Deep Kyoto

good places - good people

Club World

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OK. Let me be completely honest about this. I’m an old git and  I don’t go to clubs anymore. The only other club I’ve reviewed up here is Club Metro and that’s only because they have an ’80s night (that’s how old I am). So when John Gatewood II wrote to me saying he was “a bit sad” I hadn’t reviewed World on Deep Kyoto and then invited me along, I have to admit I was a little reluctant to be stirred out of my normal sedentary lifestyle into the active whirl of hip young things. In fact I managed to put the whole thing off for several months. Here’s what I found though, when I finally got there.

Isn't it nice to see the young people having fun?

Club World is an underground sound chamber replete with stone arches (it used to be an Italian restaurant you know) and an awesome light system that  holds at capacity about 700 people. This intimate atmosphere, the top-level djs and the music (electronica, house, hip-hop, reggae) pulls in a young crowd and at the weekends it’s thumping. Check the schedule for upcoming events. We ended up, rather randomly, at a regular “Sprung” party event. This was around the time of the Gion Matsuri so the dance floor was full of young girls jumping around in their summer yukata…

For the first hour or so, Mewby and I sat in a corner people-watching and analysing different nampa techniques, but after a couple of Long Island Iced Teas we were about ready to hit the dance floor. Mewby being yet young and full of verve, enjoyed herself thoroughly jumping about like a wild thing. I did what I normally do wherever I go and took a lot of pics.

Despite my misgivings Mewby and I had a great night at Club World (many thanks Mr. Gatewood!) and if I was a bit younger and single, I would undoubtedly be there every weekend. But don’t tell Mewby I said that.

Club World is situated on the west side of Kiyamachi a short walk north of Shijo. Here on their splendid website is a most convenient map.

In Search of… Vinyl

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I have previously written about the record shop Prototype, managed by my good friend Yoshida-kun but I’ve been thinking it’s time I added a few more Kyoto record shops to the list. I asked friend and collector Nana H. (that’s her on the left spinning discs at Joao) to give me some pointers and she recommended the following stores.

Bootsy’s

A pure, minimalist store without much decoration, this place is very neat and tidy compared to some of the other record stores in town. Genres include: Blues, Gospel, Alternative, New Wave, Progressive Rock, Reggae, Ska, World music and Jazz. Says Nana: “Most of the stuff here isn’t new, maybe up to the 80’s, or if Hip-Hop then the 90’s. This is where you come if you want to know where the new stuff comes from.” Bootsy’s is on the 3rd floor of the Takase building on the south side of Sanjo, west of the bridge, about two doors down from the Lawson’s convenience store. Here is a map.
Open 12:00 – 20:00 seven days a week. Tel: 075-231-5078

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