- WIRE01 8/9/01 Yokohama Arena, Yokohama Japan.
Lineup:
DJ Tasaka
Monika Kruse
Secret Cinema (live)
Fumiya Tanaka
Denki Groove (live)
Westbam
Ural 13 Diktators (live)
Takkyu Ishino
CJ Bolland (live)
Hell
Jeff Mills
With over 16,000 partygoers attending this event (a capacity crowd for Yokohama Arena) obviously being hailed as Japan’s biggest indoor rave, WIRE01 was one gig I knew must be attended. WIRE has a history of great names such as Sven Vath, Claude Young, DMX Krew and Derrick May headlining previous WIRE events. This year’s lineup was not to disappoint the eager Japanese techno followers as it seemed to be dominated by German and Detroit techno influence, as is much of the worlds techno scene currently, however much variation is possible as I was soon to find out.
My entrance to this event was swept by a feeling of awe and disbelief at the size of this event. Sure there were only two main stages with only one playing at any one time, however I don’t think I’ve ever seen one room (arena) packed with so many people. It was truly unbelievable. Luckily the organisers had done a fantastic job of sectioning off the arena into segments which allowed a free flow of passage amongst this vast dancefloor. Also the speaker set up was placed perfectly so that those sections to the rear or side of the stage could also hear the music as crisply as those in superior viewing positions could.
Denki Groove at this time were getting the crowd going early and their live set was met with much dance floor mayhem. This electro band new how to get the party going and they made an all out assault by displaying such euphoric energy which was reflected infront of them on the dance floor. Denki Groove`s "Wire" sample was a great example of this, many chanting with the thumping beat in celebration of this event. Following Denki Groove was Westbam, who has been a regular guest at WIRE over the years. The crowd shifted their attention from the live stage to the DJ stage at the opposite end of the arena where Westbam was introduced through the PA system. Westbam`s scratching was a feature however this showman didn’t stop at this - his gestures and dancing were mimicked by the many ravers who could get a clear peek at the man.
After Westbam`s set it was time to investigate some of the stalls and stock up for the night. Many noodle stalls dominated the food court which catered for the peckish whilst many flocked to the Evian, Calpis and Heiniken stalls to replenish their thirst. Amongst the many music stalls ie Korg, Roland and Yamaha, I found another DJ setup which was really a chill out room named PS2 x SEGA = REZ (who were obviously the major sponsors for WIRE01). The Chuppa Chupps stall was a favourite for the ravers as expected and the massage tent was being worked overtime ailing the over danced and aching bodies.
However it was back to the dancefloor and it was Ural 13 Dikatators finishing up their act. Unfortunately I couldn’t get close enough to the stage to see what all the fuss was about their costumes, but I could tell from the crowd that this techno duo had done their job. A shriek came from behind me as Takkyu Ishino`s name appeared on the screens on either side of the arena. One of (if not the foremost) Japan`s techno leaders and pioneers, Takkyu Ishino had already caught the dancefloor`s attention through a history of outstanding performances at previous WIRE events. His set was so varied but sublime it could not be pinpointed as being likened to many other artists in the world. The home-town favourite was getting his just reward for a euphorical set in crowd response - easily one of the best in the world.
Another rest was needed as I headed for the seating above the dancefloor. Until now I hadn’t taken in or even realised what kind of view I possibly could behold from this vantagepoint. It was awesome. My friend Kaori turned to me and said: "Another world, but maybe this is what we want". She couldn’t be more correct. The laser system was making tennis racquet designs across the top of the dancefloor and it was truly a sight to behold above the 16 odd thousand ravers `going off` to the CJ Bolland`s live set. CJ Bolland doesn’t need any introduction being one of the most sought after techno artists in the world. The vibe generated by previous artists playing in the arena was lifted yet another notch. Hell followed CJ Bolland and this being his 2nd WIRE event, he knew that this was the right time for him to conjure up his set and mould the atmosphere to his liking. However after he played his set, it was the anxiously anticipated arrival of Jeff Mills on the DJ stage. The Detroit techno scene is alive and well - I was reassured through the aggressive beats of Jeff Mills cleaning up WIRE01 making sure the crowd went home happy.....and exhausted. So it was over, but who will be there next year? 16,000 plus ravers desperately awaiting their next WIRE hit of course.
Official photos coming soon.