This is Kajiwara from the quality control department. It's a little chilly at this time of year, but we're working hard every day to improve quality in the quality control room.
When I think of the summer heat, outdoor festivals (hereafter referred to as fests) come to mind.
I usually listen to electronic music, regardless of genre.
This time, I would like to talk about the festivals I attended last year, focusing on genres that I like.
The appeal of festivals can be summed up as being able to enjoy music outdoors. You can dance on the floor, relax in the camping area, or just stroll around.
The first festival I went to was the FREAKS MUSIC FESTIVAL '11 held at Lake Sagami Resort Pleasure Forest. In the same year, I was introduced to the FUNKTION-ONE speakers at The Labyrinth . The sound quality was so good that it became the standard by which I compared sound quality from then on.
Although I had only participated in Labyrinth every year, what prompted me to start participating in other festivals was a phone call from a friend asking if I could come as a staff member to RAINBOW DISCO CLUB .
Afterwards, staff from TAICOCLUB and rural participated.
The staff members then decided to go to FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL , and so they decided to go on a whirlwind tour.
And as usual, I participated in the Labyrinth.
I thought that would be the end of it, but I continued to be invited to several festivals as both staff and guests, and so I ended up going to seven festivals last year.
So I decided to write it down as a memo.
- RAINBOW DISCO CLUB 2017
- TAICO CLUB '17
- rural 2017
- FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '17
- The Labyrinth 2017
- Chilluxe Beach 2017
- FESTIVAL de FRUE 2017
A unique location.
Enjoy high quality sound in the great outdoors.
RAINBOW DISCO CLUB 2017
DATE:May 3-5, 2017
VENUE: Higashiizu Cross Country Course, Shizuoka Prefecture
LINE UP:Floating Points,DJ Nobu B2B Fred P,Sisi,Kikiorix,Kaoru Inoue,Kenji Takimi,Antal,Hunee,RUSH HOUR ALLSTARS, and more
" RAINBOW DISCO CLUB " is an outdoor festival that started in 2010. It is selected every year as one of the "Top 10 Festivals" by music information website " Resident Advisor ."
The main stage at night. The occasional puffs of smoke combined with the lighting created a fantastical atmosphere.
The venue, Higashiizu Cross Country Course, is a cross country course, as its name suggests, surrounded by nature and with an observation deck offering views of the ocean.
I had known about the festival when it was held at Harumi Pier in Tokyo, but I had never been, so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like.
The main genres were techno, house and disco. There were many artists who were highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas, so I never got bored.
The stage lighting matched the melody of the music, and the smoke used made for a great performance.
There was a hammock between the floor and the camping area, in a place where you could hear the sound just right, so you could relax and enjoy it.
Enjoy live music and DJing in the great outdoors.
TAICO CLUB '17
DATE: May 27-28, 2017
VENUE: Shinshu Yabuhara Highlands Kodama Forest
LINE UP:Bibio,Richard Roberts,Battles,Motor City Drum Ensemble,NONOTAK,Shed,Acid Arab,Mr.Ties, and more
" TAICOCLUB " is an outdoor festival that started in 2006. It is held every year at Kodama Forest in Kiso Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. The genres range from bands to DJs, and it is an all-night event.
Despite the early hours, there were many people in front of the special stage.
I had heard about this festival before, but I hadn't attended because I thought it was just a band live event. This time, I participated as a staff member at the request of a friend.
I was lucky to hear Motor City Drum Ensemble, a German DJ who started composing in his teens, perform for the first time since their previous cancellation. Mr.Ties, an Italian DJ who took over from Motor City Drum Ensemble and operates three turntables, raised the temperature of the floor as the sun rose. By the time the sun rose and Nick The Record, a veteran DJ from the UK, was entrusted with a long performance, it was hot enough to wear a T-shirt, and it was a great festival blessed with good weather.
Enjoy cutting-edge electronic music in a summer resort with a spectacular view.
rural 2017
DATE: July 15-17, 2017
VENUE: Uchiyama Ranch Campsite, Nagano Prefecture
LINE UP:GAS,Svreca,Roly Porter,Solar,DJ NOBU,Felix K,ASC,Lena Willikens,Batu,Kyoka + Ueno Masaaki,Wata Igarashi,ENA,Sapphire Slows,asyl cahier,Chris SSG, and more
" Rural " is an outdoor festival that started in 2009. It is held during the three-day weekend in July. It was also selected in the "Top 10 Festivals" by Resident Advisor, as mentioned above.
On the first day in the afternoon, there were still not many people at the OPEN AIR STAGE, and the music was slow and relaxed.
I had known about this festival for some time, but this was the first time I was invited to attend.
During the day, we enjoyed pleasant, medium-tempo music at the OPEN AIR STAGE, which offers a great view.
At night, the dark stage lighting created a fantastical atmosphere.
The floor as dawn broke was an atmosphere that could only be experienced here, with performances by Spanish techno DJ Svreca and German DJ Lena Willikens, who has a long career in Europe. Under the blazing midsummer sun, the floor was also lively with DJ NOBU, a representative of the Japanese techno scene.
The largest outdoor festival in Japan.
FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '17
DATE: July 28-30, 2017
VENUE:Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata Prefecture
LINE UP:GORILLAZ,APHEX TWIN,BJÖRK,QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE,LCD SOUNDSYSTEM,MAJOR LAZER,SAMPHA,TEMPLES,THE STRYPES, and more
" FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL " is an outdoor festival that started in 1997. It attracts artists from a wide range of genres from Japan and abroad. It is also characterized by its large venue and large number of stages.
It goes without saying that Fuji Rock is a well-known festival. I knew about the festival and that it was held at the same venue as Labyrinth, but I never had the chance to go.
The topic came up among members who had been to previous festivals and were looking forward to the scale and quality of the famous Fuji Rock.
The RED MARQUEE was packed at midnight, and the combined heat with the lighting created an incredible atmosphere.
The venue is large and there are many stages, and the aisles get congested with the large number of customers before and after the performance of popular artists, so I thought it would be difficult to see all the stages. Since each stage is running at the same time, you will be forced to choose if the performance times of the artists you want to see overlap.
I had been recommended by a friend before going to see Cornelius, a solo unit by Keigo Oyamada, a Japanese musician, for the first time, but the performance and visuals were so amazing that I got goosebumps. I also saw APHEX TWIN, a British musician/DJ who has been active since his release in the early 90s, for the first time, and he was probably the most exciting person of the day.
Even after I got home on Sunday afternoon, I was so excited I couldn't calm down all day.
An outdoor festival with many international participants
The Labyrinth 2017
DATE: September 16-18, 2017
VENUE: Naeba Green Land, Niigata Prefecture
LINE UP:Peter Van Hoesen,Donato Dozzy,Ishq,Atom™&Tobias.,Tobias.,Outer Space,Patrick Russell,Marco Shuttle,Agonis,Claudio Fabrianesi,DJ Nobu,SO,Hiyoshi
" The Labyrinth " (hereinafter referred to as Labyrinth) is an outdoor festival that started in 2001, focusing mainly on techno. Most of the artists are from overseas, but they are all highly acclaimed artists, and tickets sell out immediately every year.
The lighting is so exquisite that it feels like you are looking at a night view (the red object in front is a bamboo sculpture).
I first went in 2011, and have participated every year since I joined as a staff member in 2012, so this was my seventh time. Every year, I look forward to experiencing some of the best sound quality in the country and meeting friends I don't usually get to see.
Each of the three days has its own theme, and each artist will play music that matches this year's theme, "Unspoken Words," "Narrative on the Edge," and "A Kind of Glory." The relaxed music that plays on the floor in the morning when there are few people is also comfortable. Even in the campsite, you can hear the music clearly from the area close to the floor, so you can relax and enjoy the event.
Other things I like are the decorations displayed everywhere and the lighting that illuminates the stage.
A party held in a location like a secret beach
Chilluxe Beach 2017
DATE: October 13-15, 2017
VENUE:Shizuoka Prefecture Higashiizu Seaside House Imaihama
LINE UP: Conrad McDonnell, Chris Coco, Dreams aka Angus Gruzman, SCHARRE, ASAHARA, Mountaintop Meditation Teahouse, and more
" Chiluxe Beach " is a party that started in 2016. It is held at the beachfront cottage campsite "Seaside House Imaihama" in Higashiizu. Although it is small, it features many artists from Japan and abroad.
View of the floor from the top of a rocky mountain on the beach
I had always been interested in the idea of a beach party, and this time a friend of mine was going so I decided to tag along.
The event was held in the rain, but the rain cleared in the evening, allowing people to enjoy the music without being interrupted by the sound of rain hitting the tarp.
The mirror ball decoration on the beach was beautiful. The sound of the waves was also a special part of the beach party.
I was particularly impressed by Taeko Onuki who played in the middle of the night and Eric Prydz the following morning.
The next morning it started raining again, but it seemed like there were more people in the venue than the night before.
An organic festival where you can experience a soul-shaking music experience outdoors
FESTIVAL de FRUE 2017
DATE: November 3-4, 2017
VENUE: Shizuoka Prefecture Tsumagoi Resort Sainosato
LINE UP:The Master Musicians of Joujouka,Acid Pauli,BaBaZuLa with Nourah,Vessel,Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids,Masakatsu Takagi,Fabiano do Nascimento,VOODOOHOP, and more
" FRUE " is an event that started in 2012. This is the first time it has been held as an outdoor festival. The genres are wide-ranging, including jazz, rock, world music, and club music.
The call for staff came in two days before the event. I had many friends who were also participating, and I was intrigued by the uncharted concept of a "soul-shaking musical experience," so I immediately decided to go as a staff member.
Unlike other festivals, the atmosphere was laid back, and listening to VOODOOHOP, a party crew from Sao Paulo, Brazil, while lying down on the Open Air Stage under the warm afternoon sun was the highlight of the seven festivals I've been to.
The dome-shaped tent you can see in the center on the right is the Open Air Stage.
It was also a valuable experience to listen to a live performance by The Master Musicians of Joujouka, a group of Moroccan musicians who performed music passed down from generation to generation, on their first visit to Japan. The performance continued endlessly, with no idea where a song ended, and the audience kept dancing. I felt like I understood why it is called "real trance music."
At festivals and parties, the artist's performance and the sound system are important, but what all enjoyable festivals have in common is a good location.
Of the seven festivals I attended, the one that impressed me the most was FESTIVAL de FRUE. I was lying down on the gently sloping grass listening to music, and the people around me seemed to be having fun. I learned that there are other ways to enjoy music than just listening to high-tempo music at high volume.
Each festival has its own characteristics, but what they have in common is that you can enjoy camping in tents and music parties at the same time. You can enjoy camping and music parties, or camping and music parties. It's twice as fun as just one of them. Some festivals have already announced that they will be held this year, so I can't wait for spring.
モノサスアーカイブ