Red House
Alight at Sakaishi station, on the JR Hanwa line. Take the West Exit down the stairs and make a right. Walk past Mister Donut, up to the intersection, and cross the road on your left. See the giant red guitar before you? You have arrived at Red House.
Mochi was nine years old when his father, already owning one record shop, bought the neighboring property from a local watch retailer. Splitting this new acquisition between a second record shop and a recording studio/ live house, musicians of all genres have since been welcomed at this venue. From the start, not only classic genres like rock, reggae, blues, and hiphop have been featured, but at jam events like 7415 you may have the chance to bask in spontaneous bursts of Catalan electronic music or renditions of Prince songs. If you can jam with the vibes, you can play whatever.
Never underestimate what can arise when you are surrounded with encouragement and vision.
You can purchase alcohol and curry to accompany your basking, and if you come on the right day, you might be able to snag a doughnut as well. Depending on which night you choose to visit, you will find jazz bands playing with hip-hop freestyler, or blues artists jamming with Beatles tracks. After a night of guitar and hip-hop, yours truly was pushed onto the piano, and what started as a lot of hesitation was transformed into a liberating collaboration of spoken word, backing vocals, ad-libbed guitar, and the smoothest of rhythms courtesy of the performing bass guitarist. Never underestimate what can arise when you are surrounded with encouragement and vision.
When your local jazz bar hosts a jazz session, there are a lot of unwritten rules that are kept to. Standard tunes will have specific introductions; players play in a certain order; when the bass plays, the piano tends to the high notes. Jazz has an overwhelming amount of traditions, and jazz sessions have to be accessible. The stricter format allows beginners and pros alike to gain understanding of not just their instrument, but moreover the genre and history.
The Red House is not a jazz bar though. For an establishment sitting in the middle of Sakai’s suburbs, there’s a playful, anarchist vibe to the place. Mochi is determined to maintain a free-spirited atmosphere, where people can practice as much as they perform. There is also not much of a hierarchy. The music acts will play what they came to play. Those who can contribute then join in with whatever feeling arises with their sets and/or freestyling. With the right amount of give and take, a cacophony can with ease become a choir. Having said that, it’s not about the perfect harmony; it’s about the perfect vibe. It’s about the love in the room; the love for each other, and the love for the music.
Images by Mike Dinsmore