Tropical Disco -
Fetal movement of the community
leading to the future music scene

Tropical Disco has been held at different venues every year since 2016, with the theme "Third Wave Party" that is neither a festival nor a club. It has attracted attention also in the style to fuse with fashion, such as featuring seasonal fashionistas to the image models and making the cover of the fashion magazine "NYLON" for the second consecutive year. In 2018, it will be held for 10 days on Sarushima, a deserted island floating in Tokyo Bay. We interviewed Arata Watanabe from Avex Entertainment Inc. who handles this event attracting many music lovers, the significance of Tropical Disco and his feeling for it.

Tropical Disco is a
place to produce 1 from 0

Watanabe has been involved with Tropical Disco since the launch, when the first time was held in 2016, and he joined Avex at the same time. With the theme of enjoying music in a situation not a festival or a club, the project called Tropical Disco started.

"About Tropical Disco, I've been involved while strongly reflecting my will from the beginning. However, the number of internal people involved in this project is small, and we operate in cooperation with outside people. Most members have not changed since the launch. "

What was the big motivation to launch this event in the first place?

"For example, in the past, a lot of people gathered in the club called Velfare in Roppongi, and a community was formed, from which many artists were born. If the festival is the culmination of the community, Tropical Disco is so to speak the previous version of it, and I thought we need a place to create 0 to 1. I think that Avex originally did that kind of thing often, and if such a place could be made, it would be beneficial for Avex as well as for the scene. Because I do the job of management in parallel, I want to create artists from the community called Tropical Disco and boost the scene by turning those artists out.

First time of Tropical Disco was held at Toyosu MAGIC BEACH, and then it has been changing the venue from Yume no Shima Marina Dimare, Zushi Sufers, to this year's Sarushima. When I asked the intention and strategy of that, I got an unexpected answer. "In a sense, I've been desperately moving around."

"Although it may be easier if it can be held in one place, at the moment, there is an aspect that we change situations to provide added value to audiences. After all, considering 'What is unique content?', Situation' for a party can be one uniqueness.

Changing the location is part of added value to make audiences enjoy it even a little. The important thing for us is to create a community at first, and it's the best if an artist will be eventually born from there. Speaking of Avex, we once had a connection with Tetsuya Komuro in the community called Maharaja and Juliana Tokyo, and as the TRF were born from there, I still have a strong desire to turn artists out from the communities we create.

A miracle moment reminiscent of Ibiza
in the 1980s

Sarushima is an uninhabited island that can be reached from Tokyo within about an hour. There is a fortification designated as a national historic site in the island, and its beauty is described as "castle of Laputa". It is also a situation where you can enjoy the best sunset from the beach at dusk. However, the beginning of the negotiations had a rocky road ahead. Although Watanabe himself contacted Yokosuka City and sold the plan, the prohibited items on the website included "installing and using audio equipment (DJ booth, etc.) to play loud sound."

"At first, it was just like giving it a try, and they were also like 'send us materials on what kind of event first'. However, when I went there and talked to them, I had a feeling that it might not be totally impossible. While discussing various things, people over there began to work with enthusiasm. "

Still, he says that there were a lot of problems that would not be bothersome if it were regular clubs.

"Since there was no electricity in the first place, we supplemented everything with radiators. There was no fresh water either, and we had to charter the ship to carry things. In addition, there were weather risks. "

Still we were blessed with the weather this year. "The first day was extremely hot. I also felt uneasy and I guess I was also thrilled, but in the end I became jelly. " said Watanabe. However, he was more impressed by the beauty of the sunset in Sarushima than anything else.

"Well..., please do come and we won't really let you lose. I thought that 'Ibiza in the 80's' was probably like that. People really love music are gathering, but not so many, and they were doing very pure things. Since there are a lot of information in this era, while it's transmitted at once, it falls fast as well. With that in mind, I always think what I should do in order to firmly root this party. It would be just fine if people who currently come to Tropical Disco will tell their familiar people, even few, the charm of the party. I'm sure that he have contents with such power. "

In terms of music as well, the top artists of the world gather in Tropical Disco. This year, Jose Padilla, Shinichi Osawa (MONDO GROSSO DJ Set), BUSY P and SOULECTION appear in the first volume. And in the second volume, it will be featured with Yokosuka Kaikoku Hanabi Taikai (Yokosuka country opening fireworks) and Rainbow Disco Club. And in the third volume, in addition to Alex Adair 's first visit to Tropical Disco in 2 years, Breakbot & irfane will surprisingly appear on the last day.

"From me, it's nearly a miracle that SOULECTION plays music in that sunset. That is exceptionally catchy, and I think that it'll appeal to many people. I think everyone wants to return to Tropical Disco once they come. "

The spirit of D.I.Y making scenes
and creating artists

When I once again asked Watanabe about his feelings and motivation to Tropical Disco, "I simply want to make a pure scene". He answered getting a little bashful.

"LDH, for example, has deeply penetrated the scene after being firmly rooted in the dance culture. I think there is a pure feeling at the base. There was also the time when Avex struggled with how to produce the contents. I think the reason for that was that people used to attended the community frequently in the past, but gradually stopped going for various reasons. And the distance to the scene occurred, the connection to be connected disappeared, then we couldn't make the contents like before. After all, what is born based on the pure community is strong, so I want to make it first. Furthermore, since it's a global era now, we can directly have a talk with overseas people like 'Can we do something like this?'. There is also plans that the artists who appeared last year release several pieces from our label this year. I don't think at all that all the achievements of what I'm doing will come out at once. However, what I'm trying to do with Tropical Disco is 'an appropriate try', and I think I have to do it as a label and a management. "

Watanabe has two faces, a label and a management. Each experience serves as a cornerstone of his way of thinking. Furthermore, at the base of it, there is the DIY spirit which is handed down to Avex for a long time.

"While involving with artist management, for example, when my artists do some releases or lives, I always have distress like which community to promote or which festivals or events I make them appear. That's the difference between whether artists are coming first and permeating it into the scene or creating a community first and producing artists from there. And for management, the former, Tropical Disco is the latter. Regarding Tropical Disco, there are many things to do because we hold the events while changing places, but everyone ought to have created events like this. Even at Avex, since everyone should have made events with DIY, including CEO, Mr. Matsuura. SoI think what I'm doing is not special. "

The former Velfare and the movement of the Super Eurobeat were also established in the latter. It can be said that Tropical Disco follows the former pure method.

"I think perhaps there was a dense and long story for each event, even before it was covered by the media. Though it's getting so big now, people who knew it from long ago are like, "Ah, that one". Now we are doing the steady work to get there, and if it will get connected, Tropical Disco should be the great contents. That's why I think that in 2020 or sometime, I want to and have to make contents that people abroad all want to come. "

He says that he still goes to festivals and lives frequently even outside of work. During the interview, his eyes to talk about music were simply pure. He talks about Tropical Disco, saying, "I love it at the best level among the work I've done so far in my life." with confidence. Staff, artists and guests involved..., Tropical Disco, filled with all the pure thoughts of all those music lovers, is quietly but steadily starting to create a new community leading to the future.