Music

Everyone here is unassuming

DJ Bar Bridge, World Kitchen Baobab (below), Grandfather’s (below right)

Music for the soul Turn your evening tipple into something more soulful at these top music bars. Words Kunihiro Miki

It’s easy to find a club in downtown Tokyo, where the music will be thumping and you can lose yourself on the dancefloor. But it’s a little harder to find a local music bar where you know the tunes will be quality and they’ll suit a more reflective mood. Here, we round up five of our favourite bars that are known for their refined record collections, for hosting choice DJs, and for generally just being havens for serious music lovers.

DJ BAR BRIDGE Since opening in 2014, DJ Bar Bridge has steadily established itself as a standard-bearer for music lovers. Besides its outstanding location on the 10th floor of a building that’s just at the entrance of

Nonbei Yokocho (‘Drunkards’ Alley’) and overlooks the centre of Shibuya, it features appearances from superb veteran DJs every day of the week. Whether you just want to nurse a whisky while enjoying live DJ tunes in the background or hit the dance floor, you’re in good company here – the regular clientele features a mix of music and fashion industry insiders, young club-music fans, and dedicated partygoers. Yet everyone here is unassuming, simply here to enjoy some of the best music on offer in Shibuya. 10F Parkside Kyodo Bldg, 1-25-6 Shibuya, Shibuya (Shibuya Station). 03 6427 6568. tinyurl.com/TOTbar-bridge. Daily 8pm-5am. Entrance ¥1,000.

WORLD KITCHEN BAOBAB A cosmopolitan spot where you can enjoy music, food and alcohol from around the world, including the Caribbean, Africa, and Central and South America. World Kitchen Baobab is almost considered a sacred place by world music fans; it’s full of precious records and miscellaneous goods collected by the owner on his travels. Live events are also held here from time to time, offering performances by excellent Japanese musicians playing everything from Latin music to reggae to styles from Africa, Brazil and more. On occasion, they also feature overseas artists. B1F Ohara Bldg, 2-4-6 Kichijoji Minamicho, Musashino-shi (Kichijoji Station). 0422 76 2430. tinyurl.com/TOTbaobab. Mon-Thu & Sun 6pm-1am, Fri, Sat & day before pub hols 6pm-4am. GRANDFATHER’S Established 40 years ago, the aptly named Grandfather’s started out with a playlist style that was uncommon at the time, blending together rock LPs one song at a time. Today, the tunes are a selection of popular music (mainly AOR and funk and soul) from the ’70s, when vinyl records were mainstream. However, the owner is constantly on the lookout for new music and if a modern artist wins his favour they’ll get some ‘airtime’ too. (We recently heard him spin a few tracks by Joss Stone and Rumer.) After all these years, the interior is still well maintained, giving off a rich ambience that’s appropriate for such a venerable bar and that lends an extra level of charm to the music. B1F Flat Bldg, 1-24-7 Shibuya, Shibuya (Shibuya Station). 03 3407 9505. tinyurl.com/TOTgrandfathers. Daily 5pm-3am.

LITTLE SOUL CAFE Located in the music district of Shimokitazawa, this bar quietly opens its doors every evening from 9pm. When you walk inside, you’ll no doubt be overwhelmed by the staggering number of records lining the walls – there are 12,000 in total, featuring a wide range of music from ’60s soul to rare groove, and modern funk to disco. Little Soul Cafe is well-known for attracting overseas artists and record buyers, and the staff do their best to accommodate any enthusiastic music requests. First-timers are welcomed by the bar’s at-home feel, and music experts will never leave disappointed. 2F Taisei Bldg, 3-20-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya (Shimokitazawa Station). 03 5454 9800. tinyurl. com/TOTlittlesoul. Daily 9pm-4am (until 2am on Sun & hols).

SPINCOASTER MUSIC BAR Opened in March 2015 by the energetic music media company Spincoaster, this bar combines high resolution and analogue sound systems for a unique vibe. The playlists are prepared by Spincoaster curators, covering a wide range of genres and eras in high quality audio. It’s recently become popular for private get-togethers, anime song-listening sessions, and explosively loud screenings of live concert streams. 1-C Kuwano Bldg, 2-26-2 Yoyogi, Shibuya (Yoyogi, Minami-Shinjuku stations). 03 6300 9211. tinyurl.com/TOTspin. Mon-Sat 2pm-late, closed Sun (except if Mon is a hol. Closed on last day of consecutive hols).

Music

1SEIHO If the concept of musical genres seems outdated to you, Seiho Hayakawa’s frantic electronic sounds will probably be perfect for you. The Osaka artist, recording as Seiho, creates wonky tracks loaded up with pitch-shifted vocals and sudden changes in tempo, blending intimate R&B with raging techno with pop hooks to make something mind spinning. He’ll release a new album early in 2016, meaning there should be plenty of chances to see his wild live show in the coming months. Key track: ‘Taboo’ soundcloud.com/seiho

2COLOR-CODE Formed in 2013 partially thanks to fashion designer and Lady Gaga collaborator Nicola Formichetti wanting to discover the Japanese version of Mother Monster, color-code’s take on electro-pop is every bit as catchy as their clothes. The trio dropped their first single, the surging ‘I Like Dat’, in late 2014 and have followed it up with two more pulsing singles over the last year – not to mention eye-catching videos for each. Expect them to push further in the coming months. Key track: ‘I Like Dat’ color-code.jp 3 CARPAINTER Pining for the glory days of UK 2-step? Or maybe you want to hear something new and futuristic? Tokyo track maker Carpainter has you covered in either case, crafting garage-inspired movers given a shiny sheen. One of the central players on the burgeoning Trekkie Trax dance label, Carpainter has released a series of EPs over the last couple of years, highlighted by 2015’s forward-thinking ‘Out of Resistance’. He’s also been getting more looks from major labels to remix bigger stars. Key track: ‘Out of Resistance’ soundcloud.com/carpainter Watch them live: Jan 29, 2016 at Daikanyama Unit.

4PELICAN FANCLUB Indie-pop tends to have a reputation for being sunny and simplistic. Pelican Fanclub, however, reminds that catchy guitar music can work well in the shadows too. The quartet formed in 2012 and have been making 10 shoegaze-tinged rock since, the bulk of it taking on darker tones similar to fellow Japanese outfit to watch The Novembers without sacrificing the earworm hooks at the centre of their songs. Last August’s ‘Pelican in 2016 Fanclub’ album saw the group take further steps forward, resulting in some of their most immediate – but still brooding – material yet. Key track: ‘Dali’

pelicanfanclub.com

5TURNTABLE FILMS This Kyoto trio crafts driving folk numbers that play out like short stories. They set out in 2008 as an outfit singing memorable songs in English, switching between tender acoustic guitar numbers and stomping pop songs. On 2015’s ‘Small Town Talk’, they switched over to their native Japanese to create more lyrically rich material, full of narratives with an author’s eye for detail. Despite the linguistic shift, Turntable Films’ music remains charming, in whatever tongue you speak. Key track: ‘Cello’ turntablefilms.com

6DYGL A constant dilemma Japanese acts face is whether to sing in Japanese and focus on the domestic audience, or try out English vocals in an effort to court international ears. Tokyo’s DYGL opts to just write Don’t let the sticky, Brit-pop inspired fuzz rock and ignore those questions. On year go by the strength of a few songs and Music without catching these hot-rightnow local acts. one very strong EP released last June, they’ve become a live fixture in the capital and have played shows in the US. In whatever language, these guys know how to write a driving rock Words Patrick song. Key track: ‘Let’s Get Into St Michel Your Car’ soundcloud.com/dayglotheband

7TOKYO HEALTH CLUB The four members of Tokyo Health Club have helped play an important role in the capital’s online rap scene in recent years, having helped establish the online imprint Omake Club which has put the spotlight on up-and-coming MCs from across the city. They deserve shine, too, as their tag-team approach to rapping works wonders over hard-hitting tracks or more melodic backdrops (see late2015 cut ‘ASA’, featuring some sweet, sweet sax), and they put on one energetic, memorable live show. Key track: ‘City Girl’ tokyohealthclub.com Watch them live: Jan 28, 2016 at Shibuya Duo Music Exchange.

8LUCKY KILIMANJARO Tokyo’s Lucky Kilimanjaro tends to be lumped in with the record-store-approved genre of ‘new city pop’, a 2015 invention building on of the glitzy sounds of ’80s Japan. Yet the tag does some disservice to the six-member unit, who create hyper-colourful synth-pop anchored by hands-in-the-air choruses that doesn’t really sound like the Bubble Era. Last year’s stupidly catchy ‘Fullcolor’ EP highlighted just how ‘of the moment’ Lucky Kilimanjaro is, and what makes them a unique group to keep an eye on. Key track: ‘Super Star’ lucky-kilimanjaro.tumblr.com

9DAOKO It’s a story that’s hard to resist: highschool student starts uploading her raps about what being a teenage girl is like, and starts gaining attention for her mature lyrics (not to mention solid backing music). Tokyo’s Daoko used this very original story to springboard onto a wider platform, getting the chance to collaborate with long-running producers M-Flo and provide vocals to the viral animated short ‘Me! Me! Me!’ in Watch her live: 2014. She’s been moving in a more pop direction lately, but remains at her

Jan 15, 2016 best when in rap mode. at Shibuya O-East. Key track: ‘Kakete Ageru’ daoko.jp

10 QRION Owing to an upbringing in Hokkaido, electronic artist Qrion’s music strikes a balance between fidgety Internet-born touches and more rustic details. She’s a fan of contemporary EDM, yet her songs feature far more samples of natural sounds and space than blaring drops, though she’s also keen on creating floor-eyeing beats. Her meditative work has won over Canadian artist Ryan Hemsworth, and lead to Qrion putting her piano-centric spin on remixes for How To Dress Well and Giraffage, among others. Key track: ‘Sink’ qrion.net