Holograph Sells Out Concert In Japan!

FroBot now on Beatport!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone!!! I got great news today. Its Halloween here in Japan...just finished up 3 parties...and then came home to find out that my track "Stuff You Don't Hear in the Club" is out on Beatport. It is released on DJ VIVID'S label "Turned On Trax". Along with my track is his remix of my track!!! Both tracks can be found here - https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/295418/stuff-you-dont-hear-in-the-club#app=a40&a486-index=0

I want send out a HUGE thank you to all my friends, supporters, teachers, and blog writers who helped me learn everything I have learned to get this far! A very BIG special thanks to DJ VIVID for helping me and releasing this track on his label!!!!!! Keep sharing music with the world everyone!!!! And share the knowledge!!!

Peace & Love!

FroBot

Summer Love II on Tango Hanto - The Story

The weekend started for Jamie, Natsuko & I early Friday morning. I think Jamie awoke to his cat licking his face before 6am...and he was up early...and we were on our way to Tango. We kind of knew the amount of work that was ahead of us...and we knew that it was going to take 2 days of full-on work to get everything set up in time for Saturday evening. Anyway, we cruised our way North...and stopped to get tons of food and beer.

When we finally reached Tango Hanto, it was about 12:30...and we immediately got to work. Our idea was to set up Jamie's stage creation in a different location than last time because the typhoon kicked up tons of sticks and garbage on the other site. First, we put together the DJ table and the VJ table. Then, Natsuko immediately got to work on making signs for the party, I started carrying old bamboo poles, about 4 meters in length, across the beach to the other site, while Jamie jumped on his laptop and started to use MAYA to draw up the design.

Jame is a genius, and through this idea came together in about an HOUR while sitting in the car (and ridiculously exhausted no less). We finally decided how much bamboo we needed, and went up to the old temple to get all the final pieces that we needed. After enduring countless mosquito bites from where the bamboo was, we brought it all down to the party site, and decided to celebrate our hard work with our FIRST meal of the day and a some chu-hais...while watching the "Dragon Sunset" (as Natsuko liked to call it).

Around this time, Matt showed up and started to set up the food stalls. Jamie and I realized that we still had a lot of work to do, and that we needed to set up lights and try to get the stage frame built by the end of the night or else we simply would not be finished in time for the party. So...thats what we did. We were really on our last bit of energy...but...with the alcohol flowing...we got to work and started to construct the frame. After setting it up (and then putting it back down to get the flags on), it was finally looking like a stage. At the end of the night (around 11pm), it looked something like this.

That was about it for the first day. We enjoyed some relaxation with some friends, and quickly passed out...until the morning.

The sun came up, and we were back at it around 8 or 9 in the morning. We still had tons of work to do...and really wanted to have the party place looking like a party by the time people started showing up. So, we started to get the final bamboo poles set up on the stage, and started to place the white cloth on the back for the projection. We also got all the sound set up, and tested. It was so nice to have tunes to listen to while working, and we listened to tons of OASIS DJ sets throughout the day. That really made it easier to work!

Everything was ready to go, and DJ Kamon started to spin some really old-school reggae tracks while we finished up. The sun was starting to set, another yet amazing sunset blessed us all.

One thing I forgot to mention was that one of our KEY team members was not there. The last "Summer Love" party we did...Jamie, Natsuko, myself, & RICK were dubbed "Team Hurry the Fuck Up". Well, Rick wasnt able to make it until later...so we decided, for him to hold his place in "Team Hurry the Fuck Up"...he would have to redeem himself. I think it was Natsuko and Jamie's idea...but we had decided to BURY Rick in the sand. But, to add insult to injury, we were going to make him dig his own hole, and tell him that it was for part of the stage.

Whats even funnier, is I clearly remember Rick saying at this point "Do you guys really need this hole". We were laughing harder than ever. Anyway, he dug a HUGE hole, big enough for him to sit in...and we buried him....all the while laughing our asses off! He became the Mer-man!

We also got this beautiful sunset shot.

So, the sun was going down...and Dan Kane, Darren, Tender, Dan Hart, & all their friends played an AMAZING acoustic set while the sun went down.

The sun went down on the acoustic set, and it was time for the DJs to start the night. I was the first DJ...and it was the first time the visuals were able to be seem in full force. The set up looked AMAZING!

The party was pumping...and people were dancing. FroBot (myself), Joey, and Nori all were lucky enough to lay down sets before the "RAIN MONSTER" came. It was crazy!!! It went a little sumthin like this.

Around 9:30pm, someone comes running into the party yelling "WERE ABOUT TO GET NAILED BY A RAIN STORM!!!!". The tone of voice is what got me....it was DEAD SERIOUS. I looked at Jamie and we both knew exactly what had to be done. Luckily, I had set up a tent for equipment, and immediately started getting out tarps and whatnot. Literally 1 minute after this, the sky lit up...and rain came down like jungle rain. There was no indication of this storm...and if it wasnt for someone using an iphone and looking at the local radar...we would have been up shit creek. We got the gear out of the rain JUST in time...and...of course...have no pictures to show for this. The last thing on our minds was "taking pictures". The rain didnt last long, but the radar showed a bunch more rain coming throughout the night....so we were hesitant to put up the expensive sound system again. After a little bit of drizzle...and some brainstorming between Jamie and I....we set up the tarps over the stage, put the speakers within them...and set up the ipod for about a half hour. This at least kept the music going, and people were ready for a party again.

However, Jamie and I made a BONEHEAD move. Remember, that if you STAPLE a tarp to bamboo poles, it NO LONGER works as a tarp is intended to! HAHAHA. Needless to say, water was kind of dripping into the stage...and we were worried about gear. Never-the-less, DOM PANG said he would risk his own gear....so we left the mixer only...and he set up. He started to pound an AWESOME techno set...and people were again, dancing and partying it up!

The party was supposed to end around 2am...but...well...it didnt. It went all night. Dom rocked out for a while, Asogi too, Alex aka Freebass, then Karla jumped behind to the wheel for the sunrise set (she had eagerly wanted!!!).

I fell asleep for like an hour around this point...and Tim spun for a while, then Karla again...and they made sure that this party wasnt gonna stop!!!

The weather was looking promising, so we set the gear back up...and the DJs who use CDJ's were able to get on. Hiran played a nice chill morning set...and kept it moving through morning.

At some point...Hiran looked me straight in the eyes and said "Tsukarata!" (im tired). I couldnt agree with him more. I was running on 1 hour of sleep, and most other people were at about the same point. I needed to find a DJ or SOMEONE to go on to make sure that this party didnt stop....and then, one of the locals showed up with his FLUTE and did a small performance for us. It was FUNNY to say the least.

When he finished up, I was unable to find any DJs that were still awake who hadent played already...so I jumped back on for a long 2 hour set. It was at this point people started to take pictures again...(sorry to the DJs who there are no pictures for...it seems everyone dropped out of picture mode from like 12pm-9am).

I was dead tired...so Masamune jumped behind the decks for the final set of the party. People were still dancing away until about noon.

When Masamune finished... Jamie, Natsuko, and I were feeling pooped...but knew there was still a ton of work ahead. We decided to tear down everything while we still had help from everyone else. We started to tear down...and it happened in a fraction of the time it took to put up. 

We packed it all up...enjoyed some swimming for a bit...and then got on the road. I passed out within a few seconds of leaving...only to awake to some ice cream (yea, team hurry the fuck up LOVES ice cream).

With everything finished, Summer Love II was a major success. The energy was great, the people were so friendly, and Love & Peace was in the air. This party would not have been possible without everyones help. Matt, Jamie, Natsuko, Joey, & all the artists, performers, & food stall friends....thank you so much for all your hard work. I hope we can continue to do parties like this in the future....where LOVE & PEACE are the only things that matter!

Teaching Kids English Using Sequential Memory Through Drumming Experiment - VIDEO

For those of you not familiar with my "drum sequencing" experiment, you can read my first blog here - http://djfrobot.blogspot.com/2010/07/teaching-kids-english-using-right-brain.html

We use the right hemisphere of our brains to determine rhythm (other parts too which were discovered more recently). We use mostly our left side for sequential memory. When individuals are preparing to tap out a rhythm of regular intervals (1:2 or 1:3) the left frontal cortex, left parietal cortex, and right cerebellum are all activated. That is why this idea utilizes a childs brain to the maximum! I found out after doing this exercise, after doing some research...that an experiment has already been done using 16 words by a guy named CHAN. Chan’s study controlled for age, grade point average and years of education and found that when given a 16 word memory test, the musicians averaged one to two more words above their non musical counterparts. This however did not test new words in a different language.

Also, realize that this is called RIGHT BRAIN SEQUENCING. The reason is because the grid is given to the children...where concrete answers are visually given. (you could argue left or right here) If this was all auditory, it would be a lot more left brain as we use that for sequence...but realize...that recently...all of this is changing anyway. We are finding out more information everyday about neural science, and realizing that our brains are a lot more complex than we thought. We use many different parts of our brain for each function...contrary to old theories. So using multiple functions of the brain to remember a foreign language may create bolder images in their brains.

Also...working within their short term memory while sequencing these can help to remember weird conjugations...because having to do a little bit of "work-around" on the word rhythmically kind of relates to the "work-around" that is "conjugation". I will later go on to put these to practical use for long term memory...so those of you saying, "They will only remember it when in sequence"....that is not the case. I want to create pathways in their brains to these words - a foundation so to say - then we will make practice use of them in conversation over the next few weeks with activities, drills, and frequent use.

Also...we will be triggering parts of our short-term memory by grouping these words into smaller groups of four...and with the younger children, since I am using opposites, those words break down even smaller into groups of two. This is what short-term memory is defined as by wiki -

Short-term memory allows recall for a period of several seconds to a minute without rehearsal. Its capacity is also very limited: George A. Miller (1956), when working at Bell Laboratories, conducted experiments showing that the store of short-term memory was 7±2 items (the title of his famous paper, "The magical number 7±2"). Modern estimates of the capacity of short-term memory are lower, typically on the order of 4–5 items,^[1] however, memory capacity can be increased through a process called chunking.^{[citation needed]} For example, in recalling a ten-digit telephone number, a person could chunk the digits into three groups: first, the area code (such as 215), then a three-digit chunk (123) and lastly a four-digit chunk (4567). This method of remembering telephone numbers is far more effective than attempting to remember a string of 10 digits; this is because we are able to chunk the information into meaningful groups of letters. Herbert Simon showed that the ideal size for chunking letters and numbers, meaningful or not, was three.^{[citation needed]} This may be reflected in some countries in the tendency to remember telephone numbers as several chunks of three numbers with the final four-number groups, generally broken down into two groups of two.
Short-term memory is believed to rely mostly on an acoustic code for storing information, and to a lesser extent a visual code. Conrad (1964)^[2] found that test subjects had more difficulty recalling collections of words that were acoustically similar (e.g. dog, hog, fog, bog, log).
However, some individuals have been reported to be able to remember large amounts of information, quickly, and be able to recall that information in seconds.

So the idea here is to make sequences in small groups of 4...like beats in a measure, and build up to 16.

After getting some requests for videos about this, I decided to try to really explore this idea, and film it all the while. I video taped 5 classes at one of my smaller schools. I thought of this project as a small experiment, where I specifically test different and independent parts of the childrens brains. I specifically change rhythms, tempos, dynamics, & game speed to see if sequential memory can play a role in learning difficult English words. Also, from a musical stand point, I just wanted to see how the children would react to different rhythms. I used youtube annotations to note when some interesting things happened. Here are some notes I noticed overall -

1. The children could hear a woodblock better than the hand drum, and determined the correct number of taps more often. I think this is due to 2 things. One is the fact that the woodblock has a fast attack sound without much sustain. This probably makes a sharper image in the brain and ear. The other is the fact that the woodblock had 2 UNIQUE sounds, that differ in pitch. These are very distinctly unique sounds to the brain. It also gives an "A" "B" sequence to the rhythm, and makes it easier to remember. The hand drum has this too, but depending on WHERE exactly I hit the drum, I can get a little bit of a different sound. Even though it is CLEAR to us musicians that it is different, its not as predictable as the solid sound of the woodblock. Also, the drum resonates and leaves a small rumbling sound over top of the next tap...which could probably lead to confusion when calculating hits quickly by children.

2. Each kid has a different way of playing this game. Its really interesting to see the different styles. One style (and most common for younger kids) is to point and count the squares on the board. This is effective, because the younger kids can retain what they just heard pretty easily...they just cant COUNT fast enough to keep up with the older kids. The board is a much more visual and reliable means to count through the beats.

Another way is counting internally or using fingers. Many of the kids (especially as they start getting to about 8 years old) start counting in their heads. Probably in their native (Japanese) language, but I dont really mind. I want them to be efficient at whatever way they choose.

Some kids will tap the beat out on their legs or hands to mimic it, and count it out. This is really neat, because you can start to see our brains ability to "slow down" or "speed up" rhythms even at a very young age. They will mimic the beat, sometimes slower or faster...with no problem at all. It is amazing how when a sound has an "A" "B" type rhythm, kids naturally go to their legs to mimic it. We have 2 legs, 2 hands, making it only natural to re-drum them out on your thighs.

Some children start to remember the sequence. Young kids will remember the first 4 or 8....but the older kids start to remember all of it. This shows brain growth in older kids ability to remember sequentially. They sometimes dont even need to look at the board to know the answer...and definitely would not need to if there wasnt a difficult English word as a response.

My favorite way that kids were doing this...which was SO AMAZING, was mathematically. A lot of Japanese kids use "soroban"...which is an old fashion calculator used in Asia. So, with my older kids, I started to explain some things out to them -

"If I do a beat of 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5 (all exactly same in rhythm), then 1...then, by understanding multiplication its (3x5)+1."

When I was using the woodblock, I started tapping the "A" "B" rhythms into smaller groups so they could do the math. After explaining this to my older kids, they were MUCH faster. I dont know if it is only Japanese children...which I doubt, but its amazing!!!

3. It would be nice to let the kids do the drumming. But what I realized after this, is that it is a little bit brain intensive for me. And just because kids can recall or mimic a rhythm, does not mean that they can create it. They just simply do not have the hand-eye motor-skills to do this. So in order for this to work, I need to be able to recall certain beats after mistakes are made. It is actually kind of tough to make a beat, remember it, make sure the kids say the right English, correct it, recall it again exactly if mistakes are made, and keep the tempo of the game going...which is key for little kids.

4. I also realized that my children who take music lessons are MUCH better at this game, and my piano playing little girls could do this whole activity in broken rhythms...meaning just random off timed taps. I didnt make a video of my last student because it was a one-on-one (I wish I would have). She was amazing at this game, and loves playing the piano. So obviously, music education will help sequential memory (but this goes without saying).

5. There is a big difference right around age 6 or 7, where more complicated memory games become more interesting to children. There is a big shift between being a baby or child, into a learning student. So there was an obvious correlation between the "amount of taps that were able to be recalled" and their "age". Again, especially around 6 or 7, when a child has started elementary school and understand what "learning" is. Before that age, everything just seems to "come at" a child rather than be understood for what it is.

6. Swing makes a big difference in younger childrens ability to count them out...especially when using fingers. When a child normally counts, you will notice, they always do it in a rhythmic way where each interval between numbers is evenly spaced. Once you throw a swing into it, they have to do some kind of conversion which they have not developed so well yet. I thought this was really interesting!

7. If you notice, things that have an "A" "B" way to remember them, like opposites or "run - ran"...the pitch of my voice goes from "up" to "down". This is really good for them for many reasons. It makes another small grouping of the words for short term memory. Also, when we speak, and finish with a pitch going up...it is either a question, or an unfinished statement. By hearing the first, you naturally want the second. By giving an "upward" with a "downward", it also helps group the 2 together by pitch.

8. Something else really interesting was when I changed from a "rhythmic" beat to a "stale" beat. By stale, I mean a 1,2,3,4,5,6, etc...flat, same tone, and exactly at the same intervals (like a metronome). When I change from a fast paced game with quick "1s" "2s" or even beats...then change to stale...they must quickly start counting "1, 2 ,3 ,4 etc". The change between these kinds of beats is really weird, and a child must be able to pick up from like "3, or 4"...by the time they realized the next stale rhythm. If the child has to start from 1, they will answer too slowly or be all messed up because there is no way to distinguish the taps from each other (because they all sound the same...just "how many" were there). Its hard to explain exactly what I mean by this...but if you watch the videos, it will make more sense.

5. Oh, and one last thing. When I teach little kids, I realized I am just copying Mario Party (which I play with my wife when relaxing in the evenings). My voice sounds like Luigi! "LETS GO" "HERE WE GO". Actually, my brain kind of goes on autopilot with that stuff...because its really more work than it looks...trying to keep the game going fluidly.

A few of the mistakes I may have made in the experiment are as follows :

1. No control group. But, I want all my kids to stay at the same level so I can use the same lessons...so, sorry, no control group.

2. I didnt use 100% sequential memory. After all, I explained each word clearly to the kids, and usually used a hand gesture or way to remember it (mnemonic device). So, I obviously burned a visual memory image into their brains before doing this. If I wanted to see the results of purely sequential memory, I would have only said the words...or even harder, make them remember them without the grid. This is poor application because in the end, I want my kids to LEARN...and learn quickly. So, I used this method.

3. I started each activity a little late, and ran out of video...so, some of the lessons only go up to 12 words.

4. These kids almost never get candy in class, and I did for this experiment...I know...its not really right...but I LOVE these kids, and it was just extra incentive. It is really good to give REALLY LITTLE kids incentive.

5. I could have tried more variations by removing certain elements independently...but again, the goal was to TEACH the words...and not just experiment on the kids.

6. I also never really scolded wrong answers...which may have made kids answer too quickly. So, maybe if I paced the game slower, and took points from them for wrong answers, they would be more accurate. But, I like the pace and the kids do too.

So here are the videos from the classes. I know they can be long and boring, and it is more of a documentation of what happened...so please dont try to sit through all of them...unless its really your thing. I cant stand my teaching voice for that long! There best parts are the beginnings and endings.

Class 1 - Age 5 & 6

I love this class. These little girls are so cute and ALWAYS laughing. They are very smart. The one little girl just re-joined the class, so she is a little bit behind, but she will catch up.

Class 2 - Age 10-12

 This is a class with 3 of my older kids. They are smart, and one of them is always tapping on things and loves drumming. This experiment had amazing results at the end of the video where I show how speeding up or slowing down a rhythm has no effect on the kids ability to realize it was the SAME rhythm that they had just heard. Also that when adding ONE extra tap to a similar rhythm, kids easily use math to figure out the right square. Watch the ending of this video to see it!

Class 3 - Age 4,6, & 7.

 These are all newer students of mine...less than a year at least. The age gap is a little bit big on the younger child...but hes a smart a cool little guy...and hes becoming a little man! Its great. He tries very hard, and I push him pretty hard. This class, I was working on reading simple words that end with "at". They just started it the week before, and are picking up phonics pretty fast.

Class 4 - Age 5 & 6

This is one of my funnest classes. I have been teaching these kids for 2 1/2 years...since they were very little. They each have such a unique personality. I really started to notice their inability to count out taps when there was a SWING to the rhythm. Chika "kancho'd" me!

Class 5 - Age 8 & 9 

This is another class I have taught for 2 1/2 years. These boys are so funny, and anything related to nasty, "Red & Stimpy" style humor...is right up their alley. They are quick & smart though.

 I will try to update this with result videos and see if they recall them after the next few weeks activities.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!

"House Sucks" & "Greatest Composer" Released w/ Notes

FroBot - House Sucks (Original Mix) by FroBot

Hey everyone! I released 2 new tracks today! Awwww yea! The first one is called "House Sucks" and is an ironic electro house track. "I hate house music...I hate techno, I hate house, I hate electronica, whatever the FUCK you call it...it SUCKS". What a great line! I actually scarfed this clip from a youtube video -


 Funny hey! I thought you guys would like to know where I am picking up my samples from...and I thought this guy was just perfect. Thanks youtube...and the "I hate techno guy".

Anyway, from a technical stand point, I was trying to do some different things in this track. I was using a much rounder kick and no real bass line for part of it. Hoping to see if I could create a different feel on the dance floor with that little change. That is why the track is short, because its more of a crowd-switcher-upper. Also, I tried doing some weird things with swing placement and clap placement. At the beginning of the track, the claps are not on the 2 & 4...I was just looking for a different kind of swing. I then switch back to the stand 2 & 4 soon after and it makes the swing really heavy. I also tried really taking things off time during the breakdown...and I just kind of triggered in what I wanted. Also, bringing the vocals and kick back in on the 7th beat instead of 8 worked out nicely with the audio samples.

FroBot & Flirtphonic - Greatest Composer (Original Mix) by FroBot

The 2nd track I am releasing is a collaboration I did with a new friend. This is a really cool story. Living in Osaka, Japan...which is right dead-center between Kyoto, Nara, Kobe (and is the 2nd biggest city in Japan)...there are tons of tourist and backpackers who come through. So, as you might guess, my couchsurfing.org account is pretty active. I dont usually have time to host people...but I leave it up there in case any producers or musicians are rolling through. I always have time to make some music with people...and since I have a nice studio here...its nice to collaborate with international musicians. I can usually throw together a drum circle, or sit around and produce...so I leave my account up there stating just that. Anyway, a guy named Jasper (Flirtphonic) messaged me saying he was a dj/producer in South Korea...and we should make some tunes. So, long story short, he came to my place...and we put together this track. It came together in 2 days. It is actually the same track I talk about in one of my youtube tutorials -


 This was a little bit more of an experimental track with some darker sounds. We also used a lot of Nintendo low-fi glitches all during the 2nd half. We really played around with panning, autopan, and removing record quantization. When you put headphones on, the low-fi glitchy sounds want to bounce through your brain. The vocal samples were from some random youtube video which I have since lost...a guy speaking at a music conference. Sounded nice and the audio was already in a HQ format.

If you want to listen to some of "Flirtphonic's" music, his soundcloud is here - FLIRTPHONIC SOUNDCLOUD.

Also...for those of you who have been reading my blog a while...I tossed 1 extra track up that I am not promoting. Its the first track I ever made...so I thought you guys might get a kick out of it. It has a lot of problems...but at least you can see where I came from. You gotta go to my soundcloud account to get it - FroBot SoundCloud.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! I am still working on new tracks now...and each time getting a little bit technically better than before as I learn all this. I am still learning ableton just like the rest of you...and learning what works well on bigger speakers.

The only real problem I am having recently is with producers GAIN SMASHING their tracks just to sell more online. Some people like to smash or over compress so it sounds louder when compared to other tracks. They do this at a cost of removing dynamics from the tracks. I have asked my mastering engineer to slightly gain smash all my tracks....so I can test them in the club and see which sound better. I dont release there, they are just for testing. Obviously, ruining dynamics of a track is not a good thing, and something I dont really want to do...but, I still want to test how the club speakers feel about them. So, my tracks mastered volume sometimes feels a smidge lower than some other producers tracks right now. But since I am not in a huge hurry to SELL to tons of people at the expense of lower sound quality....for the time being, I will just use Tarekith's Guide to Metering idea where checking the average RMS of a track, and bringing other tracks down to that level...then pumping the master volume on the club mixer up....will keep all my tracks at the same volume. This way, I can still get equal volume on MY tracks, without ruining dynamics. I still have a lot of decisions to make later on about this topic.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Comment if you feel it! Thanks!

Peace!

FroBot

Headspace Studio (Nara) Creates Interactive VJ Pyramid at Summer Love Beach Party

Last weekend, a group of people (including myself) from Osaka & Nara organized a chill little beach party in Tango Hanto. Tango Hanto is North of Kyoto on the Sea of Japan (about 2 1/2-3 hours from Osaka).

The party was on Saturday, but I went up Friday morning with my wife, Jamie (from Headspace Studios), and Rick (another great visual artist). Our goal (and Jamie's brainchild) was to make a giant, 4 sided pyramid out of bamboo and hang a camera under it, to create the visuals that would display on the rocks above the DJ. But, after a LONG morning getting up there, getting stuck in sand on the beach, and getting totally drunk...we dubbed ourselves - Team - "Hurry the Fuck Up"...that was basically the story of our weekend! The first night...after barely getting anything done for the art installation....we sat back, and watched this amazing sunset! -

This picture does not do it any justice at all! It was amazing!

Anyway, day 2 rolled around, and we finally got the car pulled out of the sand. We slowly, very slowly....started to get our shit together. We got some super long bamboo poles...and started to construct the pyramid. In the end, it all looked like this -

Just some bamboo poles (we found near an old temple down the road), some string, and some wire...and you got a 4 sided pyramid man!

And this thing was a monster...bigger than we expected, and Jamie was climbing all over it all night! I even saw a girl dancing and hanging off it.

We got the camera and projector secured, and mixing board mounted on the side....and then started to play with the visuals. Here is a little video of us playing with it. Rob is playing with some fire, and I am getting all the DJ shit set up there with my wife! It was cool to see it come together!





 

After a good long weekend of music, visuals, dancing, drinking, swimming, relaxing....we tore the bamboo down in a fraction of the time it took to set up....and took the long road home. Along the way we stopped at a farm and ate delicious steaks (all of Team Hurry the Fuck Up)...and then slowly cruised home....and all the while eating too much ice cream. It was a great weekend...and one I hope to do again!

FroBot

Making Music with Shoes (Japan Nike Commercial)

Music in Osaka Jo Koen (The Park that Never Sleeps)

Osaka Jo Koen (Osaka Jo Castle) is one of main symbols of Osaka which has a unique history and is almost always a stopping point for travelers visiting the city. The castle is historic, and the park enables you to get lost in nature (while being right in the city).

It is no surprise (but little known) that this is a great place for musicians to come and make noise at anytime of the night. That is the topic of this article. Musicians in Osaka Jo Koen.

Most people dont usually associate Osaka Jo Koen with being a music haven...except for the music hall and the small outdoor concert location that are within the park. After living in Morinomiya for the last few years...you kind of get to see the ins and outs of the park. And, being a musician, I am always running into other musicians throughout the park (at the oddest hours of the night). This is why I say, this park never sleeps...because at ANY GIVEN HOUR of ANY GIVEN DAY...you will find musicians in this park. In the day time, you can find festivals, concerts, performances, and full on events in the park. In the night time, you will find musicians...tapping away on drums, blowing trumpets as to sound the armies, or sitting quietly with a violin or koto under a secluded tree. The music really never stops in this park, and is why it is my favorite spot in all of Osaka to live.

Also, I know from being here a while that musicians come and go. Foreigners especially are looking for other musicians to make music with, and are always posting ads in the local classifieds looking for certain musicians. This may help you find what you are looking for. Just by walking through Osaka park at 1:30 am, you will be able to find almost any kind of musician you are looking for....and usually the hardcore kind who...well...go out to Osaka Jo at 1:30 just to make noise!

What I am going to do, is detail some of the great places in Osaka Jo where you can find music, musicians, and overall good fun!

Osaka Jo Hall

 

This place is not so much a place to find underground musicians, but is one the biggest venues to see concerts in Osaka. This place holds big J-Pop concerts, orchestras and bands, and even sumo and other events. Sometimes...you will just be walking through Osaka park, and there will be thousands of girls dressed up like anime characters, or crazy Japanese fashion, because a HUGE idol group is playing at this venue. Its always a funny spectacle....and this place will look like an anthill of people.

The closest station is Osaka Jo Koen Station on Loop-line.

Osaka Jo Koen Walkway

This location is a super rad location just outside of Osaka Jo Koen station. This little walkway has musicians playing all of the time, but is especially popular on Sundays. This whole walkway will be lined with bands and medium sized speakers. Sometimes, even more popular groups will just set up here and do a raw session.

This is a great place to meet other bands and get connected in the scene. You will find some of best artists chilling around here.

Also, if come here late at night, there is a tunnel right beside the hall where there is almost always acoustic singer song writers singing at the top of their lungs. The tunnel has some great reverberation, and is a great spot for acoustic instruments. I also catch didgeridoo players, hand drummers, violinists, koto players, and other interesting musicians here. Even until 6am, you will find musicians here....especially on the weekends.

Morinomiya Station

 

This place is BY FAR the biggest music hub in the park. There are quite a few reasons for this. #1, its one the main stations for entering the park....so during that day time, there are always many people here. This is good for taiko bands or other acoustic yet loud performances. #2, it is right beside the loop line train tracks, and has an empty train yard behind it (which means you can be as loud as you want)....and at night time...there are always anywhere from 10-100 different horn musicians practicing solo or in groups. It really is an amazing spectacle.

Once you exit the park exit, you will find a large walkway with a small stream up the middle. On weekends, bands will occasionally set up right here with small amps.



I have met some really talented jazz bands here.

Also, all around the exit...there are usually TAIKO bands practicing and dancing. Osaka Jo Park almost always has one of these going on somewhere...but, near the station is quite common because they can be REALLY loud.



For horn players, any night of the week, you can find them around here...or more specifically, along the road parallel with the train tracks.

If you walk into the park a little towards the fountain...you will find many different hand drummers who like to practice near the small stream and around the fountain. There are tons of good jam sessions here...and when Im bored during the day time...I just take my hand drum out there and meet some new musicians to jam with.

Be sure to check the parking lot near here too because I have recently been finding full on reggae and jam bands who set up in the dark hours...and blast some loud music with a generator right in the parking lot. Police seem to look the other way (even though speakers are not really allowed here). I even found a big reggae party with DJs

Osaka Jo Outdoor Music Theater

Right beside the fountain near Morinomiya station is the outdoor music theater. On weekends, there is usually some kind of conert going on here...whether it be J-pop, reggae, orchestras, radio promotions, etc. It is really hidden below a steep cliff...and sometimes, a big concert will be going on there but you would never even know it. Sometimes, big artist even come and play here...and it can get really busy. Sometimes, they hold practices for big ensembles, which is a nice treat to listen to on the overlooking cliff above it. 

East Moatside Walkway

If you continue into the park from Morinomiya station, you will come across the outer moat walkway. This is one of my favorite places to find drummers. 

This little walkway always seems to have hand drummers jamming in the evenings...alone, and in groups. It is a good place to make a new friend and rock out some funky beats. I would say 90% of the time on weekday evenings, you can find a drummer here. On weekends, its goes without saying. There are also tons of singer songwriters here practicing because it is a really peaceful spot...and is a backup plan when the tunnel is occupied.

Osaka Jo Castle (Southside)

This part of the park is one of the main tourist spots in the park. It is the part that leads into the castle, and commonly has music and artists playing up here. This is where you can see all the traditional taiko drummers, koto artists, dancers, performers, etc. During holidays, there is always something going on. 

There are not many solo artists during the daytime, but in the evenings, I find people taking up corners near the inner moat cliffs singing alone or playing horns. 

 Osaka Jo Castle (Northside)

On the north side of the castle...there is another super chill location that musicians like to practice in. When you cross the 2nd moat, you can enter up into the north side of the castle. This is where Osaka Improv Jam Group has their monthly OSAKA JO FULL MOON DRUM CIRCLE. Every full moon, on either the Saturday or Sunday, there is a big drum circle held here. Sometimes, its in a different location depending on the moon...but usually it is here. More info - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=334548339055

 The Orchard

 Another great location to find solo musicians and drum circles is in the plum & peach gardens (The Orchard). This place has had a reputation of putting on good DJ parties (before the police busted them all up). I, however, still catch the occasional party here. Young kids like to bring speakers and DJ equipment, and party here. It still happens, just not as much. I always seem to meet other flute players, drummers, and soloists here...as it is very quiet and has amazing views overlooking the first moat.

Osaka Jo Koen (West Side)

The west side of the park, even being close to the big buildings near Tanimachi 4-chome, still has a bunch of musicians who like to set up here. This is a lot closer for people carrying BIG drums as there is parking on this side...so there tends to be BIG taiko sessions here. This is also the side with the big park that cost a couple hundred yen to get into...but is a great place to have a chill session with 1 or 2 other musicians. The pay-park is beautiful. Also, just outside the west entrance is where the 50's greasers like to dance.

 There are many other locations in the park where musicians like to hide and make noise...but these are just some of the few common locations to find musicians and music. Some of the best locations will stay secret...as they are the few gems that we have in the park. If you are musician and want to find other musicians....a Friday night stroll is all it takes to find anyone you are looking for. In the evening on weekends, you will find multiple bands playing. On holidays, you will find HUGE performances. Osaka Jo Koen is really a great, unappreciated spot in Osaka when it comes to music. I am glad to live right here...because any night of the week...and I can just take an instrument out to Osaka Jo....and get away from the city lights, pollution, and people. It is where many of the unknown talented artists like to be heard by the heavens, and no one else.

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