Interviews

Matsuri Party

New Jersey, USA, May 10, 1997

This was the first of three consecutive weekends of hearing Tsuyoshi play in 3 different countries. I was a fan and he was a good friend, and the experiences were quite amazing. I didn’t write up the second party – in London at Adrenaline Village – but the third one is also found on these pages: Return to the Source at Mount Fuji. If that could be the culmination of the three, it was clearly in order of quality. This first one was shocking. Read on.

High Expectations

Psychedelic trance is not yet established in America, but things are starting. Return to the Source’s phenomenal party at New York’s Liberty Science Center last September was the most perfect introduction one could hope for. In particular, Tsuyoshi elicited a stellar response from the crowd after playing one of the most riveting sets in the memory of this writing. Teenagers whose Japanese vocabulary consisted of “Honda” and “Toyota” were yelling his name and storming the stage like Beatles fans. Expectations were naturally high for his return to the US, and so I decided to go along when I heard he would be playing with Juno Reactor.

I might have started to wonder whether things were as they should have been when I heard that Perfecto’s BT had been booked for the party as well…without Tsuyoshi’s prior consent. Surely any act of quality does not need to appeal to a lower common denominator. Nor, one must admit, need one mistake obfuscate the glory by which it might be surrounded. In this case, however, this act was simply an indication of the misguided priorities and intention that manifested itself in far too many ways at this party.

Shocking conditions

Having attended Aurora Psychedelica in Japan at a stunning conference center, I imagined that the Asbury Park Convention Center at which “Matsuri” would take place might be along the same lines – large, sleek, state-of-the-art. I was not the only one in for a shock as we arrived after a two-hour train ride (with trains leaving only every two hours) and 20-minute walk. It was more of a high school auditorium, falling apart at the seams (a little like the party…), being over 70 years old and not well maintained. [Note: You can see this dump at the opening of the 1999 movie “Dogma.” It is the large building in the background near which the old man gets beaten up.]

While having a mind-blowing party in a high-school-like atmosphere appeals to the subversive in me, it didn’t seem right in this case. I couldn’t imagine how they expected to squeeze the expected 4000 people in here (I suppose “squeeze” would be the operative word), but there was no worry about that happening as only about 700 showed up. Those that did were naturally appalled that there was neither toilet paper nor running water in the washrooms, and that non-bottled water cost $2 per environmentally-unfriendly polysterene cup. Quite a change from September’s venue, with its carpeted floors and free water fountains. I don’t think too many people got what they expected, neither the initiated dancers nor the novices, neither the artists nor the promoters.

The Music

The music was a good deal darker than the crowd might have expected but it was more than acceptable. Keisuke was at the helm first, playing some introspective yet pretty up tunes. No complaints here. BT came next (complaints here) and was as inspiring as the monolithic corporation of the same name [British Telecom, for the benefit of non-British readers]. Next paragraph.

That’s better. Indeed, that’s how it felt when Mike Maguire got behind the controls. Never mind “next paragraph,” try “next dimension.” I had heard about his epic set a week earlier in Japan, and was looking forward to being blown away. That I was. Tribal rhythms and patterns beamed down from another planet – a rather dark one – prevailed. It was a kind of music I haven’t heard for a very long time, and was welcome to my ears and those of many others by the looks of it, though there was a great deal of confusion going on between the ears of the uninitiated. “I don’t get it” someone said to me. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone.

Live Challenges

Juno Reactor did a full-on live set next which was darker and more “rock and roll” than a lot of dancers had expected. I enjoyed it, but it was obvious that much of the crowd couldn’t get into it. Their act went overtime and Chakra came on. Once again, X-Files drew a huge reaction, but the sound cut out five times in this track. Tsuyoshi put on a track while the problem was resolved, and Chakra went on the play the best set I’ve heard him do – lots of great new stuff with growling 303s.

The Maestro

By the time Tsuyoshi’s turn came around (half an hour late at 5:30), a lot of people had already left. Those that hadn’t weren’t disappointed, though. He played an unbelievable set, thoroughly different from the more “traditional Goa” set he played in September, yet equally admirable in terms of the quality of the music and the presentation. He’s managed to find some wicked tunes that have breakbeats yet are still deep and electric – this is how one appeals to all common denominators, not just the lowest one. (The organizers could learn well from their main artist’s approach.) All in all, a brilliant set, a great way to end any party.

After Hours

At least, that’s where the official party ended. Outside the venue was a beautiful quiet beach which became the setting for a big chill-out. Oh, how glorious the party would have been out here – with nothing around this dead town but boarded-up shops and empty streets, there would have been no sound complaints! [Once again, check out “Dogma.”] Then Ted (from Chai Conspiracy) tracked down a sound system (don’t ask me how), got it rigged, and a motley crue of trance-heads danced for three hours to a great set provided by Keisuke. (The others had already been driven back to the city – Tsuyoshi expressed disappointment at not having been able to be there.) The weather was glorious and sunny, and the vibe was definitely there. Sometimes the best things in life are not planned…

A lesson to be learned…

A brilliant ending, however, cannot draw attention away from the misguided attempt on the part of the organizers (none of whom are connected with Matsuri Productions) to cash in while ignoring elements necessary for a good party. If September’s party was so amazing, it’s because everybody involved gave it their all. Massive Productions have evidently let their initial success lead them to believe that subsequent success will not require requisite effort. In this they are thoroughly mistaken. You get out of something what you put into it, and if your motives are not correct, you will regress rather than make the slightest progress.

Yet if it seems that the scene is in trouble in the States, take heart. I met a number of intelligent, enthusiastic youngsters who are passionate about the music and great parties. They have already had some small, family-like parties since September, and plans are underway to get things rolling on a slightly larger scale without losing the original vibe. Let us hope that organizers of the larger events in the future will follow the same path.

Postscipt: Massive Productions later became Tsunami, and from what I have heard from artists and partyers alike, things did NOT change as far as their intention and organization is concerned.
© Mark Ainley 2003