Adriana Evans
The dance diva heads up a Sunday afternoon at Unit; Thursdays go electro in Shinjuku

Courtesy of Unit

Sunday afternoons have long been a favored time
slot for house parties. The vibe seems slightly less frenetic and more chilled out than your typical Friday or Saturday all-nighter. Legendary events like New York’s “Shelter” and Tokyo’s “Gallery” have even made Sundays a clubbing focal point.

Heading up the appropriately titled “The Sunday Afternoon” at recently remodeled Unit in Daikanyama is “organic soul” diva Adriana Evans. The party is organized by Hitomi Productions, which recently hosted Japan’s first MySpace get-together, and features a gaggle of Japan’s better house producers, DJs and live acts.

The daughter of jazz vocalist Mary Stallings, Evans is one of a number of American artists with steady if unspectacular careers at home who seem to have caught the attention of a Japanese audience. Working extensively with rapper Dred Scott, her self-titled 1997 debut topped out at 33 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

In Japan, however, her appearances are always greeted ecstatically, and she’s been employed by a string of Japanese producers in the house and hip-hop worlds. Perhaps there’s something about her easy grace and unaffected delivery that Japanese have connected with. These qualities are very much in evidence on her latest album, El Camino, which features a strong Brazilian influence after Evans spent time there recently in a self-imposed exile from the music business.

Also on the bill at Unit are a number of domestic forces to watch for. Keyco is one of the local house scene’s most steadfast divas, with a bell-like voice, while behind the decks are the esteemed Kenichi Yanai of Soul Source Productions and reggae chanteuse Likkle Mai in her DJ incarnation. The makings of a fine Sunday indeed...

In another alternative to the usual Friday or Saturday club crawl, one of Japan’s fastest draws on the decks steps up with a new weekly Thursday outing in Shinjuku. Duck Rock is a DJ’s DJ, a true artist of the mix with the ability to seamlessly mix up, say, the latest techno pressing from Europe with a vintage ’80s New Wave track.

“Twist” takes place at venerable club Wire, the most recent occupant of an unusual, out-of-the-way underground space next to Kabukicho’s Hanazono Shrine that was once home to legendary club Milo’s Garage. Duck Rock has already hosted guests including notorious trance DJ Tsuyoshi in his Numanoid electro incarnation, and DJ Hideo from electro event “FancyHIM,” making for one of the more interesting Thursdays on offer around town.

The Sunday Afternoon@Unit, July 29. Twist@Wire, July 26. See club listings for details.

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