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TOKYOBLU DJS HAVE NO CONCEPT OF THE FILLER TRACK
Turning Japanese
David Pollock talks to the organisers behind Tokyoblu as the live house sessions make a move to Cabaret Voltaire
lthough they‘ve been pounding the lidinburgh scene for the best part of half a decade. gaining a large and faithful following in the process. it's only now that Tokyoblu are starting to gain some of the respect and attention they deserve. 'l‘heir sirnilarly-named live band offshoot — an integral part of the club itself — was chosen to play the T—Break stage at 'l‘ in the Park last year. while this date establishes a new permanent residency in Edinburgh‘s most adventurous club of the moment. ‘(‘ab’s a really hot venue just now.. says Tokyoblu [)J and promoter John Hutchison. ‘It has a great
spread of nights in a similar vein to our own. all of
them aimed at the same crowd. and a high-spec set- up. It‘s the kind of place we‘d go clubbing ourselves. and I do when I get a night off.
‘What really swung it was the new room [(‘ab‘s Speakeasy VIP area]. which brings its capacity close to our old venue ligo. Cabaret Voltaire was actually somewhere we considered when we had to leave the Venue. before we went to iigo. but at the time we didn‘t think it would be big enough for all our regulars.‘
It should be noted that this isn‘t actually the first Tokyoblu proper of the club's (‘abaret Voltaire era (their first monthly date is a Valentine‘s special on Friday l5 February) but rather a (‘ab Allstars New Year benefit for Edinburgh Sick Kids. With DJs from Soul Biscuits. Sugarbeat and more playing in the back room. however. Tokyoblu will have the main room all to themselves. where they‘ll be able to introduce their frantic sound to the club‘s regulars.
30 THE LIST 4—1 7 Jan 2008
‘liverything about 'l‘okyoblu is aimed at getting people dancing.~ says Hutchison. ‘We‘re not standing up there trying to educate them. We play a broad-
minded house set. though there‘ll be a couple of
classics in there. as well as disco and electro influences. You name it. everything from the inception of house. right through to Latin. ('liicago and what’s currently taking the roof off.‘
Speaking from experience. The List can report that llutchison and his I)Jing partner lain (iihson have no concept of the filler track: each song is an anthem and it‘s a wrench to leave the dancelloor at 3am. Yet. the centrepiece of the night is the Tokyoblu band. a seven-piece part-live. part-electronic outfit who have been compared to a ‘Scottish (iroove Armada‘.
‘The band really came into its own in 2007 with a fully settled line-up.~ says Hutchison. ‘We were apparently the first act to play two stages on two different days at T in the Park. ()ur DJ set actually drew bigger crowds to the Bacardi tent than people like liedde Le (Brande and lilectrons. which speaks volumes for our support in (‘entral Scotland. We‘re working on releasing a debut single called ‘(iroove Tonight‘ in March. as well.'
He adds: ‘I just think that when we look back on how well everything came together in 2007. it's hard not to think that things will really start to take off this year.‘ With this date. as you‘ll see and hear. Tokyoblu‘s only gear is ftill speed ahead.
Tokyoblu play a fundraiser for Edinburgh Sick Kids at Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Jan.
Kaput! Kid lwrst (pictured) and the boys always serve up a set of peerless electro rock eclecticisrn at the snug but Jain packed night. [he Ho/d. Glasgow, Sat .5 Jan.
Ultragroove llie house night Joins forces wrth electro and techno types Access and We Are . . . i lectric for an eclectic start to 7008. Cabinet Volta/re, igdi/iburgh, Sat 3’) Jan.
Bumpin’ 8. Stompin’ (Jan you handle the pace as the SoulBoys (and friends) dish out 1'2 hours of the best Ilt Northern Soul and other grooves to get you on the dancefloor. Edinburgh (Jo/loge of Art, Edinburgh, Sun (i ./an.
Return to Mono Ready to get back into the sWing of things? How about an expert house set from London showman Dairiiaii La/arus to kick off 2008? Sub (j/uh, Glasgow, Fri 7 7 Jan.
Inner City Acid Guests Kronos Devrce serve up 'Miarni influenced electro- bass', it says here, which sounds perfect for this bunker of a venue and one of its most popular nights. Sound/rails, Glasgow, Sat 12 Jan.
Misc Genre- straddling Scots techno expert Neil Landstrumm makes a guest appearance, demonstrating his new dubsteprinfluenced sound. The Ivy, G/asgow, Sat 72 Jan.
Musika Cheap entry but they certainly won't be skimping on the quality house. The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Sat 72 Jan.
Vegas! Another top club offering bargain entrance prices to help with the January pinch. The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Sat 72 Jan.
Optima Glasgow outfit Tattle Toes deal in utterly out- of-the-box Krautrock rams mixed with a particularly diverse Eastern European folk influence. Just perfect for Optimo, in other words. Sub Club, G/asgow, Sun 73 Jan.