KYOTOGRAPHIE / KYOTOPHONIE / KG＋ 2025 Kick-Off Party Filipe Catto, KUNIKO, and more …
CLUB METRO
STUDENT ¥1,500＋1D
ADV.¥2,000＋1D
DOOR¥2,500＋1D
with KYOTOGRAPHIE Passport ticket ¥1,500＋1D
Photo byKohei Take
The KYOTOGRAPHIE / KYOTOPHONIE / KG+2025 Kick-Off Party returns to Japan’s oldest nightclub, Club METRO, on Saturday, April 12!
Bringing together artists from Kyoto and around the world, including Brazilian artist Filipe Catto, and Okinawan artist KUNIKO, who remixes traditional Okinawan sanshin and uta to create a new generation of shimauta.
KYOTOGRAPHIE / KYOTOPHONIE / KG+ will run concurrently from Saturday, April 12 - Sunday, May 11, 2025. Let's celebrate the start of the season together!
アーティスト
Filipe Catto
Over her 15-year career, CATTO has become one of the most important voices in contemporary Brazilian music, earning recognition from icons like Ney Matogrosso and Marina Lima. She has released five studio albums, two live albums, and amassed numerous collaborations, awards, and nominations.
In Belezas são Coisas Acesas por Dentro (2023), CATTO reimagines Gal Costa’s music for a new generation, drawing inspiration from the power and freedom of rock and roll. Interestingly, she and Gal share the same birth date—September 26th. With vulnerability and depth, CATTO interprets Gal’s songs to reflect her experiences as a non-binary trans person living in São Paulo, Latin America’s largest city.
In 2023, she performed at Primavera Sound São Paulo, where her show was ranked among the festival’s top 10, alongside The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, and Marisa Monte.
KUNIKO
Label: BigKnot Records
KUNIKO has grown up immersed in music from a young age, singing at local festivals and events while learning piano and electronic organ. She began her DJ career in Tokyo under the mentorship of Yama a.k.a Sahib.
In 2013 KUNIKO relocated back to her roots in Okinawa and studied traditional Ryukyuan singing and sanshin under Master Misako Oshiro. KUNIKO is dedicated to preserving and evolving Ryukyuan folk songs and the Shuri Quena tradition, passing these traditions on at local schools.
In 2021 she appeared in the international web film AWAMORI JINBNER. The following year she released the song “shoNganee KUNIKO, RITTO, OZworld,” an arranged version of “Omoi Shongane”, originally composed and written by Shuken Maekawa, as a way to pass the song on to future generations. In 2023, she contributed and performed the theme song for the WOWOW-NHK co-produced drama series FENCE.
KUNIKO also provided chorus vocals for “THE UNION” by Japanese Hip-Hop artist Awich, known as the "Queen of Japanese Female Rappers." She has joined Awich on stage at numerous live shows.
In January 2024, KUNIKO released her first EP, Identity, exploring themes of inheritance and creation, available digitally and on 12-inch vinyl.
TOYOMU
Born in Kyoto in 1990, TOYOMU became fascinated by hip-hop’s sampling culture around the age of 20, which led him to start rapping and producing music. In 2016, his self-produced work 'Nantonaku, Pablo' gained international recognition as a uniquely Japanese reimagining of a global sound, catapulting him into the spotlight.
That same year, he released his debut ‘EP ZEKKEI’ under the music label 'Traffic,' followed by his first full-length album ‘TOYOMU’ in 2018. Over the years, TOYOMU has worked on official remixes for artists including Shota Shimizu, Run The Jewels, and Ayane Yamazaki, making a name for himself across different music scenes.
After sporadic activity in the following years, TOYOMU made a significant return to music in 2024, performing on the Okinawan sanshin (a traditional three-stringed instrument) at a special dedication of Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ at Kyoto’s historic Kiyomizu Temple. Inspired by this experience, he has fully resumed his artistic journey. Armed with imagination, he experiments with everything from traditional instruments like the sanshin to AI-driven music, and continues to explore the limits of music’s possibilities.
NiSSiE
Born in Osaka, NiSSiE began his career as a hip-hop DJ in 2005 and has since developed a signature style that transcends genres and eras, focusing on creating a deep connection with the audience on the dance floor. Drawing from his experience as a record store buyer and club staff member, NiSSiE embraces an eclectic approach to DJing, seamlessly incorporating various sounds into his sets. NiSSiE is primarily active at DNA Paradise in Kyoto and has released several physical and digital recordings. His latest mix, PASORODAR, a world music project, was released by Japan-based 'Mixology'.
Wataru(W)
A former Saturday staff member at Coconuts Disk Ekoda and the founder of the Esoteric Soundtrack Series 'PARAMITA,’ Wataru’s uniquely distorted and layered interpretation of music creates a soundscape that is entirely his own. He continues to push beyond the boundaries of conventional understanding.
ori
Born in 2000 and based in Kyoto, ori is currently working at Kyoto Metro and is actively involved in the city's music scene.
HSMR [VJ]
SPREAD EXPERIMENT, vj Hasim.
HSMR has been crafting immersive visual experiences since the early 2000s. Whether at Club Metro’s FANTASIA or unconventional venues like outdoor campgrounds, parks, open fields, ships, cafés, restaurants, and bars, his blend of projections, lighting, and space blurs the boundaries between light and perception and expands to locations where music can freely exist.
Based in Kyoto, he also produces music videos and creates light art installations.
PELGAG
This restaurant serves exotic cuisine that combines the atmospheres of various countries and regions the owners have travelled to. Despite being located in the middle of Kyoto’s Uradera district, it’s a relaxing space where tiem flows slowly. PELGAG will hold a food stall at the Kick-Off party.
CLUB METRO is Japan’s oldest and most innovative club. It has been in operation since 1990 and is well known as both a Nightclub and concert hall. METRO has long been at the forefront of the Kansai culture and arts scene. Its reputation has spread outside of Japan; artists on the global leading-edge are regularly invited to perform.
Address
B1F, 82 Shimotsutsumi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-8396 Open in Google Maps
Access
Near exit 2 at Jingu-marutamachi Station on the Keihan line.
