Thank you so much to everyone who came down to Soup on Saturday. I had a great time and it looks like you did too. It took me longer than expected to get all the artwork, audio editing and uploading done but here it is, finally, the edited recording of my live set at Soup. There are two parts, the main live set and the 30 minute encore.

The Venue.

Soup is a small underground space located in the basement under a 120 year old bath house in Ochiai, Tokyo somewhere between Shinjuku and Nakano just off where Yamate and Waseda dori intersect.

It used to be a gallery but now the proprietors use it to host music events and the place has steadiliy built a reputation as a “go to” venue to see and hear the best that the Tokyo Underground has to offer.

The sound system is sublime and no stops are pulled setting up each artist so that they can express themselves clearly and strongly, yet never overwhelmingly, in such a small venue.

I could chat with fans and friends without straining my voice or protecting my hearing and all the while the beat was filling my feet and thumping in my chest.

I love spaces that make me love techno even more.

Because it is located smack in Suburbia they have to  close up at midnight and it makes club music all the more accessible to those who cannot regularly brave a full night out on the town but need a fix of loud solid beats and bleeps.

(If you don’t know it may come as a surprise that though Japan has one of the most sophisticated railway networks in the world the trains do not run 24 hours a day. This leads to two scenarios in club land here, First Trainers and Last Trainers. Last Trainers are the (usually large group) of people who will come to a party but leave the event before their last train leaves the nearest station – around 1 am. First Trainers on the other hand commit to a night on the town and will wait until 5 am or thereabouts when the trains start running again.)

The Line Up.

Starting off the event was DJ Takahashi who spun some deep and groovy minimal tunes and set the tone perfectly for the rest of the evening.

Taking over from him was the super cool KeLie who spun funky Tech House and Latinesque grooves.Her sound palette is solid, sophisticated and tight  but she plays with flair and nonchalance, my foot was tapping constantly.

After her set Itaru Yasuda showcased visuals and sound design he created using supercollider. Intense and deliciously digital, his works are deceptively simple and hypnotizing.

My Set.

I had a great time though I wasn’t technically on my game.  For this  set my timing and pacing is a bit sloppy and the transitions and loop jams tend to drag on bit longer than I would  like.

I had prepared for a 90 minute set and when I came to the end I was encouraged to play one more track.

When I started the encore the organizer told me that the venue could take another 30 minutes of music and he asked me kindly to fill it up and I obliged.

The encore is very noisy and created on the fly I was setting loops in real time and fiddling with the noise generator on a soft synth.

Recently I have been a little distracted by my gear. For the last couple of shows my main controller has been showing signs of wear and tear, the buttons are loosening up and the faders are getting temperamental, it results in a small niggling feeling that I can’t fully trust my gear and is not dissimilar to the feeling one gets playing a guitar expecting a string to snap at any moment.

It’s annoying and pulls energy away from me focusing on the crowd and my performance.

This time around I also tried out a new hardware controller I bought and I must say I am not pleased with it at all. I found myself a little lost in some parts of the set because of it and I wont use it again live if I can help it.

Conclusion.

Overall it was a fantastic party, I had an awesome time, the music and visuals were inspirational, and the crowd really made the party come to life. They were ready to rock out despite it being only 21:30 in the evening and their energy and enthusiasm is greatly appreciated.

Links.

Artists.

KeLie

Itaru Yasuda

Software.

SuperCollider

The DJ line up before me was a perfect flow of styles culminating in a live drum show by Drumno,  three live drummers rocking it out in real time in the middle of the campsite on acoustic drums and filling the night air with their intense and energetic show.

They set a perfect tone for my set which, though there were a few technical glitches and timing errors, nevertheless rocked and rolled.

This set is decidedly schizophrenic and meanders all over the place, deep and dark in places, melodic, synthetic and light in others. I also added a few tracks from my tribal alter ego “Amazoku” towards the end and polished it off with my first attempt at a vocal track “Sooner or Later” an up and coming release on Greta Cottage Workshop scheduled for later in the year.

Oh and watch out for those damn Vuvuzelas.

You can download the set for free here Shane Berry Live in Chichibu.

After me the sublime DJ Wang Gung took over from me and kept the flow moving deftly into the very interesting live electronic music of  Computer Soup. Armed with a muted trumpet, a sine wave generating oscilloscope and a laptop the guys really came out with some tasty sonic treats – and that is when I collapsed into my tent and floated off into the warmth of the supersonic bass.

I really love doing this party and I’m so pleased to be involved every year. The sound is so good that no matter where you are in the camp site you can hear and feel the music as if you are listening to it on a stereo at home, yet not once is it overwhelming or intrusive. From inside the tent it’s so relaxing to lie back and listen to tunes and on the dance floor it’s thumping enough to feel  in your bones, yet there is no need to shout to be heard, the perfect balance.

Speaking of tents, a big thanks also to Sarah, The Tsunami Devil, for showing us the ropes, literally. Camping without you would’ve been a tangled, exposed mess. Big hugs and kisses to you. Without you around I think we’d still be somewhere in the mountains trying to collapse the tent and roll up the sleeping mats.

Also thanks to Yosuke and friends for coming out very year and making a big noise during my set, your presence and energy are deeply appreciated.

And last but not least everyone who came together to do the party, real techno spirit.

■LIVE■
SHANE BERRY
DRUMNO
COMPUTER SOUP

■DJz■
THE KLO (potekoi disco)
TANGO (methane)
WANG-GUNG (void)
TEO (from seoul)

EPISIARK
MASA
SPORTS-KOIDE
MINODA

■LIGHTING■
VEEM (hothouse TOKYO)

Staff were friendly and professional and fellow live act (and Moph Label mate) Testuji set the pace perfectly and the support DJs before and after us were top notch.

Color me impressed.

Performance wise I had a blast, I love the feeling of the floor vibrating under my feet and filling my chest, the sound system in Air is world class, and it reminds me how deeply this music is ingrained in my body and soul.

Apologies to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson if he ever hears me mangling his hilarious and informative description of what it would be like to die in a blackhole.

Let him know I do it only out of the deepest respect and awe for his passion and dedication to keeping the lights up in a dimming world.

The man shines as bright as his stars.

A lightly edited recording of the set is available for download here for a limited time.

I did however nearly get into a fight during my sound check and for anyone who knows me this is absolutely unheard of considering that I have the patience of a mountain glacier filmed in slow motion and tolerance level to match, how else could I get all that crazy automation done?

Let me preface this recap with a little background history, explain why this event is so special to me and why the person I took issue with crossed a line I will not stand to have crossed.

The Just Do It crew have supported me, my music and my live shows for a number of years. They have shown me nothing but the highest artistic regard and they have a dedication to dance music that inspires me to make music and perform it at my best. Their parties never make money, it is techno for techno’s sake and it is real and honest.

Over the years they have accumulated a small and passionate following of techno-educated regulars who listen to an eclectic range of electronic music and when I make sly references to other genres or play one of my many in-set practical jokes (like dropping a mashup of Micahel Jackson’s Billy Jean with this crazy video and an interview with Oprah Winfrey) they get it straight away and from this a kind of crazy dialog with them has emerged and I am able to riff with the audience based on this history.

I love these guys very much and respect them even more, I made this set especially for them.

So there I am doing my sound check, I have been putting it together for about a week and I am on my third day of little to no sleep – one studio session, timed by my internet connection, standing at 18 straight hours and more – so at this point I am very tired, very hungry and very excited.

While I am setting up (it is around 10pm) a French man and his two female Japanese cohorts wander up to the dance floor from the bar below. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere so no one cares if they sit in on the sound check or not and we go about tuning the sound and setting levels.

As a tradition the crew always does the final system level check with Kirk De Georgio.

This track has immense emotional meaning for all of us because when we do the outdoor festival in summer this is the song that signals the sound system is ready to go and that the party is on!

I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

This is precisely when this prick decides to start humming and hawing about when the “real” music is going to start. He does the usual and predictable rant on how this music has no soul, machine music for automatons and so on but I pass him off as a drunk idiot, we are all entitled to our opinions, and I of all people know how niche this music is, I am fully aware that it is not everybody’s cup of tea and I really have no problem with people not liking it

BUT this guy wouldn’t leave it there.

The design of this set is to get attention, go deep, go really deep and then burst above the surface to float and play in the clouds. So as my sound check progresses the music gets louder and more intense – unfortunately so does the Frenchman.

It’s a a fucking level check but I can hear this guy complaining from across the dance floor getting more and more upset that the machine music is taking over, there are no real instruments, there is no emotion – yada yada yada,

I am starting to get irritated.

So as I get louder and more intense, so does the French man who by this time is on his feet and looking very upset that no one is really paying attention to him but we are all focused on getting ready for the event so his chimping and chest beating for the ladies (who are goading him on) is the least of our concerns.

But here’s where he crosses the line. I reach the highest level peak of the set, I step out onto the dance floor to hear the system from the audience’s perspective. I am concentrating on the levels with the engineer when I am unceremoniously pushed out of the way (of my own music) by the French man who then proceeds to walk towards my gear and the speakers goose stepping and sieg heiling in time to my music.

I am too stunned to react at this point, so much so that I just go back to my gear and start to wind up the sound check.

It all sounds good and I just have one or two more intense spots to preview and then I have to re check that all the loops are syncing correctly (horrible phasing on the kick otherwise). To do this I have to jump from place to place in the set, cutting the audio to silence from time to time and each time I do a mute the three burst into loud applause, cheering and whooping that the music has stopped and loud jeers of disapproval when it starts up again.

It is very loud at this point but the they are even louder and I simply slam the music off and scream at them to.

“SHUUUT THE FUUUCK UP!”

The whole bar, even down stairs, goes dead quite, like that scene in a western where a fight is about to break and even the piano music stops.

There is this moment of fight or flight and the Frenchman doesn’t quite know what to do.

I yell at him again.

“SHUUUT THE FUUUCK UP!” You have no idea what you are talking about so shut up and go somewhere else.”

I have never had my music or my friends so disrespected by anyone. I was shaking and fuming so I unhooked my computer went to a local curry bar and had an awesome dal with nan and when I returned to the venue the three of them were gone.

Thankfully their energy departed with them and the rest of the evening was fantastic,

I have said it before and I will say it again, DJ Wada is one of the finest techno DJs on the planet.

Here is my contribution to the show.

(unedited watch your ears please!)

A huge thanks to everyone involved with Just Do it and the Chichibu Asami campsite where once again we hung out in the mountains of Saitama and got down groovy to The Monster Stereo, hand crafted speakers assembled on site, stellar sound, cosmic venue and intergalactic DJs. True techno spirit through and through.

It is by far my favorite event of the year to play and I cannot wait for next year.

Registro 31 07 2009

The week after that I finally go to play at Solfa (warning sound on loading) a funky and slick venue in Nakameguro, I heard DJ Wada do a set there a few months back and ever since then I have wanted to do a set in there. Solid sound and a great crowd. I like this venue very much and look forward to playing there again.

Canyons 01 08 2009

Up to the mountains again for something a little bit different. Well known for it`s winter parties and of course it`s adventure tours Canyons is a great getaway from Tokyo and the sound set up is fantastic. Went up with fellow Dirty Works label mate Nik Sliwerski aka Muthafunka and got down with the local guides and wayward wanderers.

So far it has been a fantastic summer and I am really looking forward to when things start to cool down for winter.

Looking forward to heading back to Korea and playing out on some of the stellar sound systems I got to hear in the 36 hours or so I was there.

It started off with a gig at the Mado Lounge 52 Floors above Tokyo in front of ceiling to floor windows breaking in a brand spanking new Funktion One Turbosound PA system. The sound crew were actually still taking off the wrappers when I was setting up for my sound check.

Following that I joined the Grain Records Tour Down to Osaka and Fukui. It was absolutely fantastic and so much fun, I am so happy and inspired to be a part of the Grain Records crew.

A big thanks to everyone who brought us down and showed us such a great time and to all who came to stroke chins and/or shake some booty.

The next weekend was spent in the mountains of Chichibu with Monster Stereo and the Just Do It! crew. Again stellar sound and true, from the bottom of the heart techno spirit.

I simply cannot put the experience into words so I am not even going to try. Love and respect to all who came down and those who made it happen.

Then to top it all off on the last weekend a two and a half hour drive deep into Yamanashi to play an outdoor party at a camp site modeled after a primitive Japanese village. Steep green ravines and misty skies, a crystal clear river and turbosound…

I am so grateful for everyone who has given such love and respect to me and my music, for teaching me how to get my hula hoop action on and the incalculable value of play.

Looking forward to many more months like this.

Fantastic sound, friendly and enthusiastic staff, top management and a lot of serious fun.

I cannot recommend Metro highly enough, the space is interesting, it is central and it is easy to access.

What a pleasure.

I had not expected to play a sunrise set and was so in the groove that DJ Bosh graciously left me on the floor for an extra half hour and for this I am forever greatful.

I had a great time, Ageha is definitley a club worth checking out and I look forward to playing there again soon.

Thanks to all involved.

The cherry blossoms have long since petaled but a spirit of renewal and vitality still tingles in the air and surges in the ground.

What better time then to head to a camp site, install a 90 kilogram bass bin, accompanying speakers and a DJ set up, and then invite some of the most passionate and dedicated techno heads in Tokyo to come and spin a few tunes?

None.

Despite a late afternoon shower that gets us soaked and scrambling to keep the gear and DJ booth dry the mood is high and when the clouds clear and the sun shines down we know that once again “just do it” has arrived and the sound checks can finally start.

So that is precisely what we do.

When I have the pleasure to play on, and listen to, such a clear and powerful sound system I am reminded of the true power of techno music. Its ability to move bodies and minds and even shape the very reality we stand in is brought forth in magnificent clarity and it’s all we can do to stand around and grin as the first record sound check is done.

Like the devout unto Mecca everyone present turns to face the speakers and a genuine reverence descends upon the valley the spell only broken by people shaking hands and patting one another on the back and the guys unpacking the lighting gear now that the rain has gone.

How can I possibly express my deepest gratitude to all involved in making this such a wonderful party? Words escape me.

Thank you everyone, the spirit and passion of Just Do It is the reason I make Techno at all.