Tokyo's WWW to host first club night since March 2020 on New Year's Eve

  • Published
    Thu, Dec 22, 2022, 09:00
  • Words
    Kim Kahan
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  • Tohji, Mechatok, Two Shell, Changsie and more will play the December 31st event, held across three floors.
  • Tokyo's WWW to host first club night since March 2020 on New Year's Eve image
  • Tokyo club WWW has announced its first all-night party since March 2020, taking place on Saturday, December 31st. Dubbed New Year's Eve Elevation, the event will be split across all three floors of WWW: WWW, WWW X and WWWβ. Running from 8 PM through 5 AM, it'll be the venue's first club night in almost three years. "Three years is a very long period of time, so it's natural that there have been many changes [in the scene]," Shimpei Kaiho, who co-organised the event, told Resident Advisor. "We hope to reflect this throughout the night." The main floor, WWW X, will feature local rapper Tohji, whose profiled has swelled since the pandemic. He's headlining in the countdown slot. Berlin-based producer Mechatok, hip-hop duo Yurufuwa Gang, cloud rap duo Peterparker69 and Kyoto-based party-starter E.O.U have also been tapped. The middle floor, WWW, will showcase bands alongside electronic acts. Highlights include Betcover!!, NTS Radio resident Changsie, UK act Two Shell and Japanese veterans ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U and 食品まつり a.k.a foodman. The final floor, WWWβ, sits in the basement. The programming will tap into Tokyo's current electronic underground, with deconstructed club, hard dance, pop, hardcore and trance served up by the likes of Egomania, Galaxy Chinchilla and newcomer div★. Speaking about the event, Kaiho said he doesn't know what to expect from such a diverse lineup. But he's satisfied the programme is a true reflection of the changes in Tokyo's underground club scene these past three years. "You never know what a party will be like until you hold it, after all," he said. "I think as long as you keep going in with a sense of excitement and anticipation for a fresh start, a 'new world' will appear." WWW was one of the first venues in Japan to react when the pandemic began in March 2020. The team swiftly cancelled then-upcoming events with object blue and DJ Marcelle, among others. As the team assessed the situation, which grew worse by the day, it became clear that reopening quickly wasn't an option. Japan was one of the last countries in the world to reopen its borders. This had numerous repercussions, such as international DJs requiring a special visa. At last, on October 11th, 2022, the borders were fully opened, allowing artists to move freely once more. Looking ahead to 2023, Kaiho admitted there will be challenges for WWW, especially after having been closed for such a long time. One thing to consider is how frequently the venue will run club nights. "We have to rethink WWW's identity," he said. Browse the full New Year's Eve lineup in the event listing below.

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