Japanese Alt-Rockers D.A.N. Talk Opening for James Blake, Collab with Floating Points Ahead of Sep 7 Yugong Yishan Gig

Will Japanese Alt-Rockers Be the Ones to Dispel Beijing's Drought at Their Sep 7 YGYS Gig?

Kyle Mullin | Sep 5, 2018 4:00 pm | Add a comment | 1970 reads

[UPDATE Sep 7, 11am] The venue for the Sep 7 D.A.N. show has been changed to Yue Space.

Although plenty of bands play with enough passion and prowess to get crowds moving, how many can say they summoned a rainstorm with their performance? It certainly felt like D.A.N. could make that claim while performing at Japan’s massive Fuji Rock festival in 2016, when the melodic, eclectic Tokyo alt-rockers (who describe their sound as “sitting somewhere between the minimal alt-pop of The xx and the live dance music dynamic of Caribou”) played their aptly titled song “The Tempest” only to have a downpour commence midway through.

“I was so excited. It felt as if our voices really caused a natural phenomenon,” frontman Daigo Sakuragi recalls of the beautiful coincidence in that moment.

Ahead of the band’s Sep 7 show in Beijing, Sakuragi tells us more about opening for his heroes like James Blake at Fuji Rock, befriending and working with British musician Floating Points in London, England and more.

Tell us about how you first got inspired to become a musician.
Since I was a junior high school student, I learned guitar from my friends and we played together making original riffs. At that time, I found the pleasure of music, and now it still feels the same.

What is the music scene like in Tokyo, and how has it molded and shaped you as an artist?
The music scene in Tokyo is diverse and chaotic. Under these circumstances, we are just trying to create sounds that are more personalized in our own way.

What was the most memorable song or moment of James Blake’s set at Fuji Rock when you opened for him there in 2016?
I still remember when he played the song named “Voyeur” which strongly impacted people's mood. It brought the crowd to tears.

What is your favorite song by the xx and how has that song inspired you as a musician?
“Stranger in a Room (feat. Oliver Sim)”. In fact, for me, Jamie xx inspires me more than The xx.

How about Caribou?
I often listen to Caribou's album Our Love and I recommend his song called “Ahora”.

When you worked with Floating Points at his studio what was the best song that you all created together? Why?
After his gig at Kyoto Metro, I was able to visit his studio in London through a friend. Then we worked together to record our new songs, and I learned a lot from that experience.