Music

Actor and Muso Dean Fujioka: “We’re All Capable of Lifting Ourselves to Another Level”

The last time TW met actor and musician Dean Fujioka – in 2015 – he…

Ahead of His Tokyo Show, Legendary DJ Ferry Corsten Talks Trance Music, UNITY and Collaboration

Considered one of the pioneers of trance music and its many sub-genres, Ferry Corsten has…

Music Producer Tim Liao: “It’s About Guiding the Details and the Emotion”

To audition for his dream school – Berklee College of Music – Tim Liao drove two hours…

Bars and Melody: Talking Tokyo, Bullying and Music with Britain’s Darlings

It all started in 2013 when 13-year-old Welsh rapper Leondre Devries contacted 15-year-old English singer Charlie Lenehan…

Crossfaith Interview: “We Need to Start Questioning What’s Going On Around Us”

Once described as being like “Slipknot tearing The Prodigy limb from limb,” Crossfaith are an…

5 Best Tokyo Music Venues for Dance, Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop, Electro and More

A music lover’s paradise, Tokyo’s alleyways, basements and arenas offer a mind-boggling array of music…

Guitarist Zane Carney: “Japanese Audiences Allow Me to Be Myself”

The first time American jazz guitarist Zane Carney performed in Japan was with a high…

From Paris to Tokyo to Goa with Love: The Evolution of Andrew Sloman’s New Album

Andrew Sloman was filmed sitting in a vintage Toyota 86 in rural Chiba canoodling with a…

Singer Donna Burke Discovers Her Voice on Eminem’s Latest Album

When Donna Burke listens to Eminem’s new song “Good Guy,” released August 31 on the…

Japanese Hip-Hop Artist Amiide: “I Am Gay, and I Am Open About It”

With the opening lyrics, “Don’t think too much. Let it be. Let it go,” Japanese…

Relying on the Generosity of Strangers: The Life of Touring Bands in Japan

The Melbourne-based six-piece band The Lagerphones return to Japan for their fourth tour and are…

Mastodon Interview: Grammy-Winning Band on Weird Tokyo Experiences and Best Japan Metal Bands

In the music video for Mastodon’s psychedelic rocker “Steambreather” two rapscallions attend a “deep nasal…

A Shut Door: “Japanese Hip-Hop Has Sectioned Itself Off”

In 1983 the film Wild Style introduced hip-hop to a mystified generation of Japanese kids.…

Singer Crystal Kay: “I Had a Quarter-life Crisis Around the Age of 25”

TW interviews the singer on struggling with cultural identity, celebrating two decades in the industry,…

Japanese Funk Band BRADIO on Their First Global Gig and First Major Album

Known for their dynamic shows (which are more like giant parties) and their saucy lyrics,…