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  SAKANACTION

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  SAKANACTION

  The group began their activities in 2005 and made their major debut in 2007.

  A rock band with a unique style, featuring highly literary lyrics, nostalgic folky melodies, and a club music approach to their band format.

  Their songs, which have a wide range of appeal, are highly praised with each release, and their greatest hits album "Sakanazukan," released in March 2018, debuted at number one on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

  Tickets for their national tours are always sold out, and in 2019 they performed a live tour at arenas across the country using a 6.1ch surround system.
  They are one of the most representative rock bands in the current music scene, appearing as headliners at most of the large outdoor festivals they perform at.

  They have been highly praised for their diverse activities, including performing at the 64th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen and being the first rock band to win the Best Music Award at the 39th Japan Academy Awards.

  Furthermore, his progressive approach to "what it means to be a musician" has always attracted attention, and in recent years he has collaborated with creators from various fields, launching "NF," an event that combines music and various cultures, in 2015.

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  AKUFEN

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  AKUFEN

  There are not many artists who manage to define a particular era in music, and there are even fewer who know how to evolve beyond such achievements and find other creative paths down which to travel.

  Marc Leclair, best known as Akufen, loved Horror Inc. and also known as Anna Kaufen or Stowaway, is clearly a man of many monikers as RA founding editor Todd L Burns remarked in their early exchange (EX.038). To put this in other words, Leclair is a wide-reaching producer, DJ, and live artist capable of expressing genuinely different parts of his creative identity and he so edges out spaces for styles that bounce off the cornerstones of minimal house and experimental techno with rarer trips into areas that turn out off-beat for most parts. Also a trained visual artist, Marc considers collage a guiding principle in much of his creative life and his cut-and-paste technique is most notably perhaps in his Akufen productions.

  When asked what Akufen is to him, Marc says it is his lab and where he worked on what has become known as micro sampling since the first Akufen LP came out on Force Inc in 2002. My Way assembled over 2,000 sound-bits from radio programs that he had cut up into minute pieces and rearranged to sketches of groove glued together by funky rhythms strung along the 4/4. The release turn Akufen into one of the more visible creators of micro-house in an instant, with the likes of The Wire and the BBC taking note, listing My Way among the best albums of the decade more than once.

  More underground circles had heard of Akufen sooner of course by way of his releases on the then acute German labels such as Background and Trapez, not to forget the Quebec Nightclub double-pack on Perlon (24). Only all-Canadian imprints like Eric Mattson's Oral and Jeff Milligan's Revolver or Hautec had recognised their own even earlier and so by the time Force Inc. issued the seminal LP, Akufen was well and truly on the radar and a tongue-in-cheek representative of minimal house and techno, lightly stepping from Canada into Europe and back again.

  Despite his decisive deconstructions, Marc says he relies on spontaneity as his first creative impulse from which more meticulous work follows on. MC Escher and his mathematical graphics yet realistically impossible ingenuity have had an influence on his thinking while musically Reich and Glass must be noted and of course, what came out of Michigan (Detroit) and Europe at the time, says Marc. For him to integrate these influences, Montréal's Mutek festival would become instrumental, and the appearance of Akufen coincided with the first edition in 2000. The event builds bridges to this day and early on framed a scene of local and international artists converging on Montréal and delivering performances such as the formative debut of Narod Niki at Mutek in 2003. Masterminded by Ricardo Villalobos the laptop supergroup used the then relatively new Ableton Live software to network their live jam. Gathered on stage were Akufen alongside Richie Hawtin, Robert Henke, Dimbiman, Dandy Jack, Cabanne, Luciano, and Dan Bell, all flanking Villalobos to co-create what music journalist Philip Sherburne had tried to pin down as a new genre before, but not after describing Akufen's 2002 live turn ing out as total booty-shaking microhouse.

  Mutek was founded in 1999 to advance electronic music and the digital arts and has been inspiring Canada's most outgoing scene ever since. The Musique Risquée label was founded by Vincent Lemieux and Akufen in 2003, and has since built a collective comprising Scott Monteith aka Deadbeat and Stephen Beaupré, summing up the local interconnectedness of the time.

  And it was on Risquée that Akufen resurfaced in 2012 after having taken a step back from touring extensively and feeling his creativity being compressed by the publicity that had surrounded Akufen from the start.
  Leclair's musical retreat took the form of Horror Inc., an alias he describes as one of his most personal and a way to show a quieter and cinematic if not darker side that would resonate in both North America and Europe. Like Perlon co-founder Zip, these productions are dealing in longevity, and Marc's first release as Horror Inc. on Perlon in 2004 opened with a track called The Vanishing, and indeed the Berlin imprint would not hear of him again until signing Briefly Eternal in 2013. Only the 2010 Aurore EP on Mike Shannon's Haunt label preceded the album and was marked by more upbeat rhythms without losing any of the eerie quality of Horror Inc. productions that Leclair links to a type of dead-angle horror where you know something is coming, but you do not know what or where from.
  Still while embedded in the scene, the years following 2004 must be considered comparably quiet. (Do check out the broken-up blues on Blu Tribunl or the playful Who Cares as Anna Kaufen as well as the recent Akufen EPs on Karat and Telharmonic Textures though, plus his remixes for Massive Attack, Yello, Cabaret Voltaire, Thomas Dolby, Richie Hawtin and Craig David, just to name a few.)

  Also, unlike other Canadian artists, Marc did not join the exodus to Berlin at the beginning of mid-2000. He stayed in Montréal and continues his work there, often with Mutek that consider Akufen the early success story of their networking which reaches beyond Europe and North and South America and as far as Japan or Dubai today. The festival's home edition turn twenty in 2019, the same as Akufen and hence they decided to sync the release of the upcoming Akufen LP with Mutek 20 in Montréal this year.
  Since Marc Leclair joined the Toi.Toi.Agency in 2017 he has appeared both as Akufen as well as Horror Inc. (live) playing at European outlets such as fabric London, Houghton Festival (UK), Funkhaus Berlin, Concrete in Paris, or Robert Johnson (DE) as well as in North America and the rest of the world.

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  BATHS

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  BATHS

  For as long as Will Wiesenfeld has been Baths, he's been trafficking in perfect—or, more often and more interestingly—near-perfect pieces of pop. A classically trained singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Will first emerged with his Baths moniker in 2009, after a stint as [Post-Foetus] and the birth of another, still-active project known as Geotic.

  His music, which merged the glitchy, punishing gloom of L.A.'s beat scene with sunnier melodies and vocals that often drifted into falsetto, was an instant sensation. As comforting as it was experimental, it was a warm blanket made from the rarest linens. Publications like Pitchfork heaped praise on his debut album, 2010's Cerulean, which codified the sound; Obsidian, which followed three years later, in part chronicled Wiesenfeld's recovery from a ghastly illness, and was even more well-received.

  His 2017-release, Romaplasm, exists in the emotional crevices that are left unexplored in polite company or at stilted cocktail parties. Less outwardly grim than the darker half of Obsidian—but twice as bittersweet—this LP reimagines approachable pop songs as pieces of scaffolding that can be lived in, expanded and retracted, or torn down entirely.

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  THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA

  Formed in London by Jason Swinscoe.
  They released their debut album, "Motion," in 1999, attracting attention for its jazzy sound, which was full of homage to John Coltrane and Miles Davis, and then introduced a full-fledged orchestral sound to their second album, "Every Day," in 2002.
  The album also features legendary soul singer Fontella Bass, and expands the band's musical horizons by fusing a variety of musical styles including jazz, classical, hip hop, and electronica.
  Then, in 2007, for "MaFleur," he invited various guest vocalists to create a dramatic world that was like a movie.
  The song "To Build A Home" has not only been used in movies and TV commercials around the world, but has also recently become known as a new staple in figure skating.
  In 2019, after 12 years, the new album "To Believe" was finally completed, and in April they successfully completed their first hall concert tour.

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  DAN

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  DAN

  The band began activities in 2014 with three members: Sakuragi Daigo (Gt, Vo, Syn), Ichikawa Jinya (Ba), and Kawakami Teru (Dr).
  A new generation that strives to absorb the musical attitudes and sophisticated sounds of various artists, pursuing a timeless Japanese minimal mellow club sound.
  In July 2015, he released his debut EP.
  In April 2016, they released their long-awaited first album "DAN", which was selected as a prize winner in the CD Shop Awards 2017.
  In July, they appeared at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '16 for the second consecutive year.
  In the same year, "Zidane" was used as the background music for the official FUJI ROCK aftermovie.
  In February 2017, she appeared as an OA at James Blake's Japan tour.
  In April, they released the mini-album "TEMPEST".
  In November, they will perform their first overseas concert in London, during which they will be creating work at Floating Points studio.
  They appeared on Gilles Peterson's local radio show, Worldwide FM, and performed a live show in the studio.
  In February 2018, they hosted the Tokyo concert of UK band The xx.
  In May, they embarked on a UK tour and appeared at "THE GREAT ESCAPE'18".
  In July, they released their second album "Sonatine" and appeared at FUJI ROCK FES '18.
  From September to December, the release tour will include 17 shows in Asia (4 cities in China, Taiwan, Bangkok, Hong Kong) and 9 cities in Japan.
  Their irregularly organized independent event, Timeless, has previously invited overseas artists such as Mndsgn from LA and Jamie Isaac from the UK.

  DAN website ｜http://dan-music.com/

  DAN was formed in Tokyo in the summer of 2014.
  Their unique and thoroughly modern sound, sitting somewhere between the minimal alt-pop of The xx and the live dance music dynamic of Caribou, has won them fans throughout their home country, and an appearance at the prestigious Fuji Rock Festival in 2016 & 2018 has been swiftly followed by the band opening for international artists including The xx, James Blake and Floating Points in Japan.
  The band's self-organized event, "Timeless", has seen them invite and play alongside acts such as Mndsgn (LA) and Jamie Isaac (UK) in Tokyo, whilst in late 2017 DAN
  took off to London, where they spent some time recording with Floating Points at his personal studio, appeared on Giles Peterson's Worldwide Radio and performed at the legendary Hackney hipster haunt The Shacklewell Arms.
  In May 2018, they appeared at The Great Escape in Brighton, UK, winning enthusiastic new fans from around the world.
  The band's latest full-length album "Sonatine" was released in July 2018, followed by an Asian tour through China, Taiwan, Bangkok and an appearance at the Hong Kong “Clockenflap” festival.
  With influences ranging from underground house and techno through to psychedelic and African music, the three piece are equally at home in the club as they are on a festival stage, and are being widely touted as the most exciting prospect to emerge from the Tokyo scene in many years.

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  FLOATING POINTS(DJ)

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  FLOATING POINTS(DJ)

  Manchester born, London based 24 year old producer/dj/composer Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points has quickly become one of the most respected and sought-after musicians in modern music. Debuting in February 2009 with the limited 7 inch 'For You/Radiality' (Eglo records) he has gone on to establish himself as one of the forerunners of today's new dance music movement, earning the respect of his peers and contemporaries such as Theo Parrish, Kyle Hall, Benji B, Ramadanman, Four Tet, Kode 9 and Mary Anne Hobbs. His released music predominantly on Eglo records (which he runs alongside Rinse FM's Alexander Nut), as well as Planet Mu, R2, Ninja Tune and notching up remixes and features for the likes of Domino, Ubiquity, XL, Fabric and Rinse.

  The name Floating Points holds just a lot of weight within the DJ world as it does in production, song writing and arrangement. In a short space of time Shepherd has won over crowds around the world with his strictly vinyl club sessions, spanning house, techno, soul and disco, steadily climbing the ranks of the globe's most impressive DJ's, fuelling an indulgent record habit that regularly leads him on trips to both Chicago and Detroit.

  Outside of his studio based productions and crate-breaking DJ sets, Shepherd makes use of his classical music training, writing, composing and arranging for the Floating Points Ensemble. The 16 piece group, led by Shepherd, recently won the 'Best Maida Vale Session' gong at Gilles Peterson's 'Worldwide Awards'. With big plans for 2011 the future is looking bright for Floating Points. When not writing, recording or playing music Sam Shepherd can be found in the laboratories of UCL, where is currently studying a PHD in 'The Neuroscience Of Pain'.

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  The fin.

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  The fin.

  A rock band from Kobe.
  Their soundscape, which ranges from 80s and 90s synth pop and shoegaze sounds to real-time influences from US indie pop and chillwave, has become a hot topic online, with inquiries flooding in not only from Japan but also from overseas.
  They have become a central figure among the new generation of bands, having supported tours by The Last Shadow Puppets, Phoenix, MEW, CIRCA WAVES, and performed at major domestic festivals such as FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL and SUMMER SONIC, as well as SXSW in the United States, The Great Escape in the UK, La Magnifique Society in France, and Strawberry Festival in China, and have also successfully completed headlining tours in the US, UK, and Asia.

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  GOCOO

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  GOCOO

  They made their debut in 1997 at Rainbow2000, a pioneering large-scale outdoor festival in Japan.

  The band has been together for over 20 years, and the unique groove and musicality that the members have developed over time has opened up new horizons for Wadaiko.

  With the power of the Taiko drum, the original dance music and trance music, all thoughts and prayers are turned into sound, and the live performance proclaims that we should all work together to build a pillar of sound, leading to a primitive festival.

  Since 2003, they have been holding overseas tours for one to two months every year.
  They create music that connects people across national and musical boundaries using the Japanese roots music of the Taiko drum, and have performed at festivals in a variety of genres, including rock, jazz, reggae, and roots music.
  Over the past 15 years, they have performed live 241 times (as of June 2019) in a total of 39 countries across the EU, Latin America, Oceania, and Africa.

  In addition, leader KAOLY continues to convey her unique performance style, spirituality, and physical sensations through taiko drumming to taiko groups in the EU, America, and around the world.

  Appeared in the 2015/2016 "SAKANACTION Arena Tour" and other events
  Appeared at "Yuzu Tokyo Dome Concert" in 2016
  Appeared in Shochiku film "Laughing Under the Clouds" released on March 21, 2018.
  The opening song was also co-produced with SAKANACTION.

  GOCOO WEBSITE: www.gocoo.tv

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  KUNIYUKI TAKAHASHI

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  KUNIYUKI TAKAHASHI
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  Taylor McFerrin

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  Taylor McFerrin

  Taylor McFerrin is the somewhat elusive Multi-intsrumentalist Producer responsible for the Cult Classic "Broken Vibes EP" and the Widely Acclaimed Brainfeeder Released LP "Early Riser". His music is known for pushing the boundaries of Soul, Electronic and Hip-Hop production using his unique collection of Vintage Synths, Drums Machines and Psychedelic Effects. In the past few years he has collaborated with musical giants such as Hiatus Kaiyote, Robert Glasper, Thundercat, and Anderson .Paak. But in 2019 he looks to expand his range as he takes on the lead vocalist role for his upcoming Full Length Album titled "Love's Last Chance". As he describes it: "This Album represents what I've always been building towards...I knew the final piece to the puzzle would be for me to start singing. Now it finally feels like i can share a fully realized version of my of the Music in My Mind"

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  WASHED OUT

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  WASHED OUT
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  ICHIRO YAMAGUCHI + B2B(DJ)

  ARTIST PROFILE

  

  ICHIRO YAMAGUCHI + B2B(DJ)

  The group began its activities as "SAKANACTION" in 2005 and made its major debut in 2007.
  NF was launched in 2015.

  This time, NF founder ICHIRO YAMAGUCHI and Team NF will be performing Back to Back.

  ICHIRO YAMAGUCHI
  Instagram
  @ichiroyamaguchi

  Twitter
  @SAKANAICHIRO

  NF
  Instagram
  @sakanaction_nf

  Twitter
  @NIGHTFISHING_NF