Fujirockers: The official fansite of the Fuji Rock Festival

SAVAGES PUT ALL THEIR COLOR IN THEIR MUSIC

The four women who make up Savages don’t seem to be all that concerned with the music the rest of the world is churning out. While their peers are increasingly adding electronic flourishes to their productions — a sample here, an effect or two hundred there (we’re looking suspiciously at you, My Bloody Valentine) — Savages appear content to be sticking to a sound that worked just as well in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Comparisons have been made with Joy Division, Wire and even U2, and a quick listen to songs from their debut album, “Silence Yourself,” offers several points of similarity: the driving basslines, the soaring guitars, the rollicking tom toms (with extra cymbals thrown in for extra measure) and intense vocals that demand your full attention.

Vocalist Jehnny Beth (born Camille Bethomier) has even been likened to Joy Division’s iconic frontman, Ian Curtis, but I suspect that has more to do with the occasional military-style march she breaks into when consumed in the delivery of the song in a live setting than any serious analysis on their vocal characteristics. For one, she certainly offers far more range than Curtis ever had. In “Husbands,” the B-side of the band’s very first single, she impatiently whispers “husbands” over and over again in the chorus as the instruments growl with increasingly ferocity in the background. And in proper punk fashion Beth’s lyrics are arguably far more political in nature than anything Curtis wrote, covering in-your-face social issues that confront the youth of today. “If you tell me to shut up, I would tell you to shut up,” she sings in — you guessed it — “Shut Up,” commenting on the growing confidence of a younger generation with nothing to lose. In bassist Ayse Hassan we’ve finally found a worthy heir to Kim Deal of the Pixies, and the thundering basslines she delivers add a solid depth to the band’s overall sound that might otherwise be lacking. Guitarist Gemma Thompson creates ethereal notes with a heavy dose of reverb that haven’t been heard in perhaps two decades, while drummer Fay Milton keeps everything in sync with a deft use of tom toms that is intermittently shattered by repeated crashes of a cymbal. Milton essentially carries the chorus of “She Will” on her own as she dead-smashes a cymbal with the brutal intensity of someone being punched in the face — at least until Hassan’s bass kicks in. Continue Reading…

Chaz Bundick, aka Toro Y Moi, is likely to be wearing the roundest pair of glasses at Fuji Rock this year.

Chillwave has increasingly grown in stature ever since its unofficial inception in the summer of 2009, so much so that four years later you would think that any self-respecting young indies artist would be as pleased as punch to be listed among the genre’s pioneers. Not Chaz Bundick.

“I’m pretty neutral about the term chillwave,” Bundick told Rolling Stone magazine in 2012. “It’s flattering, but I can’t really relate to it.”

Two years earlier, the South Carolina-born musician was arguably even more dismissive.

“All that stuff is really good music, like Ernest Green (from Washed Out) and Neon Indian,” he said in an interview with the website At the Sinema. “I’m a big fan of all of that, but I think (chillwave) was just a small little period where we all were, coincidentally.”

Indeed Bundick, who releases material under the moniker Toro Y Moi, appears fairly reluctant to place labels on any of his productions. And his latest album, “Anything in Return,” offers perhaps a stunning illustration of why.

Continue Reading…

SMASH MUST'VE PULLED A FEW STRINGS TO GET PUNK OUTFIT YELLOWCARD ON THE BILL

Smash has just revealed another 19 acts that will be playing at this summer’s Fuji Rock Festival.

Fresh from taking home the best album award at this year’s Grammys, English folk rock outfit Mumford & Sons will be joining the lineup alongside a pioneering female folk artist from days gone by in the form of Suzanne Vega. Sure we all know “Luka” (a hidden karaoke gem, if you ever come across it), but the eclectic singer/songwriter is far from a one-hit wonder – as FRF ‘13 is sure to confirm. As far as other highlights are concerned, Kendrick Lamar has been compared to older hip-hop statesmen such as Tupac, Eminem, Nas and Jay-Z, and is sure to add a large dollop of dope to the festival that was perhaps absent last year, while quirky ’70s New Wave pop pioneers Sparks look set to confuse at least a dozen drunk music fans with manic offerings such as this. Meanwhile, the Canadians appear to have finally decided that it’s time to get in on the act and have sent singer/songwriters Ron Sexsmith and Daniel Lanois across the Pacific to represent the homeland. If nothing else, one gets the feeling that FRF audiences could possible be a little more well-mannered this year. Japanese music fans will be pleased to hear that ’50s rock-influenced The Bawdies, ska outfit Kemuri and singer/songwriter Tamio Okuda have also been added to the lineup, while American pop punk outfit Yellowcard brings a little edge – and a violin – to the new proceedings. Continue Reading…

FACTORY FLOOR DRUMMER GABRIEL GURNSEY NEEDED NO INVITATION TO PLAY LOUD

It’s really hard to talk to people about Fuji Rock this year without spitting out superlatives about the weather. Nevertheless, I do suspect the 2012 edition of Fuji Rock will ultimately go down in history as one of the festival’s best, not necessarily because the lineup was phenomenal but because the crystal-clear blue skies allowed crowds to kick back and enjoy the performances without having a great big cloud constantly hanging over their head.

Personally, however, the one enduring memory that I will take away from Fuji Rock 2012 is the amazing people I met along the way. It’s one of the things I enjoyed most about covering the festival for the blog and it was great to be able to meet such a diverse cross-section of society: kids, football fans, woodchuckers, barflies, Noel Gallagher fans and even a cheese wedge.

Turning to the music, it was probably the surprises that stood out this year. The Stones Roses’ walk down memory lane didn’t sound nearly as bad as it could have, while Radiohead delivered an intense performance to close the festival on Sunday that refused to dwell in the past.

In my humble opinion, though, the following five performances stood head and shoulders above the rest: Continue Reading…

DID SOMEONE SAY FONDUE?

The mystery of the cheese deepens. The bright yellow wedge was spotted earlier Sunday afternoon being marched through the Field of Heaven by two rodents towards a fate that to date remains uncertain. Anyone able to provide any more details?

DE DE MOUSE IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS DRUMROLLS TOGETHER

DE DE MOUSE + Drumrolls are a great way to end a party.

Like a puppet master constantly pulling at the strings, DE DE MOUSE (aka Daisuke Endo) mixes his seemingly endless catalogue of electronic arrangements with genres such as acid house, amen break, soul and hip-hop to create an energetic form of breakcore on his computer that doesn’t ever sound like it’s gonna stop. Throw another two live drummers into the equation, positioned facing each other on stage in order to heighten the tension, and you have yourself a performance that is sure to get those weary feet moving one last time.

The drummers, who play together as Drumrolls, worked their way solidly through three or four ligament-wrenching live techno tracks before even stopping to take a break. The sizeable crowd at the Red Marquee verbalized their applause when the driving kick drum finally fell quiet for a spell, but I suspect they were equally relieved to finally have a chance to catch their breath. Did I ever notice the switches? Probably. But they were peanut butter smooth, aided by Endo’s original keyboard ear candy.

From what I observed at the Red Marquee on the final night of Fuji Rock 2012, I believe I have come up with a brand new theory in life: You simply can’t have too many full drum kits at a party. After tonight’s gig, it’s an innovative idea that may indeed be worth exploring further…

Photo by 古川喜隆  For more photos, go here.

THOM YORKE & CO. DELIVERED LITTLE BY LITTLE

The Radiohead that closed Fuji Rock on the Green Stage this year was probably not the Radiohead that most fans came to see. There were no extended sing-alongs to “The Bends”-era anthems such as “Fake Plastic Trees” or “Street Spirit (Fade Out),” and I could probably count the number of lighters that were held up during the entire two-hour set on a few dozen hands. Instead, Thom Yorke & Co. produced a performance that was arguably more intelligent than the one they delivered at Bonnaroo in June, shunning their older material in favor of a set list that was stacked with highly technical arrangements from their last two albums.

Opening the show with “Lotus Flower,” the outfit from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, delivered a version of the first single from “The King of Limbs” that was ultra-heavy on the electronics, and featured a hitherto unheard keyboard section that struck me right between the eyes. It was a beginning that brought with it an extra large dollop of expectation… Continue Reading…

YAEL NAIM PROVED SHARING IS CARING AT THE ORANGE COURT

I sometimes wonder where the Fuji Rock organizers find some of the acts on the bill. But that’s one of the intricacies that make this music festival so interesting: there’s quite literally something for everyone.

Born in Paris in 1978, Yael Naim is a French-Israeli singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the US after her single “New Soul” was used by Apple in an advertising campaign for its new MacBook Air. Her style mixes traditional folk melodies with a touch of jazz, leading audiences through her lifetime experiences via lyrics even she describes as deeply personal. Seeing her tear up at the conclusion of her first song of the afternoon was a handy reminder that there are still plenty of musicians left in this world who are producing material they feel deeply connected to. Continue Reading…

A 100% SOLARS OFFERED DIFFERENT STROKES BY DIFFERENT FOLKS

A 100% Solars filled out the entire Field of Heaven on Sunday afternoon, something I thought would actually be quite difficult to achieve.

It was a predominantly Japanese audience, so if your idea of a music festival is standing in a huge crowd and clapping with your hands in the air alongside a few thousand others, A 100% Solars would be right up your alley.

Japanese crowds also like pointing towards the sky, something that happened with regularity throughout the one-hour set.

A 100% Solars is the brainchild of Taiji Sato, who decided to try to live in a 100% solar Budokan after many of his friends left Japan after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year. The set featured a seemingly endless stream of famous Japanese guest performers covering a variety of musical genres, anything from J-rock folk anthems to reggae/jazz versions of Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You.” Continue Reading…

KEEP COOL TILL AFTER SCHOOL

I popped into Kidsland on the way to the White Stage earlier today in order to get a taste of what it would be like to come to Fuji Rock as an energetic seven year old. I was lucky enough to meet Gifu-based Toshiyaki and Nobue, who were more than happy to corral their kids together to answer a few tough questions about the festival I had up my sleeve. When asked what they liked about the festival, 9-year-old Nanaho managed to rattle off two answers: the river and the rope walk that forms part of the Tarzan Challenge. Her younger brother Kansuke, 7, and sister Shiori, 5, both looked at the dirt at their feet, and nodded their head once in agreement. It is the kids’ first time at the festival, although Toshiyaki made his first appearance 12 years ago. When asked to describe Fuji Rock in one word, the young trio answered in chorus without hesitation: 楽し! (Fun!)

YOUTH GONE MILD

Cambridge-based quartet alt-J were definitely the youngest looking non-Japanese band I’ve seen to date at Fuji Rock. Indeed, next to Buddy Guy they looked positively infantile. But the performance they delivered at the Red Marquee on Sunday afternoon well and truly belied their youthful appearance.

It was a thoroughly poised performance featuring swirling harmonics, intelligent keyboard patterns and skittering drum beats that sound almost dubstep-tinged. Some have gone as far as to dub alt-J’s sound “folk-step,” and yet I for one think this underestimates the musicianship required to create this sound. Joe Newman’s lead vocals hold each song together, acting as the glue that pulls everything together from their peripheries. Continue Reading…

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

With wallets thinning after three days at Fuji Rock, most of us will be keeping one eye open for alcohol deals that offer plenty of value for money as the party winds down this evening. Located near the entrance to the back of the Red Marquee near the Naeba Shokudo stage, the Summer Cocktail Bar charges the same rate as almost everyone else for a beverage at Fuji Rock: ¥500 for a Zanpa (Okinawa shochu). That in of itself is not surprising. What is surprising is the serving size: a full glass. Knock yourselves out…

SPOKEN WORD HAS NEVER SOUNDED SUCH FUN

Fuji Rock seems to be a touch short of prominent frontmen so far this year (disclaimer: Neither Fucked Up or Jack White had played at the time of writing this review). Seun Kuti lead the Egypt 80 with gusto on Saturday afternoon but ruled over his musical dominion with a certain statesman-like quality that is tough to compare.

So it was refreshing to see Anthony Joseph marching around the stage at the Orange Court on Saturday evening, leading a spritely crowd through his Afro-Caribbean funk numbers with aplomb. In short, he owned the stage.

The grooves created by The Spasm Band were infectious to say the least, referencing free jazz, Calypso, rock and the spiritual Baptist rhythms that Joseph grew up amongst during his childhood in Trinidad. It was the kind of performance that works especially well at Fuji Rock, with the frontman riding on the coattails of an unrelenting bassline from Andrew John with eye-popping solo interludes from Colin Webster on the sax and Christian Arcucci on guitar. Continue Reading…

FAT BOYS NOT SLIM

This is not so much a recommendation from the festival about something that you should try. Rather, it’s something you should try at your peril. It’s fatty, it’s oily, it’s fatty (did I mention that?) and it basically tastes like pork on a stick. If nothing else, at least you can be sure of getting what you pay for. It’s also 500 yen, which is definitely more than you would really want to be paying. But it’s also very, very good – especially as an unhealthy snack for the walk home at three o’clock in the morning. Available while stocks last in the food court surrounding Naeba Shokudo stage…

PUTTING ASIDE TRADITIONAL FOOTBALL RIVALRIES

One of the last things you expect to see at Fuji Rock are football fans. But that’s precisely who gathered around the Naeba Shokudo stage at one o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Mistaking me for a fellow Urawa Reds’ fan (hint: it’s the glasses), this midfield partnership cornered me and invited me to join them in out-shouting opposition fans. On the other side were fans from FC Tokyo, Kawasaki Frontale and even a fan from Leicester City, who obliged me by joining the guys for a photo to show that Fuji Rock can even overcome long-standing football rivalries.

"I'M TAKING YOU FOR A WALK"

I’m still flabbergasted that Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds was free of other commitments on Saturday night to take the Green Stage headline spot that had been left unannounced for so long.

As such, I decided that instead of me telling you exactly how the former Oasis guitarist sounded during his set, it might be a tad more impartial to let the Mancunian speak for himself.

These are the comments he made to the crowd that I jotted down in my notebook during Gallagher’s one-and-a-half hour set:

• “Will you marry me? (confirming a question from a woman in the crowd) I’m already married. Gee, I love this place. (Something something something) second wife.”
• “I’m taking you for a walk.”
• “What a weird cult.”
• “Would you like a tasty beverage to wash that down?”
• “How do you live here with these ****** bugs?”
  
• “It might be the only time I get to play with you (Speaking to someone offstage). No, he’s ****** off. My own brother.” Continue Reading…

LIGHT RAIN DID INDEED DUST THE FESTIVAL AFTER KUGATSU HAS COME'S SET

Kugatsu Has Come (September Has Come) featured an impish woman who delivered haunting folk vocals to a decent crowd at the Mokudo Tei Stage, located along the boardwalk between the White Stage and the Field of Heaven. MONO and the Holy Ground Orchestra could be heard wafting through the leafy foliage in the distance, adding a surreal atmospheric touch to the mid-afternoon performance amongst the trees.

Kugatsu Has Come’s vocals were soft, never strained. Think songs for church, only backed up with some of the purest folk guitar you’ve probably ever heard. She held the attention of the watching crowd perfectly, allowing notes to hang in the air for what seemed like eternity before continuing with the song as if nothing had ever changed. Continue Reading…

NIGHTMARE DREAM POP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON?

Purity Ring probably has to be one of the unluckiest outfits to appear at Fuji Rock this year. First, there is the question of timing: two o’clock in the Red Marquee on a roasting hot Saturday afternoon and playing at the same time as the illustrious Seun Kuti next door? Ouch, that has to hurt.

Second, the location. The idiosyncrasies of the Red Marquee can really make or break the fundamental sound behind any given electronic outfit, and even traditional four-piece guitar bands are not completely free of its wrath. But the Red Marquee at that time of day offered the worst possible acoustics in which to hear the haunted electronic duo at their finest.

Starting the set off with “Cartography,” the duo’s darkest tune by far, the thundering bassline rippled through the audience in waves and offered a hint at what we could expect to hear if we were sitting in a smaller, more intimate environment. It was perhaps the best of what they reproduced from their debut album, “Shrines” (recently released on 4AD), which not surprisingly pretty much covered the entire set. Continue Reading…

FIEND OR FOE?

Warp Records is one of those labels you can generally trust like an old pair of shoes: you can almost choose something from the catalogue blindfolded and still end up with something that you’d be happy with.

So I was pleased to see that indie/space rock outfit My Best Fiend had been included on the bill at Fuji Rock this year, it being one of Warp’s newest additions and a rare guitar signing at that. What pained me somewhat later was when I realized the five-piece from Brooklyn were playing in the Red Marquee at 11:30 on Saturday morning. The pain intensified upon arriving home in the early hours of Saturday morning from the night before.

Walking out onto the stage for the first time, the band looked as if they’d been dealt a similarly harsh deal. Frontman Frederick Coldwell and keyboardist Paul Jenkins were the only two who weren’t sporting dark sunglasses, and even they looked like they needed them.

If this leaves a bad impression it shouldn’t: They looked 100 times better than the dozens still slumped in chairs scattered around the Red Marquee floor.

And if the five of them looked in any way dishevelled, it certainly wasn’t reflected in their performance. Featuring predominantly songs from their Warp debut, “In Ghostlike Fading,” the guys ripped through their set in next to nothing. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun. Continue Reading…

NOT THE USUAL TYPE OF PICNIC YOU'D BE FAMILIAR WITH

I swear that The Field’s one-hour Red Marquee set on Friday night comprised of no more than three songs. Axel Willner was smoking as he came out on stage and continued to smoke for the entire duration of the set. That wasn’t altogether surprising.

What was surprising was that Willner & Co. ended the set with a 30-minute-plus version of “Everday,” slowly bringing the samples back to the fore just when you thought it was all over. The distant drones and swirling synths kept edging their way back into the mix with ominous regularity until Willner finally decided to take his foot off the throttle and give his exhausted audience a chance to take a breather. Until then, it had been a non-stop dance-a-thon.

What was also surprising was that Willner strapped on the bass about halfway through the track, slowly winding it down until he eventually played the very last note. Maybe he pulls this stunt at every shindig? Whatever the frequency, it certainly made for a nifty party trick. Continue Reading…

CLOCKING IN AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THE FACTORY FLOOR

Factory Floor definitely sounded best at 20 paces. The abrasive London-based post-industrial trio kicked off their 45-minute debut set at the Red Marquee on Friday night with “Two Different Ways,” their breakout single on DFA. Designed primarily as a danceable tune to begin with, it wasn’t a surprise to see the crowd get their knees up close to their chests from the get-go. One would think the trio would find it difficult to maintain the same intensity throughout their set but Gabriel Gurnsey, Dom Butler and Nik Void had no real problems in this regard and seemed to move from track to track almost effortlessly. In fact, the only real surprise was that Butler decided to don a blue Tee as opposed to the white tops he used to wear when playing the trio’s older material.

In terms of delivery, Factory Floor certainly didn’t disappoint. “What You Know” and “Wooden Box” were thrust upon the sizeable crowd with the same brutal intensity that fans have come to expect from this outfit. But the trio didn’t simply churn out the hits as we’ve all seen them on YouTube. Butler threw countless hitherto unheard samples into the mix that had the crowd baying for more. Continue Reading…

ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER

I popped into the NGO Village near the Gypsy Avalon Stage expecting to get more fistfuls of promotional material thrust into my hands than one can normally expect to receive upon walking out of Shibuya Station on any given Saturday afternoon. Instead, I encountered a large gaggle of workers helping festival-goers to make free handmade products, including a stall that allows visitors to make a Fuji Rock coaster from an old tree trunk completely from scratch. Visitors are encouraged to complete every step in the process. In fact, I’m pretty sure there is no other option. First, they saw a round chunk of wood from a log. This takes extra effort under a scorching hot sun. They then sandpaper both sides of the wood clipping they’ve just cut before branding the Fuji Rock logo on it with an iron-hot – you guessed it – iron. If you’re Japanese isn’t super hot, Chigusa-san is often available to offer a few instructions. Pictured here is Miyuki-san, who appears to be pleased as punch with her effort. Sterling work I must say, all the more so given she had a camera following her every step of the way. More pictures after the jump… Continue Reading…

THREE PEAS IN A POD

I woke up on Friday morning for my first day proper at Fuji Rock to find the sun piercing the curtains with ease. That settled it: I needed a hat.

On the advice of one of my colleagues (who I have since learnt has posted a similar piece), I sought out an Englishman down by the river near the White Stage who was believed to be selling hats for as little as JPY500. What’s more, I was told, he barely had any left.

This would not surprise regular festival-goers who will be more than familiar with John, who has been coming to Fuji Rock without fail for 14 years. Indeed, he even misses the Carnival back in Santiago where he lives to make an annual appearance. Continue Reading…

ERNEST RAGLIN IS STILL GOING STRONG AT 80 YEARS OLD, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS

Summer was made for times like these: Fuji Rock, the Field of Heaven, sunset, Vikings, Ernest Ranglin.

Yes, you heard me right. A herd of Vikings were indeed huddled in a bunch at the front of the stage where arguably reggae’s most influential figure was performing a long-overdue set. They didn’t stay till the end (they along with a number of other people drifted off before the legendary roots/reggae guitarist finished his set), but they certainly would have heard enough to leave knowing that they’d just heard one of music’s all-time greats.

Born in June 1932, Ranglin is perhaps best known for his session work at the famed Studio One, giving birth to the genre we now all know as ska in the late ’50s. He is credited with the invention of the core style of guitar play (known as “scratching”) found in nearly all ska music. There was plenty of this on show this evening – and then some. When not picking at the strings in ways I can only begin to imagine, he was creating high-frequency reverb and scratch effects on his guitar that youngsters these days need electronic equipment to replicate. It was indeed a display of craftsmanship, a lesson for us all. Continue Reading…

THIRD COAST KINGS VOCALIST SEAN IKE ADDS THE SOUL TO FUNK

The sun at Fuji Rock was blazing as Third Coast Kings hit the White Stage on Friday afternoon, but this eight-element proper deep funk and soul outfit from Detroit managed to ramp up the temperature even further.

Wearing suits that were much better suited to downtown Detroit in the 1970s than high summer at Naeba, the band wafted through six highly technical funk-by-numbers tunes before a vocalist was even sighted.

During this time, it was a little hard for the crowd to really get into tunes. But we did admire the attire. Bassist Steve Barker easily won the best tie award, sporting a neckpiece comprised of various shades of brown and yellow cream last sighted in wardrobes circa 1976. And while handing out gongs for style, trumpet player Ryan Dolan grabbed the best sunglasses award without too much competition, wearing a pair of shades that looked like it came straight out of “Chips.”

And while on the subject of “Chips,” it’s probably worth noting that many of the opening songs of Third Coast Kings’ set could easily be used as background music in a modern-day remake of the motorbike cop show featuring Jon and Ponch.

And then singer Sean Ike came on stage and, suddenly, the Third Coast Kings were an entirely different band. Continue Reading…