X-Press 2
The UK trio fete the release of Makeshift Feelgood, and other holiday hi-jinx

Photos courtesy of Air

Veterans of Japanese stages from the Fuji Rock Festival and Electraglide, X-Press 2 return to grace the decks of Air on Tuesday night, the eve of the vernal equinox holiday. The event coincides with a new release that ditches underground clubbing for out-and-out dance-pop.

Formed by onetime Soho record store manager Ashley Beedle with DJs Diesel and Rocky, X-Press 2 entered electronica in 1993 with the demented sirens and dancefloor pyrotechnics of the worldwide hit “Muzik Express.” Putting aside the X-Press 2 moniker later in the decade for a stint as post-acid house unit the Ballistic Brothers, the three returned to the simple, uncluttered house they do best at the beginning of the millennium. The result was their 2002 smash, Muzikizum.

The disc included the effervescent “Lazy,” their biggest track yet—not only for X-Press 2, but for former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. The singer’s casual delivery made for an ironic contrast with the trio’s thumping house beats, resulting in one of the most memorable dance tracks of the last decade.

Last fall’s follow up, Makeshift Feelgood, shows the group has learned well the lessons of “Lazy,” featuring guest vocalists including Tim De Laughter of psychedelic indie-pop group Polyphonic Spree and Rob Harvey of The Music, in what amounted to a blatant bid for crossover success—and not a bad one at that...

Also on Tuesday night, domestic electronica imprint Mule Musiq celebrates its third anniversary by hosting another “Kompakt Night,” with essential German tech-house label Kompakt at Yellow.
The special guest comes in the form of DJ Michael Mayer, who helped to launch Kompakt back in 1993. Most recently heard in Japan at last year’s Wire rave, Mayer is known for his contribution to the Fabric mix/comp series, and for his 2004 solo debut album Touch. Refusing to be pigeonholed, his sound takes in everything from acid house to minimal techno to electro to melodic, string-laden house.

Accompanying Mayer will be signature Mule artist Kuniyuki Takahashi, a.k.a. Koss. From his outpost in Hokkaido, Koss has been making regular deliveries for Mule of spacey, jazz-inflected tech-house tracks. He performs both solo and with keyboardist Saiko Tsukamoto as Saikoss, a new unit whose live set at last year’s Sonar festival was rated tops by no less than Mr. Techno himself, Jeff Mills.

X-Press 2@Air, Mar 20. Kompakt Night@Yellow, Mar 20. See club listings for details.

Got something to say about this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.

Listen to the Metropolis Podcast, the coolest guide to what goes on this week in Tokyo.

Looking for international friends? Check Japan, Inc. Friends now - it's 100% free!