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DATE |
JULY 12th, 2025 (Saturday) |
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TIME |
OPEN 13:30 FINISH 23:00 |
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VENUES |
Shimokitazawa THREE Basement Bar |
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TICKET |
ADMISSION ¥ 5,000 MTM Member’s Coupon Code |
＊ How to purchase ticket as a member
＊ What is MTM Membership (MTM Event Pass)
- More Than Music Festival 2025 -
Our first-ever multi-venue festival is happening in Tokyo!
After hosting over 300 live events, More Than Music (MTM) is proud to launch our very first multi-venue festival—right in the heart of Shimokitazawa, one of Tokyo’s most iconic neighborhoods for indie music.
We’re bringing together some of our favorite artists from past MTM events for one unforgettable day. This is more than just a festival—it’s a celebration of music, connection, and the amazing community we’ve built together.
What to expect:
Two legendary venues, one ticket: Move freely between Basement Bar and THREE and enjoy the festival at your own pace
A genre-blending lineup of artists from Japan and beyond: The best of MTM’s past, present, and future
More than music: Great drinks, tasty food, and a space to connect with fellow music lovers
【LINE UP】
SHAMANZ
John Nakayama Trio
The Rolling Papers
The Bagpipes
Aragehonzi
TOW
Robert Taira Wilson
Madam Jan Band
VSQ Sports
SOMBRA
MY TEMPLES
【SHOP】
MAWASHI
Artist Information
◾️ SHAMANZ ◾️
Born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1991, Tama moved to Nepal at age 4 and lived in Pokhara until age 5. After spending his childhood again in Nelson Bays, New Zealand until age 15, he returned to Japan with his family and moved to Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Influenced by his parents, he began listening to Keith Jarrett, Beethoven, Mozart, Paco de Lucía, Sting, and Sade around the age of 8. The guitar he began playing with his friends at age 13 became a crucial instrument in Tama Tsuboi’s life. He then self-taught Spanish-style flamenco guitar which added a unique style to his works of music. At age 15, he decided to pursue a career in music and began performing in various music events and summer festivals around the age of 17.
From 2019, he became a DJ personality for FM Yokohama's Tuesday night program "Unite2Night" and wrote the song "Ole!" For Nippon TV and NHK's TV program “Peek-a-boo!“ He is currently based in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture as a solo artist and guitar/vocals of SHAMANZ, expressing the greatness of music.
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◾️ John Nakayama Trio ◾️
John Nakayama : piano / Kazuyoshi Nakatsukasa : bass / Seiichi Sakuma : drums
Pf. Gohto Nakayama, who has participated as a keyboardist in recording and live support for many artists, launched his project in 2009 to explore the possibilities of music without being bound by genre, using jazz techniques to present his original compositions. In 2014, he released his first album, "JNT," which received high praise from various quarters. In 2016, he released his second album, "Forest of Darkness," and successfully toured Taiwan twice, earning favorable reviews from jazzLife magazine. Since 2019, with Kazuyoshi Nakatsukasa on bass, the group has been creating highly improvisational sounds.
Their powerful touch, beautiful melodies, and dynamic, exhilarating sound are striking. The interplay between piano, drums, and bass is intensely immersive and evolves like a living organism, deeply sharing a sense of atmosphere. Their trio performances are both meticulously crafted and vibrantly energetic, creating a captivating and comfortable listening experience. Nakayama, who proudly cites Bill Evans as a major influence, weaves melodies that, while dark, also convey a sense of liberation and light, embodying a lyrical world.
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◾️ The Rolling Papers ◾️
Chill(Gt. Vo.) GS(Ba.) Sasakichi(Gt.) Kadonosono(Vln.) Roger(Dr.)
Can't Rolling Back Time and Paper Again.
The Rolling Papers emerged from a chance encounter at a Shimokitazawa pub, where drinking glasses transformed into instruments and sparked the birth of something magical. The band crafts a unique sonic experience that transcends the ordinary. Their music takes listeners on a journey beyond the everyday, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that captivates audiences at every performance.
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◾️ The Bagpipes ◾️
The Bagpipes are a young, 5-piece band that carries a groove and professionalism beyond their years. The voice of frontman, James Alexander, is powerful and and back with keys, guitar, bass, and drums that will get you moving.
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◾️ ARAGEHONZI ◾️
Formed in 2007 by songwriter Masafumi Saito from Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture.
Based on the fusion of folk songs and traditional rhythms from the Tohoku region and other parts of Japan with pan-black music, we
present original updates to cover songs such as "Akita Ondo," "Soma Bon Uta," and "Ringo Oiwake." do.
In 2010, he appeared in “FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ROOKIE A GO-GO”, and
since then he has participated in music festivals all over the country, such as “SUKIYAKI MEETS THE WORLD” and “Under the Bridge World Music Festival”.
When the 2nd album "Takakaraze" was released in 2013, it attracted attention from many media such as newspapers, magazines, and radio.
On September 7, 2016, the 3rd album "Hanatsuoto" will be released.
Expectations are high for the new album, which has undergone further refinement and evolution.
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◾️ TOW ◾️
TOW rings traditional to the ear, the duo evokes the mystic past of Japan but uses accordion and acoustic guitar to do so. Contradictory you say? Well, nevertheless you will never feel as in touch with Japan's history as when a single tear rolls down your cheek because Nue-san hit you right in the feels with her esoteric voice.
Nue and Kai bring downright beautiful music and they leave audiences in awe wherever they go, so come and be awe-struck!
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◾️ Robert Taira Wilson ◾️
Robert Taira Wilson (Gt, Vo) / Yu Yamazaki (Ba) / Greg (Gt) / Richie (Dr)
Robert is an English artist, musician and songwriter currently based in Japan. His music fuses intricate, classically influenced guitar playing with modern alternative songwriting. He draws inspiration from a diverse range of genres and weaves together original and deeply personal songs.
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◾️ VSQ Sports ◾️
Formed by four members who met at an art university.
An experimental pop group that champions a “celebratory enjoy-sound,” centered around catchy and eccentric melodies driven by organ and synthesizer.
In 2016, they released their first full album "Gymnastics and Dinner".
In 2017, performed at the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL.
In 2023, second full album "AVATAMA" was released through VAP.
In April of the same year, released remix tracks from "AVATAMA":"
Eye of Howruis (imai remix)" and "Exodus (Uyama Amane remix)". Recent visual work has included collaborations with illustrator Hikaru Ichijo. The members themselves also handle jacket artwork, flyers, web design, and video direction.
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◾️ SOMBRA ◾️
SOMBRA is the pseudonym of the split Montreal & Tokyo based producer/songwriter, Matthew Cataldo. With influences ranging from 90s alternative grunge and industrial to underground house, techno and trip-hop, SOMBRA’s music is introspective and claustrophobic, yet paradoxically colourful and chameleonic.
Self-described as “music to turn off the lights to”, this quasi-ritualistic, and at-times obsessive-compulsive artistic process gives forth to dark, haunting, yet eerily familiar soundscapes. Like a window into the human condition, Cataldo explores themes of desire, animalism, social norms and mental health.
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◾️ Madam Jan Band ◾️
The leader of the band, Madam⚡Jan (*Pronounced “Yang” not “Jan” in English) was born in Osaka and is currently based in Tokyo. Mixing the Japanese-Showa-era songs, Jan's songs absorb a variety of genres, including classic rock, jazz, Latin, and bossa nova, and feature nostalgic melody lines with her unique worldviews.
The band members are Nagahiro “Naga” Murata, a talented jazz drummer from Mie prefecture in Japan, and Julián “風利” Ferreira, a classic Japanese music researcher and double bassist from Colombia. In the early summer of 2021, they released their album “Super Cinderella Super Express” under Madam⚡Jan’s former name Jan Frenzy, now available through online music distribution services such as Apple Music, LINE Music, and Spotify.
Official Web : https://madamjan.com/
Linktr : https://linktr.ee/madamjan
*Julián Ferreira will not be appearing and Madhur Sudarshan will be the support bassist this time.
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◾️ MYTEMPLES ◾️
MY TEMPLES is japanese alternative rock and roll band formed in Shinjuku Gyoenin in 2024. They were formed by frontman MASAHIKO, lead guitarist ARCHAN and drummer CHI HARA, with bassist TOMA
The band's characteristics are super massive heavieness with beautiful melody and japanese Wabi-sabi lyricism.If you come to Japan, please try it.
SHOP
- MAWASHI HERB BALM -
MAWASHI HERB BALM is rooted in the idea that true wellness comes from caring for both body and mind—something the founder discovered through personal experience. Raised in the mountains of Matsumoto, Nagano, they grew up immersed in nature, foraging wild plants and helping in the fields. These early experiences shaped a deep respect for the healing power of the natural world.
After moving to Tokyo and working across various industries, a period of insomnia and shingles led the founder to reevaluate their lifestyle. This turning point sparked a return to nature and eventually the launch of a CBD brand. A chance encounter drew them to Shimokitazawa, where a renewed sense of connection and creativity took root.
Today, MAWASHI crafts multipurpose balms using wild herbs like yomogi, pine needles, and itadori blended with beeswax, CBD, and essential oils. Created in collaboration with the Organic Herb Center in Shiga, each balm is made to support the body while soothing the senses.
In a world focused on fast fixes, MAWASHI offers something deeper—products that restore balance and reconnect us with the rhythms of nature.
Venue Information
Shimokitazawa THREE and BasementBar are two live music venues located right next to each other in the heart of Shimokitazawa.
The festival will take place across both venues, with performances scheduled throughout the day. Attendees can easily move back and forth between the two spaces to enjoy a variety of acts in an intimate, walkable setting.