Shugo Tokumaru

Upcoming shows

Click here to see past shows...

Shugo Tokumaru has wowed critics and fans the world over with a sound that draws as much from classic Beatles-esque melodies as his own unique spin on Japanese pop.

A gifted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Tokumaru is responsible for producing every sound heard on his records. Though the vocals are sung solely in his native Japanese, his universal melodies transcend the lack of lyrical familiarity to Western ears.

After the release of 2008’s critically-lauded Exit, Tokumaru significantly raised his profile with US audiences while supporting The Magnetic Fields on an east coast tour, performing sessions with NPR World Café Live and Daytrotter, and leading a backing band comprised of members of Beirut and The National during his own North American tour.

With Port Entropy, Tokumaru’s fourth full-length, the pop experimentalist “tangles lines with Van Dyke Parks’ West Coast baroque, the prog-pop bounce of the Asthmatic Kitty stable and Michel Gondry’s surrealist freedom” (Mojo)  Here, Tokumaru takes the magic of Exit and expands on it. Throughout Port Entropy his arrangements soar to new heights — most prominently in the coda of standout track “Lahaha.” Conversely, the twinkling piano lullaby “Linne” showcases a quieter, more introspective side of Tokumaru’s songwriting.

Port Entropy was released in Japan on P-Vine in April of 2010 and Berlin-based label Soulterrain Transmissions in October 2010.  On February 15th, 2011 the album will see its first North American release through Polyvinyl Record Co.

Now that the album is finally being released worldwide, Tokumaru will hit the road extensively in 2011 — with stops planned in Europe, at SXSW, and a tour of the U.S. from coast to coast.

Video's

Releases

Port Entropy
Polyvinyl Records(2010)
Exit
Polyvinyl Records(2007)
L.S.T.
Polyvinyl Records(2005)
Night Piece
Polyvinyl Records(2004)