This&That CaféThis&That Café Vol.14

The 2013 Artist Caravan is an art project produced by TokyoDex designed to bring a much-needed cultural infusion to a community in Northeastern Japan hit hard by the 2011 disaster. In April of this year, artists and musicians from all over Japan will gather in the town of Karakuwa, Kesennuma to engage in art installations and live performances culminating in an opening party that celebrates life in the face of hardship. This launch party in Tokyo, held within the framework of the regular TokyoDex art & music series “This&That Café,” is designed to raise awareness about the project and showcase some of the artists who will take part in the caravan.

Performance:
Moss
Ryutaro Kaneko
Ryo Watanabe
Cayo Kuwada
ShamanZ
VJ calpas
Maiko Miyakawa
pokke104 (Yukino Ikeshiro)
Jay Horinouchi
Luise Ono
Emi Nishiyama
YUSEI
WAIFone
D.H. Rosen
Frankie Gee

Artist Information:
Moss
Based in Tokyo, Moss have been gigging as an acoustic and electric band since 2007. Blending rock, funk, and a passion for melodies, Moss leaves the you with a warm glow that you just can’t resist.
[www.growonrock.com](http://www.growonrock.com)

Ryutaro Kaneko
In 1987, Ryutaro Kaneko became a member of Kodo, the internationally acclaimed taiko group based on Sado Island in Niigata, Japan. He has been performing both throughout Japan and around the world ever since. Ryutaro was a central player in Kodo, performing with them in 32 countries on six continents. Beyond his stage work, he was also a key figure in both composing and arranging pieces for the stage as well as recordings and held the positions of musical director and artistic director for the group. From early on, Ryutaro began performing in unique and different styles, both individually and collaboratively. His performance contradicts the traditional image of Japanese drums that is predominantly based on sheer stength, and instead also expresses delicacy and richness in various types of rhythm and sound. He has been involved in a great number of on-stage jam sessions and collaborations with artists from many different genres, such as jazz, rock, world music, traditional Japanese music, and dance to name a few. Ryutaro left Kodo to become an independent artist in 2007. He continues to perform and teach both in Japan and around the world.
[Ryutaro Kaneko Homepage](http://ryu-beat.com/)

Ryo Watanabe
[Ryo Watanabe Homepage](http://www.ryo-watanabe.com)

Cayo Kuwada
Hailing from Hiroshima, Cayo Kuwada began her music career in her teens. She started singing back-up for a rap crew which led to performances at clubs, live houses, cafes, and even on streets. After successful performances opening for musicians such as char, rainy wood, Al, jamosa, and full of harmony, she made a name for herself in Hiroshima. Her music blends R&B, Jazz, Folk, Caribbean and African sounds along with children’s songs and even traditional enka. Together with producer s-ken, she creates unique tunes with a sound all her own.
[cayo-kuwada.com](http://cayo-kuwada.com)

ShamanZ
Born on Earth. Four colors gathered to make a brand new tone. “SharmanZ”was founded in 2008 by Tama Tsuboi who had been performing at several events and festivals all across Japan. In the winter of 2012, Tsuboi had a memorable jam session at “Session Unplugged” which inspired him to create a new band. In the summer of that same year, ShamanZ was formed drawing on the talents of four members with
different backgrounds and tones. With an acoustic groove, ShamaZ delivers everything from Reggae and Soul to flamenco, organic rock, and ballads, all with touch of South America.
[ShamanZ facebook](https://www.facebook.com/shamanzsounds)
Band members:
Tama Tsuboi (acoustic guitar/vocal/composer)
born on March 3, 1991 Auckland city, New Zealand, Earth
Kozi Sonoda (percussion/chorus vocal)
born onAugust 25, 1985 Jiyugaoka, Japan, Earth
Ryan Mizuno (trumpet)
born on December 5, Seattle, Washington, Earth
Kai Petite (hentai guitar/chorus vocal)
born on March 1, 1982 Kamakura, Japan, Earth

VJ calpas (Sweet Rave Party Productions / FUTURESCAPE)
Born in 1984, Tokyo native Yoshihisa Fujita made first contact with the allure of underground dance music culture at the age of fifteen. He has since remained immersed in this world, eventually finding himself drawn to graphical expression, and creating abstract entities of elusive meanings. 2011 marked the start of his VJ career and that same year he joined the international party crew Sweet Rave Party Productions. The group’s trance-centric event, dubbed “INNER SPACE,” is regularly held at club “module,” with Fujita onboard as both a VJ and organizer. Currently, while balancing his day job as an architect, he performs regularly at illustrious venues across Tokyo, including WOMB, ageHa, Studio Cube 326, SOUND MUSEUM VISION, module, and fai aoyama. He boasts an impressive track record of many events across a multitude of genres, from minimal to psychedelic and beyond. A tireless explorer in all facets of both his public and private lives, he continues to search for new creative depths while bestowing physical form unto human thought.

Maiko Miyakawa
Photographer Maiko Miyagawa started taking photos as a high-school student and would later go on to study photography at the Nihon Univerity College of Art. Upon graduation she worked as an assistant for renowned photographer Hidemi Seto and began her solo career in 2003. Today she takes photos of live events including theater, dance and music for magazines, printed advertisements, album covers et al.
[Maiko Miyakawa Homepage](http://soaring-photo.com/gallery/portrait/index.html)

pokke104 (Yukino Ikeshiro)
Upon graduating from high school, pokke104 began her career as a graphic designer. With her outside-the-box sense of style, she lends her unique talents to illustrations, designs, live paintings, and workshops. She participated in the “LOOCHOO Exhibition” in London representing Okinawa, and in 2012, she was invited to to be a part of the Red Bull Canvas Cooler Project along with many popular Tokyo-based artists.
[pokke104 Homepage](http://www.pokke104.com/)

Jay Horinouchi
Born and raised in the Bay Area, California, Jay spent a couple years studying art in Napa County, then moved down to Southern California and graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 2006. He then worked as a professional artist and designer in Los Angeles for a few years before moving overseas to Tokyo in the spring of 2010. Duality is a theme that Jay constantly explores with his art. Being a bilingual Japanese American, there is a duality in thoughts, words and translation. He also receives a lot of his artistic inspiration from the Japanese culture itself, and how that differs from his American life. His art is a mix of abstract watercolor and hyper detailed robot technology, constantly questioning the balance between man vs nature, old vs new.
[Jay Horinouchi Homepage](http://www.jaykun.com)

Luise Ono
Originally from Hiratsuka City in the Kanagawa Prefecture, Luise mainly creates decorative and live paintings all over for the Tokyo club scene. She also creates murals for cafes and restaurants, and directs in-store displays for apparel brands. She also took part in the recent Shibuya Art Festival by having an exhibition inside of the “Aogaeru” train located in Hachiko square. She’s currently a part of the artist collective “trip art gallery”, which focuses on exhibiting energetic experiences by combining music, art, and spaces.
[Luise Ono Homepage](http://louiseono.xxxxxxxx.jp/)

Emi Nishiyama
Emi Nishiyama is a graphic artist living in Nakano, Tokyo. Though she exhibited artistic talent from a very young age growing up in the public housing projects of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, the concept of being a “real artist” was incomprehensible to her. Upon viewing classic graffiti movies such as “Style Wars” and “Wild Style,” Emi realized that anyone from any background could be an influential artist, and decided to start her art career in earnest at the age of 30.

YUSEI
Based mainly in Tokyo, YUSEI is artist that paints live mainly at clubs and events. Also a designer, he creates graphics for apparel and skate brands as well as for flyers for club events and parties. He is also an active member of the artist collective “Rinpa Eshidan,” creating corporate and commercial artwork for various companies.
[yusei Homepage](http://yusei-sagawa.tumblr.com/)
[Rinpa Eshidan Homepage](http://rinpaeshidan.jp/)

WAIFone
WAIFone was born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1986, currently lives in
Tokyo and has been performing live art in and around the Tokyo
metropolitan area since 2010.
[WAIFone Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/WAIFone)
[WAIFone Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/WAIFone)

Frankie Gee
DJing since the age of 16, Frankie Gee was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also calling Toronto and Osaka home. Traveling extensively, Frankie has amassed an eclectic collection of donuts and LPs from across the musical spectrum. Nowadays he is based in Tokyo, and you’ll find him digging through dusty boxes of records at flea markets and recycle shops, mixing and blending the music of the 60s and 70s from the world over.