La Fabrique Five Year Anniversary
JT Donaldson flies in to celebrate a half-decade of high times and house music

JT Donaldson

Courtesy of La Fabrique

Opened as a sister to the original Paris club, La Fabrique in Shibuya has had a tough time breaking the stereotype of being a hangout for French people. But, notes Marshall Boardman, the promoter of La Fabrique’s Solid house parties, the club has hung on, “making a name for itself as one of the few small venues featuring international DJs.”

Heavyweights DFA, Derrick May, MJ Cole and Jerome Sydenham are just a few of the names who’ve appeared over the years at numerous worthwhile events, including not just Solid, but electroclash party Vanity and rare groove gathering Searchin’.

To celebrate La Fabrique’s first half-decade, Boardman has booked one of the more respected DJ/producers on the US house music scene in the form of JT Donaldson. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Donaldson first made a name for himself in Chicago. He’s now based in San Francisco where he’s part of the OM Records roster. Boardman notes that his tracks have been favored by many of Solid’s guests over the years, including DJ Heather and Fred Everything...

Meanwhile, Womb also has an anniversary to celebrate. Hard to believe, but it’s already been seven years for the Shibuya superclub, which will observe the anniversary in style with another of its expanded events at Laforet Museum in Roppongi.

In charge of the festivities is minimal techno avatar himself, Richie Hawtin. Though a Canadian, Hawtin grew up close to the US state of Michigan and is closely associated with the brittle, mechanistic sounds of Detroit techno out of which minimal techno emerged.

Hawtin had some words for Japan in advance of the event, for which he will bring artists from his Minus imprint to Tokyo. “The basic theme and inspiration started many years ago when I first came to Japan in the early 1990s,” he said in a letter to Womb. “Minimalism is not about using as little as possible, it’s about finding one’s balance... It is this aesthetic, the idea of balance that I find so often in Japan...

“This is important for both of us, because over the past fifteen years, I have noticed very often that many of the young people in Japan continue to look outside of their own culture, searching for something else. I think it is natural for all of us to want to explore the unknown, but sometimes we have to remind those around us that, many times, what they are searching for is right next door. My hope for this event, and Minus’ continued support for Japan, is to hold a mirror up to the younger generation of Japan, and show them from our eyes what draws us to your land and culture, to re-inspire them, and to bring attention to the details that are around them every day.”

Solid@La Fabrique, Apr 28. Club Phazon@Laforet, Apr 28. See club listings for details.

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