After listening to an interview with a documentary maker, Nick Dwyer, this morning on 6 Music I thought we needed a Kissa thread.
Documentary is called ‘A Century in Sound’, is in three parts and covers 100 years of Kissa culture, hopefully it will be available to stream somewhere soon.
Premiers this week if you are near Sheffield.
Thanks, ticket booked
Lucky man, wish I was closer.
Is it all 3 episodes in one viewing?
Yes, 3 repeat screenings. They only had seats left for the first showing. 106 mins for the whole film.
Update. Enjoyed the film, though it would better watched as 3 separate episodes. There are another 3 to come (maybe as 1x3 sections or 3x1 sections) when he can get things sorted.
It’s meant to show something of the history of Tokyo over the past 100 years through music and the Kissa cafes.
This one covered 1920s on with classical music, then 1950s on with jazz and 1980s on with city pop.
The remaining 3 will be 1990s (depression, heavy stuff), then similar venues outside Japan, and finally 2000s on with ambient music.
Glad you liked it, don’t suppose there was any mention of it been shown elsewhere?
Don’t remember anything from the Q & A. I expect it will do the rounds in minor venues.
Hope so!
Some comments from the director in here
Ta
Blatantly taken from elsewhere.
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I visited five listening bars in three days in London last week: Jazu Bar London, Space Talk, Brilliant Corners, Equal Parts, and Mad Cats. Brilliant Corners opened in 2013 and may be the oldest Japanese-inspired listening bar in the West. The others are all fairly new (1–2 years old). All had turntables, played all/mostly vinyl, had solid sound systems (some custom made), and good drinks. But they all had different personalities and vibes. Space Talk (which doesn’t allow photos, alas) has a cool, retro dinner-club vibe and probably more than the others prioritizes and encourages attentive (if not silent) listening. They also played the most obscure music. Brilliant Corners is one large open space (with a bar up front) and fairly dark; I got there early and enjoyed listening to the sound system by myself. Jazu Bar London and Equal Parts are brighter and airier and have the feel of a neighborhood bar, but JBL (which doesn’t have JBLs) has a DJ desk and dedicated DJs whereas EP (which may or may not have EPs) has a single turntable operated by a bartender. I learned that their records are color-coded (with tape on the spines) for time of day, and the bartender is supposed to pick from the appropriate group. (I was there at about 8 pm and some lively cumbia was playing.) Also, Space Talk, Equal Parts, and Brilliant Corners played whole LP sides, whereas the ones that have DJs played singles.
Although it can be frustrating for some of us to go bars/cafes with high-end audio to have to deal with loud conversations, it’s not an issue for most patrons. But I think that’s OK, and that doesn’t mean that music isn’t important to these patrons. It’s just not the only/main reason they go. Analog is one part of a multisensory vibe that they’re looking for. The menu at Equal Parts, explained it well, I thought:
“Welcome to Equal Parts, your neighbourhood bar where great music and good vibes come together! We’re all about celebrating the timeless warmth of vinyl records, paired with expertly crafted drinks and a cozy at-mosphere. Whether you’re here to relax, discover new sounds, or just enjoy the local scene, we’re excited to have you. Grab a seat, enjoy the tunes, and make yourself at home we’re all equal parts in the mix here!” — in London.
Jazu
Brilliant corners
Equal parts
Equal parts
Mad cats
Mad cats
