13complex vol.13 on Nov 1st

The 13th 13complex event will be this Sunday. Ooh, two thirteens the day after halloween... Nothing scary at this event though. It will be a great day of quiet original music.

Live musicians:



sheeprint
A quiet delicate pop unit with female vocals.
http://www.myspace.com/sheeprint

Akalcry
Acoustic and electronic trio.
http://www.myspace.com/akalcry

Ware Ware (我々)
Brazilian influenced instrumental pop duo playing classical guitar and bandolim.
http://www.wareware.jp/

Makino Eri
The event organiser, Eri will play her lovely sparse experimental folktronica.
http://www.makinoeri.com/
http://www.myspace.com/erimakino

DJs during the day will be:



DJ Niagara, caolwave, qutti, Mu-tan, DJ craig eee, and tsuma-saki.

Kamishibai artists matocotoshuco will entertain everyone with their paper show.




There will be exhibitions by aion, ham&ex, IOЯI, kaede mira, rib, SAKURAYAMA, 83, シュトーリョー (matocotoshuco), Terajima Daisuke, and more.

It will be held in Jiyugaoka at gallery size #401, a gallery, not a livehouse, so the quiet sounds of the participating artists should suit the space well.
Address: A&D House room #401, Jiyugaoka 2-15-10, Meguro-ku, Tokyo.

For tickets, send your name and the number of tickets required to a.chain.brick.yard@gmail.com
It costs 2000yen which includes a drink and canapes!

It will kick off at 2pm and go until 8pm.

More info:
http://13complex.makinoeri.velvet.jp/

http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/1801

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=158422061198

LITE - Turns Red EP

LITE have gone in a bit of a different direction for their latest release, Turns Red, released on their new label I Want The Moon.

Before, this instrumental math-rock band were all about guitars. Now, it seems they are all about synths. You'll still find their building Mogwai-like songs, but with a bit of Trans Am thrown in.

Turns Red was recorded by J Robbins of Jawbox in Baltimore during LITE's first US tour with Mike Watt and The Missingmen in May 2009.

The cool clear cover was designed by Koonklung Kouputhai aka Klung from B.O.R.E.D. Design. I bought a great B.O.R.E.D. t-shirt when he VJed at Super-Deluxe.

Tracklist:
1. The Sun Sank (video below)
2. Tomato
3. Vermillion



LITE homepage
LITE myspace
Turns Red on Amazon Japan

Upcoming LITE shows:

28 Oct at Club Quattro with tera melos (from US), Adebisi Shank (from Ireland), Overground Acoustic Underground and Natsumen. Details

3 Nov at Alive Kashiwa with lostage, DEEPSLAUTER and WE ARE! Details

23 Nov at ERA with 9dw and rega. Details

24 Nov at ERA with avengers in sci-fi and papier tigre (from France). Details

9 Dec at Chiba Look with VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE and camellia. Details

Girls and boys at Highti

I searched the industrial area along the Arakawa, riding my bike around some rusty buildings stinking of cooking oil until someone finally pointed out the abandoned-looking building Highti was in. No sign, no signs of life. A rickety stairwell lead to a makeshift space on the second floor, lit by a couple of bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. I put my 500yen donation in the cup and bought some 200yen cans of happoshu.



First up was legend of the Tokyo underground scene, Samm Bennett, tonight playing some great bluesy American folk on his amazing instrument called the strumstick.



Samm was joined by his wife Haruna Ito next for SKIST. They played experimental drones, rhythms, harmonies and hums with various toys, fans, unusual instruments, bassdrum, walkie-talkies, strumstick, vocals, loops, effects and bits of plastic.



Two girl-boy duos form Brisbane in Australia played next. The first was Do The Robot, sitting across from each other and singing to each other, her on toy keyboard and sampler, and him on shoegazey guitar. Very sweet indie pop. More gorgeous shoegaze guitars were next with The Rational Academy who usually play as a louder band but were performing tonight as a 2 piece. Delicate vocals and music to make you melt, or dance as Samm's daughter was doing.



Just to throw things way back out there and remind us we were in a semi-ruined building in the middle of nowhere, the incredibly odd ju sei played next. Another male-female duo, they both sang and yelped and made great sweet weird incredibly original pop. Where do they come from?



Hard to find and no beer at the bar, but otherwise Highti was a great underground music and art spot I'm keen to visit again. I'd never been to a place quite like it.