Back on the streets of Tokyo and in front of Shibuya Station for another edition of Vox Pop – meeting people on the streets of Tokyo and chatting them up about their recently scored records, essentially just Tokyo Record Style with a video element. After chatting up a colorfully hip squad from Dublin, Ireland, then a youthful teenage troupe from Lumbini, Nepal, then a national anthem-singing patriot from Dhakar, Bangladesh, then a pair of young Americans backpacking their way across Asia on a shoestring budget, next them K-Pop-loving posse from Chengdu, China and prior to meeting meeting Davide and his wife and parents from St. Petersburg, Russia, (you gotta check the Tokyo Record Style Vox Log archives from September 16th, 2025 – Link to YouTube in bio), I met Jean François and his lovely family on their first day in Tokyo from Dour, Belgium! Bonjour, and Yōkoso, Jean François! Welcome to Japan!
Dour is home of the Dour Festival, an annual award-winning music festival attended by huge crowds since 1988 growing to an attendance of about 225,000 in recent years. The festival pulls from a wide range of genres, including electro, rock, drum and bass, pop, R&B, reggae, house, punk, hardcore, metal, hip-hop, indie, and techno. Happy to put this on my radar!
Jean François had just come from Tower Records, which is how I probably spotted him and started to chat him up. I asked him to show me he scored and he produced from his iconic orange and red Tower Records bag, The Smiths “Louder Than Bombs” and a James “Come Home” 12” single, Playboi Carti’s “I am Music”, Stone Roses’ “Second Coming”. Then Jean François’ son Arthur entered the frame to talk about the Clairo record that he scored, “Diary 001” (I’ve been seeing this artist EVERYWHERE, but haven’t burned her name to memory or listened to more than one of her records.) All-in-all, a killer haul! Well done, gents! And just before I sent them off, I had to ask for one Belgian artist to recommend and Jean François recommended Jacques Brel, a legend that I pathetically am not cultured enough to have already known, considered a (the?) master of the modern chanson. Thanks for leveling me up, Jean François! Hope you enjoyed your holiday!
On Vox Pop – Sep 16th https://youtube.com/live/Bq65baftl6M
