Akane Hayashi

At 80, Yoshio Suzuki keeps chasing the possibilities of jazz

The veteran bassist proves that jazz is as much about discovery as it is mastery.

Finding Logic in Chaos: Shinpei Ruike and Japan's Free-Jazz Underground

Interview conducted in Japanese and translated by Akane Hayashi

In Conversation with Monty Alexander: On Jazz, Bob Marley, His New Album and the Importance of Music

Photo by Schorle via Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0)Born in 1944, Monty Alexander is an internationally appreciated jazz pianist known for his soulful message, charismatic playing and integration of Jamaican musical expressions. Throughout his 70-year career, he has been nominated for a Grammy, awarded the Order of Jamaica and become a repeated favourite in Jazz festivals worldwide.

Mythic Soundscapes of Japanese Tradition and Sci-Fi - An Interview with Kuunatic │Yokogao Magazine

The Tokyo trio reimagines ancient sounds and myths into a bold sonic future, half ceremony, half cosmic odyssey.

In Conversation With Coupdekat: On Her Latest EP, Loud LDN, & Gender Equality In The Music Industry

Photo provided courtesy of Holocene ManagementLondon-based multimedia artist Coupdekat has established herself as one of the freshest artists in the UK's alt-pop scene. Her tracks are infectiously dancable from the outset, all of them charged with her signature youthful spirit.Beyond her discography, she is also one of the founders of 'Loud LDN', an all-female and -non-binary music collective based in London.

Gentleman's Dub Club & The Skints: In Conversation With The Co-Headlining Spearheads Of Reggae Today

Photo courtesy of Chuff MediaAlthough Gentleman's Dub Club and The Skints had often been associated with each other from festival circuits and from collaborating together in studios, their recent 2023 co-headline tour marked the first time they were on the road touring together. Their long-awaited double bill was an iconic combination in the Dub and Ska genre.

A Deep Dive into Japan's Underground Noise Scene

Long feature on the history of noise music scene and cultural analysis

Shibari's Stranglehold on the World │Yokogao Magazine

No longer behind closed doors, Shibari— Japanese rope bondage— has captivated a global audience. Widely recognised as a kink activity in the SM world, rope can accommodate all bodies, ages, and intentions, as a tool to fulfill parts of our lives that are suppressed and challenge the roles we want to play in them.

75 Years After Windrush: A Love Letter to the Sounds of Black Britain

Photo by Friedrich Magnussen via Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)On June 22 1948, HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK, bringing around 500 passengers from the Caribbean with it. The term "Windrush Generation" has become symbolic of the Commonwealth citizens who came to settle in post-war Britain between 1948-1973.

The Use of Traditional Japanese Musical Features in Yellow Magic Orchestra

Interdisciplinary essay comparing and contrasting how scholars from two or more disciplines have researched the use of traditional Japanese musical features in Yellow Magic Orchestra. I take into account scholars from music, politics and anthropology to identify how respective fields converse and overlap to allow deepened understanding of YMO’s concept/ intentions, post-war Japanese identity, and cultural exchange.

The Ever-Arresting Diva: Nina Simone

Image from Nationaal Archief This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Dissertation: Should Music Be Separated From Politics

Beyond Beyond: How Vivienne Westwood Responded to Tradition and Gender Politics

Fashion writing on how Vivienne Westwood reimagined the corset in response to her passing away.

Perfect Days: A Delicate Reinvention of the World

Short social media post on Wim Wenders’ Japanese Film

Unrestrained and Unpoliced; The Sukeban Girls of 70s-80s Japan

Short social media post on the Japanese youth subculture

Japan Airlines gives tourists chance to reduce bagage by renting clothes

Carrier embarks on a year-long experiment designed to help reduce CO2 emissions

Can Noise be Considered Music? Japanoise Says Yes

Short social media post on noise music scene

Dulwich Picture Gallery Presents 'Yoshida: Three Generations of Japanese Printmaking'

Japanese woodblock prints have been the water in which artistic imagination has swum, providing sustenance for creativity throughout the 20th Century in Japan and beyond. Amongst the long woodblock tradition, Hiroshi Yoshida and his descendants left an indelible impression on the art form by preserving the tradition and reconciling it with modernity.

Ryuichi Sakamoto's '12': A Subtle, Haunting, and Beautifully Controlled Album

Photo by Joi Ito via Flickr (licensed under CC BY 2.0)Ryuichi Sakamoto has had a long and successful career in music as a composer, musician and recording producer. He first gained fame in the late 70s as a songwriter and keyboardist of the synth-pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra, led by Haruomi Hosono, which was at the forefront of electro-pop movements in Japan.

Public Image Ltd's "End Of World": Sound and Anger Mature Without Mellowing

Photo by Spartacos via Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)"Anger is an energy," John Lydon yells throughout 'Rise', a song about the South African police interrogation techniques that Nelson Mandela had to endure. Those who remember John Lydon as Johnny Rotten, frontman for the era-shifting band Sex Pistols, would never have predicted the development of his music through his band Public Image Ltd (PiL).

Chronic Youth Film Festival Presents Gregg Araki's Nowhere + Discussion on Film Music

Outcast adolescents beneath the underdog take centre stage in Japanese-American director Gregg Araki's youth-oriented films. Notorious for being violent and provocative, his indie films have remained elusive for the past 30 years, but have gained respect underground for heralding the New Queer Cinema movement.

From Jenny Lind to Janelle Monáe; V&A DIVA Exhibition’s Vision of Utopia

Review of V&A’s DIVA Exhibition

Same As It Ever Was, 40 Years On; 'Stop Making Sense' Returns to Cinemas

Cropped cover of the Talking Heads album Talking Heads: 77 Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons Of all the Talking Heads lyrics, the line "Stop Making Sense" from their track 'Girlfriend is Better' stands out for summing up a lot at once, and it's understandable why the band's 1984 concert film was named after this line.

The Most Enduring Communal Piece of Music: Royal Albert Hall Presents Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

An exploration of the political implications (or not) of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

Enjoy or Endure: Exit Strategy at Ochiai Soup

Gig Review of "Test Tone Presents Exit Strategy vol.3" -17 January, Ochiai Soup

50 Years Ago, Kraftwerk Were Early. Today, Their Music Is Still From The Future.

Gig Review of Kraftwerk's "Multimedia Tour" -1 May, SGC Hall Ariake Tokyo