How many major music festivals in Japan can you name? Maybe none, although most some might know Fuji Rock Festival, and some might name a legendary event RAINBOW2000 which has started in 1996 and ended before the millennium. But, Metamorphose is one of the biggest outdoor electronic music festivals in Japan held annually in the end of summer, featuring various genres of cutting edge of musicians and DJs from all around the world. Organized by DJ Mayuri starting in 2000, Metamorphose 2009 has just finished this year’s event for 2 days on Sept 4th&5th at Cycle Sports Center, which is a huge outdoor entertainment space, nestled in the mountains,  about a 2 hour drive  from Tokyo.

To celebrate the beginning of the autumn season, the sports center became an annual pilgrimage for Japan’s  music freaks who gathered in the cooled down air to enjoy the likes of Tangerine Dream, Method of Defiance, Yura Yura Teikoku at the Solar Stage, DJ AFRICA BAMBAATAA, Fumiya Tanaka and Mayuri at the Lunar Stage, and Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers, Moodymann aka Kenny Dixon Jr, Giles Peterson, Smith & Mighty at the Planet Stage. Visit Metamorphose’s MySpace to check out their past festivals including the very first live performance by Manuel Göttsching E2-E4 held in 2006.
www.metamo.info

Photos: Kayo Tamura

Tags: Festival, japan, live performance, Music, outdoor