Clubbing this New Year’s Eve? Our events calendar has been pumping out ideas over the last few weeks, but if you still haven’t made your mind up, here’s a little roundup of what’s going on in some Tokyo’s hottest venues.
Air Countdown to 2013 (Daikanyama)
International Deejay Gigolo Records (phew…) boss, DJ Hell headlines with his usual unpredictable blend of German techno and, well, anything he feels like playing before and after the club opens a barrel of sake at midnight.
Need any more encouragement? DJ Emma (who is a man, honest) has a name derived from the King of Hell in Buddhism, they say, and Daikanyama’s Air asks, “is the one and only genuine DJ that Japan is proud of?” He has a chance to answer the question and, well, we reckon we’ll let you be the judges of that.
More info: www.air-tokyo.com
Countdown to 2013: Anthems, AgeHa (Shin Kiba)
Ken Ishii is one of those names that never goes away, and with good reason: he has the power to make you listen even after 17 years plying his trade in Tokyo’s clubs, composing computer game music and even providing the theme to the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Now he’s back in AgeHa, perhaps celebrating his successful 2012 release, “Metropolitan Harmonic Formula” and will lead out a steady stream of local DJs.
The club itself knows how to throw a multi-genre party – with anything from trance to hip hop (Yoji, Taku Takahashi and DJ Kaori are other standout local names) filling the club and even a New Year’s shrine to say your prayers/wish your hangover away before it arrives in the early hours of the morning.
Womb New Year Countdown (Shibuya)
Ellen Allien sits top a bill of German techno stars that will take Womb clubbers through to 2013. Apparat is perhaps a slightly lesser known figure – though certainly not on the thriving Berlin scene this party will hope to go some way towards replicating. Local residents and plenty of glasses of sparkling should keep you on the dance-floor – though rules might mean both don’t mix…
More info: womb.co.jp
Whistlebump New Year, XEX Nihombashi
Ezypt (live) will bring a unique style of entertainment to the top of the bill for what promises to be a chic celebration of the end of 2012. Or is that the start of 2013? Support comes from special guests Bryan Burton Lewis and Leroy Roberts and there will be plenty of champagne swilled in celebration at one of Tokyo’s swankiest night spots.
The WhistleBUMP New Years Eve Special 2012 Feat. EZYPT from EZYPT on Vimeo.
More information and tickets at the Whistlebump Facebook page. Top picture is from Whistlebump flyer.
Countdown Party at the Shangri La Hotel (Marunouchi)
The 27th floor of an opulent hotel near Tokyo Station is a far-cry from some of the clubs many people will be hitting up this New Year’s Eve. But that is exactly where this party is at, with Spanish house-music diva, Rebeka Brown, bringing a taste of Ibiza to the dance floor and traditional otsuzumi drummers counting us into 2013 towards midnight.
The hotel was Tripadvisor’s best luxury hotel in the world in 2012 and organizers have been given the whole of its 27th floor to play with so we expect it’ll be a blast.
See iFlyer for more details.
New Year’s Eve Party at Sound Museum Vision (Shibuya)
Detroit techno “ambassador” Derrick May is back in town, and back at Vision for another December into January set that will come with able support from Kevin Saunderson, who takes over from Jeff Mills but plays two sets.
Keep your eyes on 80KIDZ in the Deep Space back room: those guys know how to keep a crowd moving with occasionally prog-rock inspired electro soundscapes put to the tune of dance.
Local DJs fill the night with techno, electro, drum and bass and house. Plenty of options then.
More Info: www.vision-tokyo.com
