Malin and Bastian – I met this lovely couple on the streets of Shimokitazawa a little over a year ago, visiting Tokyo for their first time from Cologne, Germany, (and Dusseldorf, and I think Stockholm as well, maybe Australia too – I’m not even sure I caught it all the first or second time) but I met them actually on their honeymoon, though it seems these two have been lovebirds for a very, very long time, their love going back a way, to all these aforementioned places. And they were indeed lovebirds, cute as can be, “two peas in a pod”, or “maybe more like “two beats in a mod” … talk about 60’s style! To the nth degree! And they just don’t look the part, they live it. They are a fun duo to follow on Instagram, trendsetting with their fellow 60s appreciators, throwing the coolest and heppest-looking parties, spinning deep-cut records, playing gigs in no doubt fuzzed out bands and just living it up like legends.
At there first encounter I had with them a year ago, they were out shopping for records and I chatted them up and took some GREAT photos of them for TRS, and Malin later told me they some of their most memorable moments of their Japan trip, which had me smiling big.
So we kept in touch and much to my delight, a year or two later they decided to return to Japan and reached out for a rendezvous! Naturally we had to meet at a record store, Be-In Records, a legendary shop in Koenji filled almost completely with treasures from the Swinging 60s. In fact, they have just a teeny tiny little section called “After the 80s” otherwise it’s all pre 1979! Little spendy, but very cool. Malin and Bastian also used the chance to rendezvous with their friend Jerome (stay turned for the next post), and we all managed to find a record! After our hang at Be-In, we headed out to Koenji’s appropriately named “Pal Shopping Street” for a few photos.
I love making connections like these, that instantly feel like old friends! Thank you to Bastian and Malin for reaching back out to me again and making it feel that way! I’m already looking forward to our next dig! Until then, keep cutting the rugs!
More Tokyo Records Style on the Way!
Various – Modstock – Saarbrücken ’94
Label: Detour Records (3) – DRLP007
Series: Modstock
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: Jan 6, 1996
Genre: Rock
Style: Mod, Beat
https://www.discogs.com/release/2915326-Various-Modstock-Saarbr%C3%BCcken-94
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