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Konichi-WOW: Anime Samples Meet Funked Up Dance Floor at this Norfolk Rave

Future Funk Hits 37th & Zen Saturday

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Paul Stetson Rice
February 06, 2024

Get ready Norfolk - an event unlike any other is arriving to transport you straight to a retro-futuristic Tokyo dance party. 

The event is An Evening of Future Funk with TIARA Tastemaker. For the uninitiated, Future Funk is a vibrant electronic music genre built on eclectic samples of 1970s-80s Japanese disco and funk. The sound draws heavily from an aesthetic world of bubblegum anime graphics, roller skating soul, and the optimistic technological fantasies of the 80s.  

The event is driven by local musician and promoter Michael Mahgerefteh.  He says he first found the “Future Funk” genre 14 years ago and has held a long-held vision of launching his very own "Future Funk Idol Group” since. The mostly unknown but “wondrous rabbit hole” genre kept him enamored. Fast forward to today and he’s ready to pull it out of the underground.

This Saturday February 10th, Michael's passion project "TIARA Tastemaker & His Precious Gemstones" will headline their own curated evening of fractured funk, city pop, and future-facing beats at 37th & Zen.  

The group held their first ever event last month under the banner “VaporRave.” That first show quickly sold out, and by the looks of it the crowd was digging the carefree dance party and unique aesthetic. 

Michael wants attendees to leave inhibitions and preconceptions at the door as they enter a transportive audio-visual landscape. "All I want to do is share my love for the genre and create an honest dance party that anybody with ears can fall in love with," he says. With a high-energy marathon DJ set, precisely choreographed backup dancers, and a full lean into the Day-Glo retrofuturist styles - Michael is ready to initiate new converts.The show is set to feature plenty of anime references and visuals, alongside the modern electronic beats, and neon city elements. 

Beyond just a flashy concept, there is true potential for TIARA and crew to spark an enduring scene. TIARA Tastemaker is launching a multi-city East Coast tour in late February with stops planned in Richmond, DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. With over 70% of the U.S population supposedly watching Anime, nostalgia driving culture trends, and edm/rave culture growing as well, TIARA may just be on to something huge. 

So ready those dancing shoes - a bright and bubbly portal to a party-world awaits you right here in our backyard. 

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