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Genre-blending and quirky DJs that welcome all music fans
Tangle is still new in Shibuya, and is well known by those in the know, but what makes it interesting is that it is located in Shibuya, but has a slightly different flavor from the Shibuya culture. This is due to the fact that Michael and Mio, who stand behind the counter at Tangle, have their roots in neither Shibuya’s record culture nor Shibuya’s club culture.
There is a DJ booth in the store, and the speakers are club-specific. Michael is also a DJ who has played at various clubs in Tokyo and even performed at the music festival “FRUE”. However, if you look at the booth and the counter, you will see records by David Bowie, Ry Cooder, George Harrison, Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, and Bon Iver, and it looks very rock-oriented. The display in the store reflects Michael and Mio’s orientation toward rock bars in Shinjuku, rather than the clubs of Shibuya. Michael is invited to various clubs because of his unique music selection from a rock background.
The background music in Tangle, where Michael often selects the music, is quite unique. While new releases of jazz, hip-hop, R&B, Brazilian, and African music are played, indie rock, new wave, and 1950s rock are sometimes played. Just when you think Sam Gendel, Makaya McCraven, and Childish Gambino are playing, the same day The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits are playing smoothly. I think the mix of various genres and old rock music is one of the charms of this bar. This sense of balance is quite rare in Tokyo, where there are many music bars.
It was at Tangle that I met the members of No Nations“, a 20-something jazz DJ collective.
The musical scope of Tangle is truly wide, as evidenced by the subtle mix of Sun Ra and UK jazz on the wall behind the DJ booth lined with rock records. I am always stimulated by Tangle on days when young DJs are playing, attracted by such freedom.
