Tokyo multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Shugo Tokumaru will perform this evening (March 24) at Sangsang Madang in Seoul in support of his critically acclaimed fifth full-length, “In Focus?”
Released last fall, “In Focus?” was issued domestically in Korea in January. A fantastic album of whimsical, eclectic pop and folk, Tokumaru began work on the offering shortly after finishing 2010’s equally amazing “Port Entropy.” The drummer for Tokumaru’s backing band, Yoshinari Kishida, contributed to a few of the tracks, but the majority of the music was created by Tokumaru all by himself. This is something he’s done throughout his career.
“I did most of the recording at home,” he says. “It’s basically the same environment I’ve used since making my first album. I don’t remember much about the process of making this record. And to be honest, I don’t want to try to remember it as I was basically just recording and mixing all the time, without much sleep.”
While Tokumaru makes most of his music by himself, he has a group of touring musicians that help him flesh out his songs live. For his Seoul concert, Tokumaru will be backed by a five-piece band which should add a lot more texture to his already wonderfully layered compositions.
“I like playing solo and with a band,” he says. “However, I prefer playing solo in a relaxed setting, so nowadays I only do solo shows a few times a year. In Seoul, I’ll do a few solo songs but most of the tracks will be performed with my band. We will be playing a lot of songs from the new album, along with a few old ones too. Korean fans will be able to see how we’ve developed as a group since our last visit to Seoul.”
Tokumaru previously performed a solo show in Korea in the summer of 2010 and two full-band concerts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of that same year. He had enjoyed himself while he was here, especially during the post-gig parties for the holiday concerts, and is excited about his return.
“I can’t drink alcohol, so I just watched everyone else drink and go crazy after our December shows,” he says. “It was fun to spend time with our Korean friends and to watch them abuse my band members by making them drink until the early morning!”
Shugo Tokumaru plays on Sunday, March 24 at Sangsang Madang. Tickets are 40,000 won and the show starts at 6 pm. Achime, Casker, and The Freaks will open the show. For more information, check out the Facebook event page here.
Here are the set times for tonight’s gig
6 – 6:25 Achime
6:35 – 7 Casker
7:10 – 7:35 The Freaks
7:50 Shugo Tokumaru
