- New Year's Eve is family time in Japan, but not for DJ Nobu and co.
- On New Year's Eve, most European cities have the atmosphere of a festival, but the vibe could not be more different in Tokyo. In Japan, NYE is a family event akin to Christmas Eve in the US and Europe. On the way to Future Terror's NYE party, the streets were near-deserted. Yet upon entering Unit, where Future Terror went down, it was obvious that not everyone in Tokyo was in the mood for family gatherings. The lineup, which combined Japan's finest—DJ Nobu, Wata Igarashi, Haruka, DJ SO etc.—with international guests like DJ Stingray, Eric Cloutier and Hong Kong's Mr. Ho, had lured a considerable crowd to the dance floor.
Synth Sisters, a duo based in Osaka, began the night with a live set. Surrounded by an impressive array of gear, they paved the way for a long night ahead, with a slow, subdued build-up. They never went full throttle, opting instead to hold back, gearing up for the midnight moment with hypnotic synth music. Excellent live vocals turned the room into a spacey ambient zone. Wata Igarashi, playing his first live set in Japan in well over a year, continued in this direction. You might expect a NYE crowd to want party bangers, but Igarashi took a more patient approach, transfixing the room. Only well after halfway into his set did the first outburst roll from the speakers, followed by a slew of new material that gathered even more steam, much to the delight of the now-hungry crowd.
When DJ Stingray took over, he played hard and fast, leaving no room for compromise. Instead, I opted for Mr. Ho, who dolled out a mix of uplifting disco, funky house and techno anthems, providing the perfect counterbalance for the room below. Three floors down, DJ Lynne was deep into a jungle and bass music set, which had me wondering: how would Chris SSG, a DJ known for his ambient style, follow? It was surely too early for ambient. Chris SSG thought so, too. His set spanned Legowelt's "Total Pussy Control," a Thomas Schumacher track I hadn't heard in ages, some Terrence Fixmer bits and, the clear highlight, "Megatrance 2" by Voiski.
Upstairs, DJ Nobu was busy illustrating his versatility as a DJ. Bridging the gap between DJ Stingray and Cloutier, he gradually moved from high-energy electro into his trademark trippy techno. Cloutier picked up from there, before easing into an afterhour's vibe. From 6 AM, Haruka went dark, acidic and spacey, showing why he's currently considered among Japan's best techno DJs. Well past midday, the floor was still packed. When he played Voiski's "Tin There," the crowd fully lost it, jumping around and screaming, transforming the dance floor momentarily into a punk concert. His was my favourite set of the night, and judging by the audience's reaction, I wasn't alone. As soon as he finished, everyone spilled out into the sunshine to be greeted by a sky full of kites. Tokyo's New Year's Day tradition was in full swing.