On Sunday, June 29th, “TOKYO PLAYGROUND #1” was held at “KABUKICHO TOWER STAGE” in Tokyu Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku, Tokyo. This is a free event that is a “new playground where music and culture intersect.” Not only were the audience members in the priority area that they had probably visited with the artists they performed (you can enter by registering for a pre-survey or following on social media), but also people who happened to pass by stopped and enjoyed the live performance.
The first commemorative event was coloured by three groups from Thailand’s VINI, Malaysia’s babychair, and from within Japan, Cody Lee, EMNW, and Dead By Inches. The lineup, which is both a diverse background and musicality, is likely to reflect the event’s philosophy of “a real platform for artists to meet, connect, and move on to the next stage, across genres and borders.”
After the performance, the event was announced to be held as a second time, giving us a feeling that it will grow as an event where you can meet up with up-and-coming musicians as soon as possible.
Text by Ryutaro Kuroda
Photo by Rintaro Miyawaki
Dead By Inches
In the midst of an early summer festival-like atmosphere, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees every day, Dead By Inches appeared as the first act. It is a four-member rock band that mainly operates in Tokyo. The live show began with “Florida,” which has an impressive ominous bass line, and Miai (Vo., Gt.)’s lazy voice slowly spreads throughout the venue.
As soon as I finished the song, a cool breeze began to blow. I thought so for a moment, but then a hard guitar sound that shook my vision. “Hera” is a place that is on the accelerating drums, and gives you a thrilling sound that looks like it’s an enhanced alternative. The following “That I” gives the impression of an ecstatic indie rock that has passed through a shoegazer, and the roaring sound that blocks out the sunlight and cool vocals are pleasant. The show ends with a dreamy “Tokiko.” I think he was really appealing to his charm in a short amount of time.
EMNW
The second group is EMNW, formed by Yuki Ema, who is from Yokohama and Menyu, who is from Okinawa. This 2MC style band is based on the “Reiwa Mixture Rock,” and quickly sets the fire on “More Fire” with its spectacular drums and bass. “KAMASU,” sings “EMNW is gonna wake up,” is in great shape, and the song switches to melodic punk from the middle, and then the rhythm of Okinawan folk songs is inserted into it, making it a cheerful number that can be anything. From there, we went from “How are you doing?”, where you can hear life-sized lyrics with a strong spirit, to “Brain Dead People,” which incorporates reggae style with “Keep on Rollin” interposed. Both of them have cheerful characters, and it’s cool to hear each song with a heart-warming atmosphere.
“Next time I’d like to sing an EMNW ballad,” he said, “Heywa,” but rather it’s a colorful, rhythmic, pop song that feels like it’s breathing in the sunlight. Finally, they left the stage with a lively performance of “Hyaku Zero,” which lets them hear a heavy performance again, and “Here We Go EMNW!!,” which sings “Let’s listen carefully, just listen carefully.”
babychair
At 5pm, when the sun began to lean a little, the third babychair appeared. Malaysian-born, it is a synth pop band consisting of three members: Sean (Vo.), Aaron (Dr., Ba., Gt.), and Young (Key., Synth). The delicate singing voice that disappears, the soft touch of drums, the smooth synth that blends in with the air…I feel like the atmosphere suddenly changed from the first song, “Thinking Of You.” The live performance will be enchanting from the beginning, with a dreamy “Time” that invites you to a fantasy and a “Call You” that reminds you of the Chill Waves of the 10s.
“Dear” was sung with Sean’s “Thank you.” The sweet and gorgeous soul “All Day All Night” is wonderful, with rhythmic drums shaking your body. The keyboards, which use different tones for each song, have a stunning charm, such as “Dreamy Summer” that lets you hear glittering synths, and “Losing My Mind”, which has a relatively strong attacking sound, and the keyboards that use different tones for each song are also captivating. I think he captivated listeners throughout the show, with his “Staying Up All Night” which encouraged call and response, and “Oh It’s You,” which has a floating feel like riding the breeze, and his outstanding pop music.
Cody Lee
Cody Lee’s live performance began with “Boys Don’t Cry.” This year, Hibiya No Noto’s solo live performance, commemorating the 3rd anniversary of his major debut, was also a successful band, making it a well-known band among the acts that day. Their performances are packed with lots of nutrients, with pop melody that will captivate your ears in one go, light and stylish phrases, and lyrics that give off a sense of affinity. The second song, “It’s Just Feeling!”, is irresistible to feel the refreshing feeling of blowing away the lukewarm breeze. Above all, the lyrics of this song, which features “Thank you!” in many languages, are perfect for this event where musicians of all nationalities meet together.
The new song, “Dance Planet,” has a strong presence with its thick bass, and the audience is swaying gently along with the handscrap. He was attracted to the light cutting and “I Love You” where he was filled with “chilled green onion soba” and cheers were raised just by the intro. The oriental phrases and sticky bass that stimulate the waist make it feel good, and the performance becomes emotional, just like the gear changes in this song. The “DANCE Amygdala” is an upper song that starts off with a thrilling bass, and makes you dance along with spacey keys. After the MC, “It was a live performance that was invited by someone who took care of Cody Lee, so I would like to play it well and go home,” the performance ended with the performance of “Yellow.” Compared to the refreshing A-melody, the ensemble of outros that liberate the soul was impressive.
VINI
The last one to appear was Thai pop duo VINI. The four-person lineup includes support for the guitar and drums, in addition to Fhong (Vo.), Ply (Ba., Vo.). The songs are a light blend of disco, electronica, indie pop, and synth pop, making them an attractive, and they will be performing a gorgeous live performance that is perfect for the finale.
The live show, which began with the chic rhythmic electropop “The cage,” passed through the danceable “PROMISES,” and connected to “After hours,” which lets you hear dark bass that crawls on the asphalt. The performance is a darker one that makes a slightly different impression from the original, and is a signaling the arrival of the night. Furthermore, the set list changes the scenery with each song, with a romantic sound called “Tide & You” resonating in Shinjuku, where the sun is set, and the song connects to “cyber love” with sweet melody like cotton candy, and a slightly funky “anti love” that will keep the audience bored.
“4am love,” sung by Fhong with his guitar, is also a song that you can dance wildly, and the elastic bass is extremely good. It’s a stage that will make you forget all the fatigue of the day, from “lost love” to the lightness of Indy Rock.
Finally, the harmony between Fhong and Ply is “late nite”. Although ennui, the danceable songs seem to have attracted many people who were roaming the city.
Set in Shinjuku, a town where multinational people come and go, you can experience live performances by promising new artists, as well as get the chance to perform at overseas festivals and showcases in Japan and abroad.Audition planning“TOKYO PLAYGROUND” is also being held. As we continue to do so, we will likely grow into a platform that is like an “intersection” where stimuli are exchanged across borders.
The second event is scheduled to be held on Saturday, September 27th. SAR, Billyrrom, and Thai trio KIKI have already been confirmed to appear. Also check it out.
[Event Information]
“TOKYO PLAYGROUND #1”
Date and Time: Sunday, June 29th, 2025, 14:00 / START 15:00
Venue: KABUKICHO TOWER STAGE, 1st floor, Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Cast:
VINI
babychair
Cody Lee
EMNW
Dead By Inches
==
“TOKYO PLAYGROUND #2”
Date: Saturday, September 27th, 2025
Venue: KABUKICHO TOWER STAGE, 1st floor, Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Cast:
KIKI
Billyrrom
SAR
…and more!
