yeah Technique opens at 12:00 mid-day, they close around 10:30pm.... most music people in Japan work till midnight and don't get outta there futon till 11:00
Rob Jarvis Victoria Music Ltd. Unit 215 old gramaphone works 326 Kensal Road London W10 5BZ + 44 (0)20 7565 8193 voice + 44 (0)20 8960 3834 fax http://www.victoria-music.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] (MSN messenger) pro-jex + killa bite + inform + subvoice + room tone + housedust + nepenta + u7 + kne' deep + rodeo meat + response audio + sounds unique + hypercubic + radio sonic + neon + feedback > From: "David Hampson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2003 15:29:26 -0000 > To: <[email protected]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RE: (313) Tokyo Record Store recommendations > > Just thought I'd update on this one as I was provided quite a bit of useful > information from list members... > > I ended up only having half day to record shop in Tokyo so I decided on most > of the information I had received to hit Shibuya. A good guide to finding the > way to where record stores there is > http://jpatokal.iki.fi/text/j2j/05trecord.html > > Rather annoyingly record shops don't seem to open until 11am or later - so I > ended up first in the large HMV there which has pretty much the same stuff as > any branch of HMV anywhere in the world, except it did seem to have a few of > the newer Japan-only releases - for example I picked up a 7" with a Tosh and > Kudo mix on it, and a 12" with some James Brown housey remixes which turned > out to be quite nice... > > I intended to go to Disk Union next as that had came up in numerous > recommendations as the best, but it did not appear to be open - I later > discovered it was, but they put a sign near the bottom of the stairs that > makes it seem like it is closed off (advertising their forthcoming 100yen > sale!). Instead I ended up in Recofan practically across the road, and one > that had not been recommended much to me - actually turned out to be very good > and I picked up a whole bunch of Major Force 12"s... > > I tried Technique - up some stairs in an alley - several times but it was > still closed after 12pm so I figure it must only open certain days or from > late... > > Lastly I ended up in Disk Union which is in a building with a different branch > of the shop on each level so I went first to the techno/house floor - plenty > of bargain secondhand semi-rarities a lot cheaper than London/Manchester - > most 12"s are 200-800yen(1-4 quid). Excellent selection of new and back > catalogue techno, way better than any store I have seen in the UK... No > crappy trance too, whereas most UK shops seem to be 50% crappy trance and 50% > other stuff (perhaps because 50% of UK record buyers are trance muppets?) > > One thing I did notice is that rather bizarrely UK releases are cheaper in > Tokyo, despite having travelled 6000 or so miles - perhaps some UK record > company types can explain why this is so? > > Upstairs was the hip hop/drum and bass/downtempo (oh, and r&b - it seems very > popular in Tokyo; lots and lots of waaaaack records!). Didn't find much stuff > up there, just a few Mo Wax-type things, but if I had a bit more time I would > probably have turned up quite a few cool things! Lot of cheap jungle classics > that you tend to find expensive and beat-up in the UK. Most of the stuff > seemed to be filed in the wrong section though! > > Supposedly there are 100s of record stores in Tokyo so a few more days is > probably justified. Its also worth checking out the area of Akihabara where > you can pick up cheap electronic goods - if you're thinking of buying a new > MD, digital camera or computer components, for example, you can knock 50%+ off > UK prices - kind of helps justify a new toy and the trip :) > > One thing to note is that very few people outside of hotel staff speak English > so you end up blagging your way around a little - my elementary Japanese > didn't work too well, though I did try :) > > Cheers > > David > > > >
