China’s New Noise announce After Hours Festival feat. Envy, Toe, Downy, Mono, Lite

[UPDATE: Tickets are already sold out! Holy shit that was fast!]

New Noise are very proud to present AFTER HOURS FESTIVAL in Shanghai on June 9, 2018.

It’s the first time the festival will strike down at the Shanghai Bandai Namco Dream Hall and Future House presenting an amazing line up consisting of 5 of Japan’s top bands:

toe​+ MONO (Japan)​ + envy Official + downy​+ LITE​
Date: June 9, 2018
Venue: Bandai Namco Dream Hall + Future House
Tickets: newnoise.taobao.com
Further Info: www.newnoise.cn
Poster Design: Error! Design

LINE UP:

toe
toe is a Japanese music group. While mentioned in many post-rock circles, their song structure and dynamics are similar to many popular math rock artists. toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. toe has formally played with this lineup since the band’s inception in 2000. The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift and acute drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for its melodic, clean guitar settings. Additionally, the compositions have repetition from typical rock motifs, but use very subtle changes in beat and rhythm to form a unique sound. The band has changed their sound over their musical tenure by incorporating acoustic guitars, rhodes piano and vibraphones in their most recent releases. toe tours regularly in Japan, and they can most notably be compared to acts such as Pele and The Album Leaf. Their newest album, Hear You, was released in 2015 on Topshelf Record

MONO (Japan)
The Tokyo, Japan based 4 piece Instrumental Rock band MONO was originally formed in 1999. Their unique approach of blending orchestral arrangements and shoegaze guitar noise in their music has been held in extremely high regard; so much so, that the band’s musicianship can no longer be sustained by Rock music alone and was praised by British Musical Magazine NME as “This is music for the Gods”. One of the most monumental live memories of the band was a special set of shows with 23-piece orchestra in New York, Tokyo, London and Melbourne.
Their annual world tour consists of around 150 shows. The band has now visited over 55 countries and proudly holds the stake of being one of the most internationally successful bands in Japan. Among their fans, they are revered as one of the best live bands in Rock music. After releasing 10 successful albums including a live album with New York orchestra, the band received the highly regarded award “The Marshall Hawkins Awards: Best Musical Score – Featurette” from the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema for their collaborative short film “Where We Begin” in 2015.
In 2016, the band recorded their 9th album “Requiem For Hell” with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, Chicago and was released worldwide on Oct 14, 2016.

envy
Since 1992, envy has become a dominant band in the independent hardcore scene in Japan. Their music, through their own evolution, encompasses a sound where intensity and beauty coexists. They have recorded a number of singles and albums in Japan, including split albums with bands like This Machine Kills, Endeavor, Six Pence and Yaphet Kotto. Since their beginning, envy has toured all throughout Japan with Mogwai, ISIS and many more. They have labored and toured their songs relentlessly for over a decade, and will continue to do so well into the next decade.

downy
Formed in April 2000, downy is a 5 piece rock band who feature a ‘visual specialist’ amongst their ranks. Their live performance is a true fusion of the audio and visual, appealing to both the audience’s visual and aural senses – something that the band has helped to pioneer. Each individual member is also an active musician in their own right, receiving ringing endorsements from musicians both within Japan and beyond. The band went on hiatus in 2004, only to return in 2013 and then play Fujirock Festival the following year, summer 2014. Their latest album, released in September 2016, is their 6th full length album, entitled “6th Album -‘Untitled’”.

LITE
LITE is a Japanese instrumental rock band known for thrilling and emotional compositions, progressive, edgy riffs and complex rhythms. Widely regarded for their explosive live show and tireless touring in the US, Europe and Asia, LITE are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Japan in the last decade.
The quartet who is entering their 15th year together, boasts a tremendous back catalog with four full-length albums, three mini albums and two EPs including 2010’s Illuminate (recorded with John McEntire) and 2012’s Past Present Future which featured Caroline from Mice Parade. Their most recent album Installation (2014, Topshelf Records) was their first proper US release.
On their new release, Cubic, out November 18, 2016 via Topshelf, LITE creates music with a heartbeat. Cubic was mixed at Machines With Magnets with Keith Souza (Battles) and mastered by Heba Kadry (!!!, Prefuse 73, The Mars Volta) at Timeless Mastering in New York.

ABOUT AFTER HOURS:
This event was created with a single ideology; to create a space for artists who do not wish to compromise their artistic visions nor accommodate any authority to gather, and “stand against things that ruin art”. These pure visions are something that most artists will have had at one time, but may have gradually faded due to the rigid system that still constrains them, stemming from the roots of the old traditional art and music industry.
Naturally, the artistic world has a deep relationship with philosophy and ideology. This is a realm where everyone can equally share their emotions and empathise, without losing the sensory pleasure. This is also a place where people can connect with each other, change each other’s world view and become the power to move the world. In the past, excellent art has moved the public and changed the world. Art plays an important role in helping us express things that can’t be spoken of, that can’t be told. Music is not merely a sound sensation, it can also provide encouragement and comfort. We believe music can become the energy to reassure your own existence and give the power to live, so much more than mere recreation.

We feel that the country we live in, Japan, has the tendency to consume art and music as just entertainment. One thing we learned from our many years of travel throughout the world, is that art and music play a strong role in society, regardless of the country. However, Japan tends to highly value the physical accomplishment itself more, as opposed to recognising the power of influences that people and society bring to each other over a long period of time. What is important with artistic expression is not the outer layer, but what remains deep in the unconscious. We believe that is the true value of music. With all these thoughts in mind, we’d like to make this festival a place where all the independent and true artists filled with originality and belief, and all the musical fans throughout the world can connect.