This amazing band out of Brooklyn read like an east-coast version of “The Internet” on paper, but its not fair to limit them to that. With a funky sound all-their-own, each member let their personality shine forth. Exuding energy and having way more fun than anyone under the packed Red Marquee tent, all the members (frontman Elbee Thrie in particular) seemed like they were having the times of their lives performing on stage. Their chemistry as a band and ability to connect with the crowd so effortlessly pushed their appeal higher than I could have expected.

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2. JAMES BLAKE

My second time to see James Blake at Fuji Rock (previously appeared on the Green Stage in 2016) and my fourth time to see him play live overall, I knew what to expect going in. Working in some newer material from his most recent album (Andre3000-guested brooding hip-hop track “Where’s the Catch” was a high point), he mostly stuck with tried and true songs from previous albums. This is not to say the set was short on chills. James Blake always knows how to inject maximum atmosphere with the bare minimum ingredients and while no big surprises were busted out, the James Blake formula proved to be just what we all needed.

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3. YAEJI

Brooklyn based Yaeji didn’t need more than a bank of samplers and her quiet but confident voice to command a crowd. Incorporating pulsing beats and talk-rapping in a mixture of English and Korean, her sound is at once simple and complex. Though the Red Marquee was entirely too packed to get an up-close view of the stage, even those stranded outside in the rain at the back of the tent could feel the energy loud and clear. Here’s to hoping she will visit Tokyo again soon, and next time perhaps in a more intimate venue.

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4. GEZAN

Transforming into a different animal minute-by-minute but still managing to hold on to their own distinct identity as a band, Gezan completely rocked the White Stage on Saturday morning. Digeridoos and drum machines, quick-fire surprise guests including a rapper and a trombone soloist, and Gezan’s versatility to be both intimidating and endearing made this performance completely unpredictable and insanely fun.

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5. TORO Y MOI

Perhaps the act I was most anticipating this year, Toro y Moi deftly delivered a groovy set of electronic funk with the smoothest of swagger. This was the set early on that really got the Fuji Rock 2019 party going.

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The lead singer barks something at the crowd, and I have no idea what he is saying, and in what language, but the audience reacts enthusiastically as the next track starts off as a galloping hybrid of Asian music and Iron Maiden. The choruses gallop even harder than the verses, almost like Iron Maiden’s “Aces High,” to which the audience hoots and hollers, and yells “Hey” rhythmically; like the backing vocals on “Rasputin” by Boney M. As this latest song ends, the crowd cheers enthusiastically again.

The third song of the evening starts off with a gently picking guitar and vocals, before the whole band is off galloping again. This time they sound like “Chainsaw Charlie,” by W.A.S.P. As the band drives the chorus home, all the bodies in the pit pogo in unison, calling out “hey hey hey,” as in the aforementioned Boney M song.

Once again, in between songs, the lead singer speaks to the audience, and I have no idea what language he is using. However, the audience listen with rapt attention, and react with joy. This latest track is funkier rock, with an Asian flare. Nevertheless, the galloping guitars return; perhaps to convey the sense of horses, which are such an integral part of Mongolian culture. As Hanggai drive home another anthemic chorus, the now one-hundred strong people in the pit all raise a hand at a 45 degrees and point in a rhythmic fashion, to show their support. As this song also comes to an end, Hanggai lead singer says, “Xie Xie. Arigatou”.

At one point, the band delivers a track that is a bit reggae-flavored, but also deeply tinged with an Asian flavor; because Hanggai is, first and foremost, a band that plays modern versions of Mogolian folk songs; as well as their own originals in the same vein. The audience cheers warmly after this song as well.

Yet another song to stray from their average fare, is a hardcore Asian number, leaning heavily on traditional instruments, and a call-and-response chorus. During said chorus, the audience is supposed to answer “hey,” to each of the lead singer’s prompts; which they do with surprising enthusiasm, considering it’s 3:46 a.m. After the first verse of this song, the vocalist raises a glass, and says “Kanpai” (“Cheers”) to which the whole crowd answers in kind. Midway through the song, the band goes into double-time feel and the whole audience pogos enthusiastically. The tempo keeps getting more and more frenetic, but the audience keeps up, while never missing a cue to yell “hey!”.

Their before-last song rings out like a mix of nu-metal, funk and Mongolian melodies, with horn section hits to accent the whole. The bridge is then played out on traditional Mongolian instruments – which possess a tone similar to that of a violin – before the chorus comes back thundering in, in all its nu-metal hybrid glory. As the band once again reverts band to a gentle passage, everyone in the crowd waves their hands gently in the air from side to side. And, as this song dies out, the lead singer holds up a flag; presumably the flag of his native nation.

The band seems ready to pack it up at this point, but the audience claps a rhythm demanding an encore, and the lead singer laughingly accepts. The resulting encore is anchored on a rollicking old-school rock feel – mixed with Mongolian music – with blasts from the horn section. The chorus is a ‘waaa-oh-oh-oh”-type affair, which all the audience members seem to know by heart, and deliver enthusiastically in unison. As Hanggai delivers the before-last chorus together a cappella, it’s like watching Bon Jovi pull the same trick with Livin’ on a Prayer in concert. The last song ends on a rhythmic vamp which slows down and grinds to a halt, as the lead singer yells “Arigatou! I love you!”. The crowd then roaringly return their love in kind.

Starting with slow chants in an unintelligible language which were backed by sounds of jungle wildlife, the sunny morning sky was suddenly overtaken by patchy fast moving clouds. During crescendos in the swirling waves of sound, winds picked up and breezed through the site. Even more, parts of the interwoven textures of sound seemed to call forth short rain showers which stopped as abruptly as they began. The sun shone through again and danceable rhythms burst forth from OORUTAICHI’s programmer while KOM_I’s vocals soared above them.

Either the pair were orchestrating their set to perfectly match the changing weather moment by moment, or they were somehow in complete control of the natural elements. It sure seemed like the latter.

A experimental collaboration between the two artists that is directly inspired by Yakushima, a lush sub-tropical island in the south of Japan, the project is meant to incorporate the rich sounds of wildlife and invoke images of the natural beauty of the deep jungle on the green island.

Though coincidence or pure luck, the vast sprawling musical composition that the pair were painting seemed to harness the power of Mother Nature and bring their vision of the natural atmosphere of Yakushima to full fruition deep in the mountains of Naeba.

Now… take a guy with a pedigree like this, who happens to also look like a mad scientist, and put him on stage behind an arachnoid synth rack with Star Trek: The Next Generation green laser light rigs which are somehow an optical instrument I have never heard of. Also flank him with dual guitar players (SSHO and TAZZ) in white plague-era bird masks and have them perform what can be best described as electronic pop opera. Do you want more?

When he brings out his own guitar the show really moves, an almost Japanese industrial sound from a bygone era. This is cool. And inspiring. And absolutely packing the Red Marquee. Hirasawa’s singing is high and trilling, operatic and theatrical. Hell, the whole thing is pretty theatrical.

It was a theater the crowd knew by heart. They knew where and when to clap, they knew the big beats by heart. Eating it up is an understatement. The crowd was going wild for this weird show. And for good reason.

Beyond the theatricality, the music itself had a heavy pulsing electronic beat deep enough to shake the floor, but also solid and accessible song structure, melody and movement to separate it from a typical ‘electronic’ show. Guitars knew when to be there and when not to, and more importantly how to be there when they were. Harmonies when harmonies fit, rhythm guitar when it fit, shredding when it fit. The songs fit together like beautiful jagged puzzle pieces. And Hirasawa has been around long enough and experimented musically enough to know how to do them all together. In fact it sounded a little bit like Sparks at their most conceptual at moments…

Speaking of Sparks, remember earlier when I asked if you wanted more? How about a Tesla coil? Yeah, as if at this point the diabolical villain in a science fiction film vibe wasn’t enough, halfway through the set a Tesla coil erupted in a sea of controlled musical lightning bolts, manipulated through an ‘instrument weilded by one of Enin’s plague birds’. If you are going to put on a show, do it with lasers and lightning bolts.

This was by far the most unpredictably well received and weird show I experienced over the weekend. My goodness it was good.

You can take in music from the nearby DJ’s, or can conveniently access a number of food/drink stalls. Both the Red Marquee and Naeba Shokudo stages are also within seconds walk away.

Let’s all enjoy the final night of Fujirock 2019 and be thankful for pleasant weather!

Intimidating in appearance and delivery, Tokyo-native KOHH with his extensive tattoos and piercings and aggressive bulldog stance does not appear to be a rapper you want to mess with.

Though he does show a slightly softer side at times, for example on opener “Hitotsu” which incorporates autotuned vocals and sounds a bit like a Japanese version of The Weeknd, KOHH doesn’t stay in that territory long. Immediately leaping into heavier and harder waters, deep pounding bass provides a backdrop for strained shouts with KOHH barking like a junkyard dog.

Accompanied by glitchy visuals that seemed to mash up the real world live stage footage with trippy CG worlds was interesting and disorienting, bringing the crowd into his world.

Abrupt ends to songs, spliced with beat-poet-like interludes of freestyle acapella rap were also unexpected soundscapes that felt almost as if being scolded at.

It has been said that KOHH had been brought up in a world of drugs and violence, quite an uncommon occurrence in Japan, and if true, then one can without a doubt see that in his music and performances. That he found a way to channel that violent past into his art as a performer gives KOHH a realness that can’t be found in a large chunk of Japanese rap.

They were not let down, as a duo (of the trio) from Khruangbin let loose wave after wave of international funk, disco, hip-hop and pop on the masses. What was a completely empty Crystal Palace floor one minute was transformed into full fledged party the next, everyone dipping and bobbing to the groove.

From Scandinavian disco to early hip-hop jams to lost Showa-era idol gems, the set was not short on variety and energy never let up from the moment the needle hit the first record.

Working in such tracks as The Whispers’ funky “Turn Me Out”, Yellow Magic Orchestra’s new-wave “Fire Cracker” and the catchy “Banana” from Kei Ishiguro, Khruangbin gave late-nighters’ dancing shoes a trip around the world.

After Shohei Takagi said, “Thank you very much for coming in this kind of rain. Thank you very much” the band proceeded to play the first tune with a simple guitar line and a loose tempo. The band has a traditional cool jazz feel which is very pleasant and agreeable. Many bopped along and nodded to the rhythms. Even the rain didn’t seem to bother many people as one member of the band speaking into the microphone says “Rain, that’s good. Our songs are better for the rain than for the sunny day.”

This was certainly true! If you really love listening to jazz, you seek to cherish the romantic feeling of the music which can mix nicely with the splash of raindrops. It was a wonderful blend of elements and a true credit to the band that they could keep performing during such difficult weather conditions.

The second half of the set transitioned as the band picked up the tempo as conditions became worse. The five players played songs full of romantic or erotic atmosphere. “The indie music world, we will meet again somewhere.” The final song involved a mix of accordion, guitar, and saxophone solo which helped tame the harshness off today’s elements.

And then it was soon over as I wished the music would have continued as many were left truly fascinated and entertained by this wonderful cool jazz band.

3 chilled vinegar based drinks are available, including sweet banana, earl grey orange, and lemonade varieties.

They also have homemade chai and ginger ale which can be had in both non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions.

I opted for the iced rum chai (pictured), which was a refreshing morning drink that was very flavorful and bold.

Drop in if you are near the Pyramid Garden for one of these or another beverage on their extensive drink menu.