If there is any place on earth that is a physical manifestation of the Japanese dreampop/shoegaze scene, I think it would be Kōenji HIGH, a venue – or live house, as they call clubs here – in the northwest of Tokyo. They regularly host showcases from label/promoters Dreamwaves and Total Feedback, and by pure luck it happens that my final day in Japan coincides with the monthly Total Feedback show.

Headlining this show will be Tokyo’s COLLAPSE, who have been putting out dramatic shoegaze since 2013 via EPs and singles, but only just put out their first complete full-length in 2022 with Black Sheep Is Still Dreaming; “Underwater” was the first single from the album.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to luxuriating in deafening noise at this mecca of J-gaze.