Okinawa
2 artists
Local Scene
Yuki Tanabe
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Over the past 15 years, the number of young people playing the sanshin outside Okinawa has grown dramatically, to the point where their numbers may even surpass those in Okinawa itself. While keeping in mind how carefully this tradition has been passed down, I also want to continue performing while recognizing the power of these songs to resonate beyond geographical boundaries.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
メゾン話れー小 / Maison Katare Guwa— 沖縄・宜野湾 / Ginowan, Okinawa
A minyo snack bar, open on Fridays and Saturdays. There are live performances and karaoke.
DNA Paradise— 京都・北車屋町 / Kitakurumayacho, Kyoto
A place where you can immerse yourself in music 100 percent. You can feel Daichi-san's aesthetic sensibility throughout the space.
Banban Chacha
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
There are so many creators here, and music events are thriving. Around us, a lot of people love Okinawan folk music and cherish the island's history, channeling that into their own sound. The Instagram account nightclubbing_okinawa, where DJ CHIHIRO posts daily updates on Okinawa's events, has real passion behind it too, and we're grateful it brings us audiences beyond our own reach.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
しびれくらげ / Shibire Kurage— 沖縄 / Okinawa
If you say Koza (Okinawa), this is the place. The genre-agnostic sound flowing from the hi-fi system feels so good, and I'm always inspired by owner DOSHO's selections. Beyond the events hosted by a wide range of players, I love the quiet music talk on weekday nights too.
Record Shop
Coriandre— 中城村 / Nakagusuku
"A mysterious selection", honest prices, and a surreal touch that dares you to explore new genres.
Café
コマゲン / KOMAGEN— 今帰仁村 / Nakijin
A Thai restaurant. Beyond the delicious food, it's the best place to enjoy people and music at once, especially on VINYL FRIDAY, held on the last Friday of every month.
Label / Series
問答会 / Mondokai
A crew, not a label. Their ideas, output, and way of exhibiting are unlike anything anyone else could think of. My favorites are the VHS piece "Tune in to Channel M" and the fictional radio program "CHANNEL M 24h RADIO MIX." Every New Year they hold a fun event called "Shinshun Onban Taikyoku" (New Year Record Battle), where two people face off with records matched to a theme, using a handmade battle device with two tonearms mounted on a single turntable.
Artists
Artist Interviews
What are your musical roots?
I was deeply immersed in Ryuichi Sakamoto and YMO, and from there my interest in all kinds of music expanded. There are far too many genres and musicians I love to list them all, but my lifelong musical companions are Captain Beefheart, Young Marble Giants, Federico Mompou, CAN, Robert Wyatt, and Okinawan folk music.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.KASAIHis life and music are inseparable, and that is what makes him so powerful.
- 2.Marlyn AnasonicMarlyn Anasonic, who creates a vivid sonic world entirely through her voice.
- 3.水と木の祭り / Mizu to Ki no MatsuriA festival that feels like being asked, “What kind of world would you like to imagine? How would you behave in that world?” It’s an experience that wakes you up, yet at the same time feels like a dream you never want to wake from. A must-visit for music lovers. It appears once every two years on the shores of Lake Biwa, at Miami Beach in Yasu, Shiga.
What are your musical roots?
The music that leapt out of foreign cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Silly Symphony, which I watched intently as a child. That's where I learned that sound can express emotion, and sometimes even become a voice.