BRAHMAN’s 20th-anniversary festival “Jinmiraisai ~Jinmiraisai~” is amazing.
“Jinmiraizai” is a music festival hosted by BRAHMAN, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.
Jinmiraizai is a Buddhist term meaning “for eternity, forever,” and you can sense the strong feelings behind holding a festival with this title at such a milestone of 20 years.
Now, let’s begin the introduction to BRAHMAN’s Jinmiraizai as they mark their 20th anniversary!
What is BRAHMAN?
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First, let me introduce BRAHMAN, the band that hosts Jinrui Sai (Endless Future).
BRAHMAN is a four-piece rock band formed in 1995.
They’ve had close ties with Hi-STANDARD, and I imagine many people now in their 30s—the so-called AIR JAM generation—have been fans since the band first formed.
Their music is characterized by a distinctive mixture rock style that is based on hardcore and incorporates elements of folk music.
Although they say they’re based in hardcore, it’s not all intense songs—there are gentle ones as well—so I’d say they’re a band with a rich range of expression.
And after all, BRAHMAN’s greatest appeal lies in their live performances.
Vo.
Their shows kick off with TOSHI-LOW’s “BRAHMAN, let’s begin!”, and from there it’s all raw emotion—utterly captivating and powerful, the kind of performance you can’t take your eyes off.
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, we have also been actively engaged in activities to support the recovery of the affected areas.
Let’s take a look at what kind of event “Jinmiraisai,” held to mark BRAHMAN’s 20th anniversary, actually is.
What does “jin miraisai” mean?
Jin Miraisai is a festival being held for the first time this year to mark BRAHMAN’s 20th anniversary, and it will take place at Makuhari Messe over two days, Saturday 11/14 and Sunday 11/15.
One notable feature of this year’s Jinmiraisai lineup is that the performers are divided by generation between Day 1 and Day 2.
As of 10/7, the announced performers for Day 1 are all bands formed in the late ’80s to ’90s, centered around bands known as the AIR JAM generation.
On the other hand, the Day 2 lineup—except for Elephant Kashimashi, formed in 1981—features artists from the late 1990s to the 2000s, including 10-FEET, ACIDMAN, and SiM.
It sounds like an exciting event where you can see artists from a wide range of generations over two days.
With the following heading, I'd like to introduce highlights that are possible precisely because such a wide range of generations are appearing.
An event that can be enjoyed across generations
As I mentioned earlier, one of the main highlights of this Jimmiraizai is that you can see live performances by artists from a wide range of generations, making it an event that can be enjoyed by everyone from young people to adults.
Also, with artists from the AIR JAM generation on Day 1 and mainly 2000s-era artists on Day 2, this year’s Jinruisai, where the lineup is almost perfectly divided by generation, might work well if adults in their 30s and up attend Day 1 and people in their teens and 20s go on Day 2—you’ll likely be able to see lots of your generation’s favorite artists.
But instead, wouldn’t it be interesting if people attended on both days—or even, conversely, if teens and those in their twenties went on the first day, and adults in their thirties and older went on the second day?
In particular, for those in their teens and twenties, you’ve probably never experienced a day when you could see this many AIRJAM-generation artists live in a single day.
So how about using this Jinruisai as an opportunity to watch the artists admired by the generation above us—the ones whom the artists we admire now once looked up to?
In this way, by dividing the performers by generation for each day, it seems the event will actually become something that people can enjoy across generations.
Highlights of 2015
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As of October 7, I’d like to highlight a few artists from the wide-ranging lineup of 17 bands that has been announced and share what makes them appealing.
Hi-STANDARD
On October 25, 2015, it was suddenly announced that they would officially resume activities, and their appearance this time has been confirmed!
No explanation needed anymore, right?
Hi-STANDARD is a band formed in 1991 that continued to be supported by many fans both in Japan and abroad. However, after their self-hosted event “AIR JAM 2000” in 2000, they went on hiatus. They later resumed activities with “AIR JAM 2011” and the following year’s “AIR JAM 2012” held in Tohoku, but they did not engage in any prominent public activities thereafter.
Will we get to hear a new song!? What kind of scenery will it be!? I’m really looking forward to it.
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BACK DROP BOMB
BACK DROP BOMB was formed in 1994 and performed at AIR JAM in 1998 and 2000.
Their appeal lies in a hybrid style that incorporates elements of hip-hop, reggae, and ska.
The solid band sound paired with rap by two vocalists is pleasing and really cool.
These days, it seems they’re performing with support on saxophone, trombone, and keyboard as well, which is something to look forward to.
THAT’S THE WAY WE UNITE / BACK DROP BOMB
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HUSKING BEE
HUSKING BEE is also an artist with close ties to Hi-STANDARD and BRAHMAN.
Formed in 1994, but disbanded once in 2005.
They reunited in 2012 and have continued to the present.
The charm of HUSKING BEE lies in their songs with lovely, memorable melodies.
In particular, WALK is a song that feels extremely pleasant and refreshing to listen to, and it’s one I personally love.
There’s a video on YouTube of Hi-STANDARD’s Ken Yokoyama covering this song live, so even people who don’t know HUSKING BEE may be familiar with this track.
WALK / HUSKING BEE
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SLANG
SLANG is a four-member rock band formed in Sapporo in 1988.
Their music is rugged, rough, and relentlessly straight-ahead.
Combined with their strongly anti-nuclear and anti-establishment lyrics, their sheer intensity embodies what hardcore punk is all about—and that’s their true appeal.
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, they have been carrying out support activities for the affected areas under the title of the NBC Operation.
Keep an eye on SLANG, who continue to be active in various fields beyond just music.
shithole / SLANG
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SiM
A four-member reggae punk rock band from Kanagawa Prefecture.
They’ve now become a hugely popular band, in high demand at festivals all over the place.
A defining feature of their music is that it blends elements from various genres—starting with reggae and also including drum and bass and dubstep.
Their true appeal really shines in live performances.
Vo.
Mah’s staging, which embodies their unique worldview, captivates the audience and completely draws them into it.
Be sure to keep an eye on their live shows from here on out and beyond.
CROWS / SiM
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MAN WITH A MISSION
MAN WITH A MISSION is a band formed in 2010 by five ultimate life forms who suddenly appeared: wolves’ heads with human bodies.
They’ve landed numerous tie-ins with films, anime, and commercials, and have even appeared on Music Station, so I imagine many of you are familiar with their songs.
Shrouded in such mystery as they are, MAN WITH A MISSION put on shows where the sense of unity in the crowd makes the concert incredibly fun.
In particular, the sight of the entire audience raising both hands and waving them from side to side during FLY AGAIN, included on the second album, is breathtaking.
I'm looking forward to their concert, which gives the impression of being nothing but fun.
FLY AGAIN / MAN WITH AMISSION
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Event Overview
| Schedule | Sat 11/14 – Sun 11/15 |
| place | Makuhari Messe |
| Appearance | [11/14] BRAHMAN / Hi-STANDARD / BACK DROP BOMB / COCOBAT / COKEHEAD HIPSTERS / HUSKING BEE / MONGOL800 / SCAFULL KING / SLANG / and more… [11/15] BRAHMAN / ACIDMAN / THE BACK HORN / Elephant Kashimashi / HEY-SMITH / the HIATUS / MAN WITH A MISSION / SiM / Straightener / 10-FEET |
| Source | http://jinmiraisai. com |
Lastly
How was it?
Did the timeless appeal come across? This event doesn’t just feature artists from the late ’90s to 2000s who dominate recent festivals—it also gives you a solid chance to see artists from the ’80s and ’90s. I think it’ll be an event where both younger and older audiences can discover something new.
I’m 22 this year, and since I haven’t really seen many live shows by artists from the AIR JAM generation, I’m personally really looking forward to the first day.
Why not join this timeless, cross-generational event and enjoy it together?