Next Music from Tokyo (NMFT) is an annual tour that introduces Canadians to the most creative and skilled bands from Japan’s indie and underground music scene. The tour began in 2010 and brings a different group of Japanese bands to Canada each year. Tour organizer Steven Tanaka is a Toronto-based anesthesiologist who travels to Japan five to seven times a year, scouting the best possible line-up for each upcoming volume. With shows selling out yearly, NMFT is proof that music played with energy and passion transcends language barriers, and can be appreciated by audiences anywhere.

NMFT vol 8 is highlighted by the return of MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS (MOTFD), one of the greatest female bands of all time. No other female band in the history of rock ‘n roll played with the same combination of fury, power and skill and their shocking break-up in 2012 broke the hearts of fans around the world. But the time for mourning has passed and MOTFD has been resurrected to return to Canada with a new line-up sounding better and more ferocious than ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evl59CO3P1c

Joining MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS are:

Nengu: a 3-pc instrumental band who play lightning fast math-rock and post-metal. Their combination of sublime melodies with bursts of violent chaos is like getting your skull crushed in by the shy, beautiful girl next door.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXgX87Dd8js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U1GaN1nklM

Dalljub Step Club: Inspired by his love of Chicago based footwork/juke, Goto, drummer of the experimental rock band Dacota Speaker decided to take his band-mate Bench (bass), together with Yuta Hoshi of post-rock band WOZNIAK and form a new unit fusing numerous styles of dance music with the aggression, emotion and mindset of rock. Originally an instrumental band, they recruited Shingen Mori of Alaska Jam to provide lead vocals and give their music even more depth and flexibility.
Dalljub Step Club feel equally at home performing in nightclubs and underground punk venues with their blend of electronic, rock, house and funk. And Goto is an emerging drum hero in Japan who has blown away audiences with his originality and complex style. Along with group_inou and ZAZEN BOYS, Dalljub Step Club are blurring genres and leading music in a mysterious and exciting direction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdOtoE0ysYc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGBvjLAkhIw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvUSaollcSE

Gozen Sanji to Taikutsu means ‘3am & bored’ and the four female night owls that comprise this quirky pop band are still first year university students. A fun, whimsical attitude with a profound flair for creativity and experimentation is what makes Gozen Sanji to Taikutsu such an unpredictable and immensely enjoyable band to watch. Fans of Akai Koen’s earlier material are sure to fall in love with Gozen Sanji to Taikutsu.
https://twitter.com/AM3andTIKT/status/626763579572662272
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjGNxt3Wa3E


Regal Lily consists of three adorable female students who have yet to finish high school but are already on track to becoming one of the best Japanese female bands of all-time. Their music is incredibly soulful, melodic and unpretentious but when you least expect it they sideswipe you with a mammoth wall of shoegaze noise and distortion.
Fans of earlier material by Kinoko Teikoku and Chatmonchy will gravitate to Regal Lily like Pooh, W to honey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxTtzphQc3g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_y7qbTmNTY

Next Music from Tokyo prides itself in showcasing a fresh and eclectic line-up of Japanese bands that put on a great show without resorting to gimmicks. Although this year’s line-up is predominantly rock-based, none of the bands sound remotely alike and are bound to fascinate audiences that keep an open mind. NMFT is the only tour in Canada featuring multiple Japanese bands and will continue its tradition of creating one of the most interesting and intense live music experiences of the year.