Tokyoblu - Funkin' Along Nicely

Since being established five years ago, Tokyoblu has gone from strength to strength, from venue to venue, and original songs have been gratefully passed from residents to big name players like Fat Boy Slim. The next thing on the horizon for the DJ duo, eight-piece live band, and the club, all named Tokyoblu, is their fifth birthday party, sparking off an array of celebrations just as the Edinburgh festival gets into gear for another month of soul-shaking music.

Do you feel the five year mark is a significant milestone for clubs, and how does it feel to reach it? John Hutchison, one half of the Tokyblu DJs, alongside Iain Gibson, says: "It's safe to say that the first five years of Tokyoblu have absolutely flown in. During that time we've hosted the club in three different venues; firstly the ace wee Cocteau lounge in Ego, then moving on to the Venue (still one of the finest clubs ever in Scotland, RIP) and finally moving back to take over the whole of Ego. The current setup sees the club decor'd to the max to give it our own individual feel, with the full live Tokyoblu set-up and DJs upstairs, and FutureB, Little Grooves, and Niall McKervey downstairs supplying the party house and disco. There's still masses of enthusiasm and energy from everyone involved in Tokyoblu and every month seems to throw up a little something else to keep everyone fired up at the moment - last month it was the news that we won T-Break, and this month it's playing T in the Park!"

He finds the key to the success of Tokyoblu has been the ethos behind it, and the fact that it's "run by a bunch of friends who all totally believe in what they are doing, so everyone gets on great, which always makes things much easier." So there's no reason to think that Tokyoblu will be retiring any time soon? "There's definitely loads of life left in the club, if anything the whole Tokyoblu concept is still in it's infancy: we all still believe that Tokyoblu Edinburgh is just the start. Every gig recently has had an unbelievable atmosphere so everyone is really fired up to get as many people as possible down to see the club and the band, and help us get it on the road."

The club's music policy sways between latin and african rhythms, peppered with live percussion, house grooves, and electronic beats. Why the decision to concentrate on this style of house and rhythms - was this a conscious response to what was available on the market at the time? "Tokyoblu's music policy has always been all-inclusive as far as house music goes," explains John, "and fuses the best of all genres of house as long as it has the funk; so you're as likely to hear US vocal house and disco next to funky house, chicago beats and electro fused with latin and african rhythms, with big diva vocals and the odd guitar thrown in for good measure. Both Iain and I have huge DJing backgrounds; we actually met whilst DJing at an indie night, so we both have very varied musical tastes and backgrounds which helps give the club its unusual musical identity. The same goes for the band who have all come from very different musical backgrounds, which helps give Tokyoblu's original music a unique feel, whilst the experience of many different gigs and clubs means that they definitely still tick all the boxes to get the party started."

You may have been able to sneak a peek at some of Tokyoblu's recent DVD of promotional material, but if not, fear not, as there are tracks in the pipeline due for release at the end of summer: "We are currently in talks with a couple of labels so hopefully it won't be too long before the first original Tokyoblu tracks hit the shelves." In the same pipeline is a potential expansion for the club, and they are currently discussing taking the club night over to Glasgow, plus a UK tour and Ibiza gigs nearer the end of the season. "Both the fusion of live with DJ sets and the awesome atmosphere all help make Tokyoblu a pretty special night out. You can tell that everyone involved with the club absolutely loves what they do, and this enthusiasm filters through to the crowd to give us a full on hands in the air party."

You can catch the club at their next date on 6 July, and their fifth birthday celebrations on 3 Aug - with a slightly longer licence than most, the party will be rocking through to 4am in July, and keep your fingers crossed for a 5am finish for the birthday!