After more than a decade the uniquely crazy and passionate tour bringing the world of Japanese indie music to Canada is coming to an end.
Next Music from Tokyo (NMFT) is an annual tour that introduced Canadians to the most creative and skilled bands from Japan’s indie/underground music scene. The tour began in 2010 and has brought over fifty different Japanese bands to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver including: Kinoko Teikoku, ZAZEN BOYS, mouse on the keys, Akai Koen, Uchu Conbini, JYOCHO, Hitsuji Bungaku, PENs+, group_inou, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS and even Elephant Gym (from Taiwan).
NMFT vol 15 will be the last and the following bands will make it unforgettable:
arigarnon friends is a four-piece supergroup with members of PENs+, fulusu and bakyun the everday. Similar to PENs+ they play a turbocharged blend of melodic punk and Midwest-emo. Ariga’s guitar wizardry and Sato’s unbelievably skilled drumming is a match made in math rock heaven.
https://youtu.be/vgcDLHTdsp8
https://youtu.be/rHg7L8LJ7LY
the hatch is an experimental, post-hardcore band from Sapporo that started off playing ultra-fast, mosh pit-inducing punk/HC distinguished by a ‘mean trombone’ but their music has now matured into something darker, heavier, and much more technical. The coolest band in Japan right now? Most definitely.
https://youtu.be/9_e43TG6LQs
https://youtu.be/agVZLp4fHGo
heliotrope is a three-piece band playing piano-driven, emotional post-hardcore with female vocals and no guitar. Their music is hauntingly beautiful and powerful. (heliotrope’s singer Netako is also a member of JYOCHO who participated in NMFT12)
https://youtu.be/dzgXRLP9j4M
https://youtu.be/5ArL24b3HIg
BATROICA METAL SUMMER JACKET is an all-star band formed from the ashes of The Taupe and Gozen Sanji to Taikutsu—two bands that broke up in 2019 and two of the most well received bands from previous NMFT tours.
https://youtu.be/vh9QMMr2vqY
https://youtu.be/P7hn1av2OEs
https://youtu.be/R8fWPkTmgBs
FURUTORI is a twin vocal two-piece female band featuring guitar, drums, keyboards and an extremely handy loop pedal. They embrace the limitation of having only two members by using it as motivation to be more creative and versatile as musicians. Their music drifts from emotional ballads to pop-punk, folk, hip hop and post-rock.
https://youtu.be/HZ270JnJWTE
https://youtu.be/WzRI1id5Crk
Next Music from Tokyo is a veritable wormhole transporting you to the live house music scene in areas like Shimokitazawa, Kichijoji and Shinjuku. The tour has strived to show that music is a universal language and that Canadians without any knowledge of Japanese can still enjoy the incredibly creative, skillful and innovative music coming from Japan.
Saturday May 20, 2023 @ The Rivoli (334 Queen St W)
doors: 8pm show: 9pm-1am
age: 19+
tickets: $20 advance $30 @door
Note: There will be two Toronto shows. The first show is at the Rivoli. The second show is at Lee's Palace on Sunday May 21. All five bands perform on both nights but the order of the bands will be different.
Sunday May 21, 2023 @ Lee's Palace (529 Bloor St W)
doors @ 8pm show starts @ 9pm
tickets: $20 (advance) $30 @ door
Note: There are two Toronto shows. The first show is at the Rivoli on Saturday May 20. All five bands perform on both nights but the order of the performances will be different.
Monday May 22, 2023 @ Petit Campus (57-b Rue Prince-Arthur E)
doors: 7pm show: 8pm – midnight
tickets: $20 advance $30 @door
Monday May 24, 2023 @ Red Gate (1965 Main St)
Red Gate is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded Indigenous
territories of the wməθkwəyəm (Musqueam), sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and
selílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations.
For more info:
http://nextmusicfromtokyo.com
