In traditional Japanese philosophy, there is a vividly acute way to understand the phenomena of time and space called Mujō. This translates to impermanence or momentariness, a concept from ancient Buddhism that aims to understand our constant state of flux. Life is seen as made up of entities that instantly form and flow out of existence. And so, for four days, we gathered only momentarily to experience the transient power of Japan's nature, electronic music, and sound system culture.
Unfolding in the Numajiri Highlands, rural festival celebrated its sixteenth year in a new location at the foothills of Mt. Adatara. This Northeast region of Japan's mainland was shaped by volcanic eruptions over 40,000 years ago, with earthly processes producing mineral-rich 'onsens' (Japanese for 'natural hot spring') and over 300 crystalline lakes. Today, virescent forests hug the mountainsides, while rice fields sprawl out in sleepy towns below. Much like Tokyo’s neon-lit streets, Japan’s nature bursts with its own technicolour beauty.
A local legacy begins
Beginning with a small group of friends in 2009, rural marked last year's 15th anniversary with a European tour, playing clubs from Bassini to Tresor. Over the years, many people have shaped the festival’s growth from its DIY roots into its current form—one of Japan's most revered techno occasions. Even so, it consciously remains an intimate affair, with around 800 people attending this year's edition. While it sees itself as a collective, rural today has four core members: Atsushi Meada, Ami Tsunoda, Naoko Hisatsune, and Yukiko Matsuo.
Every year, the crew aims to create an aural arch that reads like a book, with each artist a storyteller, shaping the experience through the spectrum of ambient, techno, and electronica: 'We always first view rural as a story, looking at how it will unfold over the weekend,' says Atsushi. 'Across the two stages, we make connections so there's fluidity, with artists that suit each sound system and that particular moment.' While musical curation is, of course, essential to producing rural's sonic narrative, core member Atsushi states one particular element is the most important: the sound systems and their acoustics. This focus echoes a broader cultural reverence for audio quality that originated in the country’s jazz cafes during the 1950s.
'This is my life's work, my iconic project'
Shaped by sound system culture
This era sparked Japan’s growing interest in acoustics, particularly sound systems, which evolved into the listening bar culture we see today. In these audiophile venues, sound quality is everything. They often become known for their high-fidelity, modified sound systems that amplify the music's full personality. Venues like Tokyo's SHeLTeR, where the pursuit of sound system harmonics continues even after 30 years, have influenced the world, from London's Brilliant Corners to Amsterdam's Doka. And this artisan approach to sound quality is also evident at rural, with Atsushi telling us, 'This is my life's work, my iconic project.' Knowing this, you experience the festival through a different lens—one where the acoustics themselves become a headline act. And so, we eagerly entered into rural’s dimension of sound.
Hyper-dimensional oscillations
Lodged inside a renovated ski chalet, the INDOOR stage opened Friday's festivities. Inside, white drapes crisscrossed the ceiling and hung from the walls, with a bouquet of greenery suspended above the DJ booth. The porch, where people gathered for smoke breaks, along with the stage's pine-wooded floors, give it an intimate club-like feel. Over the weekend, the space showcased Japan's ever-evolving electronic music scene, with over 80% of the lineup Japanese. As Sendai DJ and LOOP organiser, KAPI, kicked off proceedings, strangers quickly became friends, with everyone's minds realtered by OtOdashi SOUND SYSTEM (OSS).
Known for even considering plastic wiring colours, the OSS are sound engineers and Atsushi’s long-time friends and collaborators. Using custom electronic devices like vacuum tube circuits and power transformers, they manipulate this stage’s TW AUDiO sound system to bring out a lush sonic spectrum. This custom tweaking creates a distinct personality: 'It expresses both powerful bass and detailed upper tones,' says resident DJ and rural organiser Nao, 'making DJing super enjoyable.'
Hyper-dimensional oscillations
Lodged inside a renovated ski chalet, the INDOOR stage opened Friday's festivities. Inside, white drapes crisscrossed the ceiling and hung from the walls, with a bouquet of greenery suspended above the DJ booth. The porch, where people gathered for smoke breaks, along with the stage's pine-wooded floors, give it an intimate club-like feel. Over the weekend, the space showcased Japan's ever-evolving electronic music scene, with over 80% of the lineup Japanese. As Sendai DJ and LOOP organiser, KAPI, kicked off proceedings, strangers quickly became friends, with everyone's minds realtered by OtOdashi SOUND SYSTEM (OSS).
Known for even considering plastic wiring colours, the OSS are sound engineers and Atsushi’s long-time friends and collaborators. Using custom electronic devices like vacuum tube circuits and power transformers, they manipulate this stage’s TW AUDiO sound system to bring out a lush sonic spectrum. This custom tweaking creates a distinct personality: 'It expresses both powerful bass and detailed upper tones,' says resident DJ and rural organiser Nao, 'making DJing super enjoyable.'
As Friday's energy began peaking, Nao captivated minds with a hypercube of multi-coloured techno textures. 'I've often played with OtOdashi Sound System,' she noted, 'so I aimed to create an intense but delicate soundscape.' Like every set that weekend, her selections pulsed through OTT's modified Bozak rotary mixer. This juiced-up console transmitted rich, dynamic analogue frequencies, enhancing each soundwave’s purity for a narcotic dance floor connection from the first to last beat.
As we transitioned into Saturday, rural’s second stage came alive: the OPEN AIR. Sitting on a wide grassy terrain, this stage was encircled by verdant woodland, shaping the weekend's impromptu dance floor. During the next three days, sunshine and downpours exposed us to nature’s mood swings, while red, blue, and purple hues illuminated the forests at night. It was here we bore witness to rural’s infamous Void Acoustics sound design.
'A crucial aspect is being present with the dancers'
Entering the void
Forming a friendship on Shibuya's dance floors, Atsushi entrusts the acoustic architects of Tokyo Sound System Laboratory (TSSL) and his selected PA operators to tune Void's iconic sound. Together, they operate Void like an instrument, initially using precision technical updates that calibrate with the site's topography while the PA operators make real-time adjustments. It results in an explosive auditory encounter, one that's all-consuming, but explicitly clear and richly detailed. 'A crucial aspect is being present with the dancers,’ explains one of the PA operators, Ryosuke Tsuchiya. ‘We walk around the floor, listening to the music as dancers do.’ This approach allows the team to create optimal dance floor frequencies, delivering the right sonic energy despite the changing dynamics of sound, people, and weather
Nothing illustrated their expertise better than when Lighthouse Records staffer, Dr. Nishimura, dropped Pilldriver's hardcore classic, Pitch-Hiker. This track's warping intensity never felt muddied. Nor did it sound deafening. It was Gabba gastronomy served with crisp, horripilation frequencies, so much so that one excited ruraler sprinted to the front, losing themselves ecstatically into the Void.
Night Moves Writes the Last Chapter
After four ephemeral days, the festival's final six and a half hours felt like a daydream. On the extended closing duties, artists Jane Fitz and Jade Seatle brought the heady grooves of their London Night Moves party to Japan's northern highlands. Behind the clouds, sunshine broke free as the crowd's feverish last-leg energy built into a climactic rapture. In the booth, Jane and Jade never stopped smiling. And neither did we.
In Japanese culture, Mujō teaches us to appreciate these types of moments—their spontaneity, their fleetingness. In such temporality, there is always so much beauty. And while new moments enter into being with new dynamics, the rural crew has the formula to shape those experiences forever. Along with nature, core member Ami modestly says, it's really quite simple: 'good music, good people, and good sound.'
.webp)
