Fujiwara Daisuke
Makigami Koichi (vocal, theremin, cornet), Mita Freeman (guitar, vocal), Sakaide Masami (bass), Shimizu Kazuto (piano, bass clarinet), Sato Masaharu (drums), Fujiwara Daisuke (tenor saxophone)

@ Kick Back Cafe

14:00-15:30　
Arai Ryoji (guitar, vocal), Moon Mama aka Pika (guitar, vocal, drums), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello)

19:30-21:30
NON BAND - Hirosaki Unit
NON (bass, vocal), Ishida Hajime (guitar), Tsushima Shouta (percussion) with the guests: Tamagishi Rinnnosuke, Tamagaki Mitsuru, Sasaki Emi

@ Jenny's Kitchen

13:10-13:50　
Oncenth Trio
Kurita Taeko (piano), Iwami Keigo (bass), Ikezawa Ryusaku (drums)

14:50-15:30
Hachiya Maki (voice), Rocket Matsu (keyboard), Ishikawa Koji (percussion)

16:10-17:10
Soejima Teruto Jazz Art Talk Session "Japanese Free Jazz and the World"

18:20-19:00
Giovanni Di Domenico (piano), Takaoka Daisuke (tuba) duo


September 11, Sunday

@ Sengawa Theatre

11:00-11:45
Sunday Matinée Concert:
Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello)

12:30-14:00
Free Improvising Open Session moderated by the producers #2

15:00-15:40
Yagi Michiyo Double Trio
Yagi Michiyo (koto), Tanaka Noritaka (drums), Sugawa Takashi (bass, cello), Honda Tamaya (drums), Todd Nicholson (bass)

16:30-17:10
Sakata Akira (reeds, vocal), Jim O'Rourke (guitar), Pika (drums, voice), Takaoka Daisuke (tuba)

18:00-18:40
Sato Masahiko (piano), Ota Keisuke (violin, voice), Imabori Tsuneo (guitar), Makigami Koichi (voice, theremin)

20:00-21:30
John Zorn's Cobra "Sengawa Operation" Kanda Yoshiko Unit
Arima Sumihisa (computer), Ohishi Masanori (saxophone), Kanda Yoshiko (percussion), Kinowaki Dougen (flute), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello), Sato Masahiko (piano), Shiba Tesu (pianica), Tanaka Yumiko (gidayu, shamisen), Nakamura Hitomi (hichiriki), Hashimoto Shinya (tuba), Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass), Matudaira Takashi (baritone saxophone), Honda Tamaya (drums), Makigami Koichi (prompter)

@ Jenny's Kitchen

14:10-14:50
Izumi Kunihiro (alto saxophone) solo

15:40-16:20　
Katayama Hiroaki (tenor saxophone), Fujikake Masataka (drums), Makigami Koichi (voice, theremin)

17:10-17:50
Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello), Kita Naoki (violin), Pearl Alexander (bass)

18:50-19:30
Sakata Akira (alto saxophone) solo


1 day Ticket:
4,000 yen for September 9
5,000 yen each for September 10 and 11
The 1-day ticket applies for all program (except "Voice Play for Children" on September 11, which required 500 yen separately - Free admission for children under 5 years old. Free Improvising Open Session and Sunday Matinee Concert are admission free.). The prices here are for advance - plus 500 yen each at door.

Sep 7 update: 1 day ticket for September 11 (Sunday) is now sold out. You can still buy the ticket for each program of the day. Its price is 2,500 yen and available at the Sengawa Theatre office (open at 10:00 AM). The quantities are strictly limited (and each person can buy up to 2 tickets only), so come early.

Please note: you can't see the shows if you have just the 1-day ticket only! You need both a pass (issued for each day) and a numbered ticket (issued for each program).

To see the shows, follow the step:

1. Exchange your 1-day ticket with the day's pass at the Sengawa Theatre office. Don't hurry - You should get the pass if you have the day's ticket.

2. Get a numbered ticket for the program you'd like to see, at the venue of the program. If you want a good seat, be in a hurry - it's "first come, first served" basis.

3. Wait in a line at the venue. When your turn comes, show your pass and numbered ticket at the entrance.

The 1-day tickets are now available at Sengawa Theatre office. For details, call the office at 03-3300-0611 (Japanese Only)


Here's the manifest for this year's festival;

Get back the life!
That's the theme for the festival this year.
It's a core of improvisational performance;
Disappear when it's born,
and bore when it disappears;
It's a sense of magic.
Pump up the shrinked world.
Fill up the earth with the vitality.
The music is not to heal.
The music is not to help.
The music is not to deceive.
The music is not to be over.
The music is not to de defeated.
The music is to stir up the soul.
The soul of jazz refuses to be an economic slave.
The future is here.
Or try to pretend a prophet who says;
There comes a time generating electricity with music.

Makigami Koichi

Jazz Art Sengawa official site (in Japanese)





Sengawa Theatre

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Kick Back Cafe, Sengawa

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Jenny's Kitchen, Sengawa

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Related Entries:
Jazz Byobu After Dark
Jazz Art Sengawa 2010
Jazz Art Sengawa

An electro rendition of Puyo Puyo

プヨプヨ by Les Rois Tourbillonnants


I just found that les Rois Tourbillonnants, a French electro unit, did a cover of Puyo Puyo.

Surprisingly, they sang it in Japanese. A nice effort.

Mori Ikue 'Kibyoshi' Japan Tour

Next week, Makigami Koichi will participate in the Japan tour of Mori Ikue's "Kibyoshi" performance.

It's a mixed media presentation based on Kibyoshi, a genre of Japanese picture book produced from 1775 to the early 18th century (wikipedia).

About 20 years ago, John Zorn gave her a book regarding Kibyoshi and she was soon fascinated with it. She vaguely envisioned for making a piece of work about it some day. In 2000, she started making music and animation with computer. At first she used a Bali art for motif and gradually turned to her roots, Japanese Culture. "Kibyoshi" is the latest project she committed.

For "Kibyoshi" DVD, Mori created animation and laid the basic tracks for herself, then Makigami and Marc Nauseef overdubbed their parts.

In this tour, Mori and Makigami are the regular member, and there are some musicians participated as guest so the personel is different for each date.

The tour dates are:

June 15 - Oriental Hotel Chapel, Hiroshima
June 16 - Dainana Geijutsu Gekijo, Osaka
June 17 - Uplink Theatre, Shibuya, Tokyo
June 18 - Uplink Theatre, Shibuya, Tokyo
June 19 - Cinema Maebashi, Maebashi, Gunma
June 21 - Hinoki Charity Hall, Yugawara, Kanagawa
June 22 - Shimokitazawa Alley Hall, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo

The work and performance sound pretty interesting and it's surely a must-see.


June 15, 2011
@ Oriental Hotel Chapel
Hiroshima
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Yoshimi (percussions)
open 18:30 - start 19:00
adv 4,000 yen - at door 4,500 yen
call for reservation at 082-240-9463 (in Japanese) 11:00-20:00

Oriental Hotel, Hiroshima

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June 16, 2011
@ Dainana Geijutsu Gekijo
Osaka
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Yoshimi (percussions)
open 19:00 - start 19:30
adv 3,000 yen - at door 3,500 yen
Tickets now available at Ticket Pia

Dainana Geijutsu Gekijo, Osaka

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June 17, 2011
@ Uplink Theatre
Shibuya, Tokyo
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar, daxophone), Jim O'Rouke (guest)
open 19:00 - start 19:30
adv 2,500 yen - at door 3,000 yen


June 18, 2011
@ Uplink Theatre
Shibuya, Tokyo
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar, daxophone), Nakahara Masaya (guest)
open 18:30 - start 19:00
adv 2,500 yen - at door 3,000 yen

Uplink Theatre, Shibuya, Tokyo

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June 19, 2011
@ Cinema Maebashi
Maebashi, Gunma
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar, daxophone)
open 18:30 - start 19:00
adv 3,000 yen - at door 3,500 yen
call for reservation at 027-231-8000 (in Japanese)

Cinema Maebashi, Gunma

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June 21, 2011
@ Hinoki Charity Hall
Yugawara, Kanagawa
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar, daxophone), Motonaga Taku (shakuhachi), Kanda Yoshiko (percussion)
open 18:30 - start 19:00
adv 3,000 yen - at door 3,500 yen (student 1,000 yen)

Hinoki Charity Hall, Yugawara

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June 22, 2011
@ Shimokitazawa Alley Hall
Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
personnel: Mori Ikue (animation, electronics), Makigami Koichi (narration, theremin, mouth harp), Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar, daxophone), Motonaga Taku (shakuhachi), Kanda Yoshiko (percussion), Jim O'Rourke (synthesizer)
open 19:00 - start 19:30
adv 4,300 yen - at door 4,800 yen

Shimokitazawa Alley Hall, Tokyo

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note: Jim O'Rourke (June 17) and Nakahara Masaya (June 18) are talk session participants and will not perform.

Godzilla Legend 2009

Tomoda Shingo, the drummer of the Godzilla Legend concert in this June, also uploaded a set of clips from the Godzilla Legend performance in 2009.

In some of the clips, the percussions are rather high in the mix. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the event was originally planned for demonstrating Highleads, an electric drum kit which Tomoda designed.


















Related entry:
The Godzilla Legend Concert in Kichijoji