REPORT ｜TOSH “The Edge of Night vol.1”

Text by Kaori Komatsu
Photo by Saicho

TOSH, a singer-songwriter from and living in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, released his 3rd EP “Somewhere” and held the sponsored event “The Edge of Night vol.1” at SPACE ODD in Daikanyama, Tokyo. It was a night where a wide variety of music was mixed together under the name “Edge”, as TOSH freely crosses over new wave, electro, hyper pop, retro-future pop, etc. based on rock.

First up is Texas 3000, an alternative rock band based in Tokyo. From the first note, a thick, heavy sound echoed through the hall. On the way, Dr. Sakiyama took a cymbal from the drum set and brought it to the center of the stage. Kirin (Bas.) brings the microphone close to the cymbal, and Jojo (Vo./Gt.) hits the cymbal with the drumstick thrown by Sakiyama. Anyway, it was a primitive and experimental live show.

During the final song, “Uma Ga Suki,” Sakiyama let out a “haha” voice, Jojo played an open guitar melody, and Karin played the bass while jumping, closing the live with a particularly catchy ensemble. Ta.

Second place is Acidclank. This is a solo project by Yota Mori, but on this day there were 6 members. Kentaro Nakao (Crypt City, Number Girl, Bosatsukaido) was also seen on stage. Yota Mori plays with a modular synthesizer in the center of the stage, and the sounds of guitar, bass, and drums are added, gradually increasing the excitement.
The ensemble sparked with the cue of Yota Mori’s voice, which was somewhere between a song and a shout. From the first song, “Addction,” the audience was put into a trance.

At the end, they performed “Exit Acid,” which repeats the lyrics “I still want to play, I still want to dance, I want to shake, I still want to scream, I still want to play, I still want to dance” over acid techno, and left the stage to loud applause.

Tori is the host of this night, TOSH. TOSH said, “Thank you so much to Texas 3000 and Acidclank for putting on the best live show! Today was our first band set, so we put a lot of energy into it, so I hope everyone enjoys it.” “Somewhere” is an EP co-produced by Satoshi Anan (ex. never young beach, PAELLAS) and mainly contains songs with strong electro-pop and dance music elements, but as it is the band’s first set, it is very different from the source material. The rock sound image continued to echo.

The EP lead song “Somewhere”, which is a mix of 80s classic pop and 10s alternative, has been transformed into a guitar sound that inhales the scent of the 80s. TOSH faced support guitarist Junsoo Lee (Johnnivan) and strummed his guitar vigorously, and in the middle of the song, he kneeled on the stage and let the guitar resonate. In the following song, “comimg back,” they played a sentimental melody, depicting a floating indie rock feel.

An oriental melody resonated. It’s “WONDER”. It’s an electronic pop tune reminiscent of Dua Lipa and early Lady Gaga. Glittering lights danced in response to the sexy and glamorous groove. Hand claps broke out, and the floor took on a disco feel.

TOSH happily announced to the audience, “I’ve only rehearsed with this band a few times, but the vibe suits me,” and the ensemble focused on each member’s playability. You can hear 80’s synths and enter “LET IT GO”. The audience jumps up and down with joy. It was a very thrilling song that mixed a Chappell Roan-like sound with phrases reminiscent of “Johnny B. Goode” (Chuck Berry), and it was a great success.

For the encore, TOSH said, “Since it’s my first band, I wanted to have fun. I’m going to do a cover of a rock band that I love and have great respect for.” The song starts with The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” which starts with a catchy guitar riff. Play. While many fists were raised from the floor, TOSH exuded a glamorous sex appeal with rough vocalizations.

When TOSH said, “This is the next and last song. Let’s meet again somewhere!”, we could hear lively drums and a count-up. “All Night Long” has a strong NY punk flavor reminiscent of The Strokes. The excitement in the venue was at its peak due to the loud guitar riffs, rapid-fire vocalizations, and tight ensemble. The event reached a grand conclusion.

The Okinawa edition of this project will be held at Naha Live House Output on Sunday, January 12th. TOSH will be performing in a DJ set featuring Eiji Harrison, and guests include Wan Chai Connection and LEF!!!CREW!!!. It looks like the performance will be different from the band set in the Tokyo edition.

[Release information]

TOSH “Somewhere”
Release Date：2024.11.06 (Wed.)
Label：SKID ZERO
Tracklist：
1.Somewhere
2. LET IT GO
3.Always
4. don’t you dare
5. WONDER

[Event information]

Date and time: Friday, December 13, 2024 OPEN 18:30 / START 19:00
Venue: Tokyo, Daikanyama SPACE ODD
Cast:
TOSH (Band Set)
Acidclank (Band Set)
Texas 3000

(TOSH BAND MEMBER)
Naoya Yamamoto (Drums from-Magic Son)
Norito Doi (Bass from-DENIMS / Special Favorite Music)
Junsoo Lee (Guitar from-Johnnivan)
Shogo Takatsu (Synthesizer from-Johnnivan)

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Date and time: Sunday, January 12, 2025 OPEN 18:30 / START 19:00
Venue: Okinawa/Naha Live House Output
Price: ADV. ¥3,500 (1D fee not included)
Cast:
TOSH (DJ Set with Eiji Harrison)
Wan Chai Connection
LEF!!!CREW!!!

■Ticket details (e+)

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■TOSH:X (Twitter) / Instagram