FLOORFILLER'S - EVENTS

The new edge of global community
   Tokyo Classified recently caught up with globe-trotting DJ Tsuyoshi (Suzuki) on the eve of the launch of his new series of monthly Tokio Drome parties, which kicked off at Liquid Room on March 10. Tsuyoshi, known to the world as an avatar of the trance dance genre, says that, after years of living in London, jetting off to perform at parties from Israel to Australia, he wanted to settle down and return to Tokyo. For seven years he had been up in the air and he had started to feel like wanted to have a base, and especially in Japan people understand what he is trying to do.

   For the first Tokio Drome, 32-year-old Tsuyoshi had invited Swedish artist Robert Leiner, who performed a live techno set. "With Tokio Drome," says Tsuyoshi with characteristic intensity, "We'll be focusing on techno, minimal and trance: full-on 4/4 stuff." But he also intends to keep things experimental, with plans to turn Tokio Drome into a venue for young film directors to show their recent work.

   Tsuyoshi travels abroad (he's currently appearing at New York's club Twilo with Ken Ishii in the monthly party Far East Technology) and he can play a broader variety of styles, from trance and progressive till jazzy stuff, breakbeats, even rock. In addition to his occasional Sympathy in Chaos parties at Yellow, Tsuyoshi will be a featured DJ at Triple Five Soul's Party and Beyond event at new mega-club Venus Tokyo in Tokyo's bayside area. Tsuyoshi will be spinning on the "Freestyle floor," while hip hop DJs will be doing their thing on different floors.

As Tsuyoshi settles back into Tokyo, he's busy working with his band (a new single is due out in May) and setting up a recording studio in Harajuku, as well as two new independent record labels: Feedback Recordings, devoted to dance material, and the more alternative Mad Skippers. With his diverse undertakings and superstar DJ status, Tsuyoshi keeps his sanity by finding the balance between the spiritual and commercial.