A report from Sendai has arrived by the wandering DJ and navigator ushiro, a familiar face on this blog!
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I went to Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture for work, and after searching to see if there was anywhere I could enjoy some music, I visited DJ BAR Waon, which caught my eye.
The day after the summer solstice, an event titled “FULL MOON NIGHT” was held, featuring STB and Chūkū Suiei as guests.
STB: Satoshi Fujise’s solo project. A track maker who loops guitar over beats.
Chūkū Suiei: DJ/composer/artist/collage/experimental. Based in Kanazawa, Hokuriku, they drive across Japan and cross over genres in a unique, genre-less world.
When I arrived at BAR Waon, the host DJ was in the middle of a set. They played genre-lessly, spanning hip-hop, dance, and tribal. Yet, their selection completely excluded pop, and every single record was played on vinyl.
Speaking of Sendai, the record store STORE15NOV left a lasting impression on me.
The shop specializes in experimental music and industrial, and it also completely lacked pop music.
Perhaps this kind of culture is deeply rooted in Sendai.
In a corner of BAR Waon, records were sold by the box, and among the all-genre selection were records from projects such as Chicago’s Jamal Moss HIEROGLYPHIC BEING.
As a first-time visitor from far-off Kansai, I headed straight for the bar counter to down some drinks and try to fit in.
The staff handed me a laminated menu and even showed me the back, saying, “The menu is also written on the B-side.”
“The B-side”... In this shop, the menu was treated just like a record. I really liked how music permeated the place.
After a few gin and tonics, STB began preparing for their live set.
Then, the guitar amp started making noise.
It sounded like the malfunctioning guitar amp in the live scene from the movie “Blow-Up,” featuring The Yardbirds and Jeff Beck.
(In the movie, an angry Jeff Beck destroys his guitar. STB didn’t go that far, though.)
The manager, or someone who seemed to be the manager, immediately appeared and lightened the mood, saying, “This one’s in a bad mood today,” and smoothly brushed it off. It was hilarious.
The DJ faded out with a reggae track, and STB’s live set began. The way they layered sounds by storing guitar loops in a loop effect system created an ambient techno world reminiscent of German guitar legend Manuel Göttsching. From the second song, they also began playing beats from a sampler, transitioning into dance tracks.
After the nearly hour-long live set, Chūkū Suiei took over the DJ booth. Their selection also completely lacked pop music, and they played using CDs and USB drives. In the middle of the set, more songs featuring grand piano strings were played, gradually leading into Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “/05” and into “Thousand Knives (Piano Cover).” Hearing this song played by a DJ for the first time, I instinctively rushed to the front of the DJ booth.
After “Thousand Knives” played almost in its entirety, it transitioned into EL NINO’s “SAKAMOTO VS FREEZ.” While Shut Up & Dance’s “Green Man” is famous for its sampling of Ryuichi Sakamoto, EL NINO’s version was simple yet stood out for its quality.
After that, the set moved into hip-hop and was drawn into the deep night of Sendai.
On this Sendai night where music and culture blended together, I rediscovered the depth of this city.
