Malaysia-based Toybox Projects will be presenting an online performance event, named Toybox Showcase, where four Japanese indie bands will perform. This event is scheduled to take place Saturday 16 October on the YouTube channel of Toybox Projects and is free to watch.
The first volume of Toybox Showcase will start at 15.00 Japanese time, that is at 08.00 AM in the Netherlands and 07.00 AM in the United Kingdom, meaning that this is the perfect breakfast show.
For the first volume of Toybox Showcase, they have invited four Japanese rock bands to perform at the live venue Yoyogi Labo in Tokyo. The performing bands are TRILL-DAN, TEN-SIN, ZEROSHIKI and Dazedgarden. A line-up inclusive of veteran bands who have performed numerous times in Japan live houses and some of the bands have toured overseas before.
Toybox Showcase is a programme that focuses on several aspects of the Japanese entertainment scene and its artists. Featuring interviews, live performances, and special highlight segments, catch the ins and outs of J-Entertainment exclusively available on the YouTube channel of Toybox Projects.
TRILL-DAN
Rock trio consisting of guitarist JUAN, bassist MARU and drummer GIVA. TRILL-DAN’s music often gets described as a fusion of rock & roll with punk has a wild, fierce, fighting spirit with a tinge of unpredictability in their style. The band’s major debut album Megabasutarizumu released in 2007 was produced by Kiyoharu (former Kuroyume’s vocalist & Sads). The band has toured in Europe, including a show at Japan Expo Paris in 2009.
TEN-SIN
Rock quartet TEN-SIN got formed by two brothers in Kochi, Yuichi and Kohei, in 2009. Later on, Ogi and Hikari joined the band to make it complete. They were active under the band name Tenderly Thingummy, released a single and two mini-albums before changing the name in 2014. Ogi withdrew from the band later on in that year and got replaced by Fujisawa. The band is still going strong, armed with the brothers on guitar that cross each other from the left and right with American rock as the axis, a tightly carved rhythm section, and a lyrical singing melody. From far away in Tokyo, the band reminisces about their hometown and roars the sound that Kochi has nurtured.
ZEROSHIKI
Alternative heavy rock band, ZEROSHIKI got founded by bass player Mugi in 1998, originally calling the band Hyakushiki. In 2005, he changed the name to ZEROSHIKI to reflect the fact that the members of the band were starting again from zero. However, everyone in ZEROSHIKI has an enormous amount of experience, playing not just in Japan, but worldwide, with both major domestic and international bands. After a few member changes, ZEROSHIKI released their EP, Reunion in April of 2017. The very same year, they also did a Japan tour in August, and a USA west coast tour in December. In May of 2019, the music video 朧 (ROU) was released. This brought the band to the next level. At the end of the same year, they also did a European tour with Define Me (from the Czech Republic), partly organised by AVO Magazine.
Dazedgarden
The Tokyo-based rock band Dazedgarden gained popularity through their originally written and composed songs with a nostalgic sound that goes beyond alternative or metal with strong, natural and melodious lines. Vocalist Reona Nishiyama pens their poetic lyrics that grabs at the heart and lingers in your mind. As a four-piece band consisting of Reona Nishiyama on vocal & guitar, Hideki Nanba on guitar and Tenji Nagano on bass, the band is known for their frenetic and fiery movements on stage. Recently DazedGarden released an album, titled White Echo, consisting a mix of remastered songs and a new song.
About Toybox Projects
Toybox Projects is a multi-entertainment, cross-media, multinational company based in Kuala Lumpur that deals in a variety of projects in Malaysia that are concerned with Japanese culture and entertainment. Their goals are to reignite the J-wave within the region, as well as to introduce new and exciting forms of Japanese culture, and to promote deeper ties between Japan and Malaysia through an assemblage of cultural projects.
