The glass-fronted Tokyu Plaza skyscraper in Tokyo’s Ginza in home to a new nightclub and DJ Lounge owned by prolific Japanese venue operator Lounge Operation, whose other Tokyo venues include Sel Octagon, Ce La Vi and Plus. Located on the building’s sixth floor, Raise Tokyo promises to ‘re-define the nightlife experience’.

The design brief for the is evident throughout, with chrome Void Acoustics loudspeakers adding to the futuristic feel of the venue. ‘The installation in Raise is the first time we have specified Void Acoustics for a lounge operation venue, explains Tocci Satoru, Director of Eastaudio inc and Tokyo Sound System Laboratory – the long-term distributor for Void Acoustics in Japan. ‘The GM was keen to see the brand deployed throughout the club, not only because of the audio excellence, but for their design aesthetic.’

Tocci and his team believe they have delivered, despite the constraints of limited space and other challenges. Distinctive bespoke chrome Tri Motion and Airten V3 loudspeakers adorn the dancefloor, accompanied by a substantial number of Venu V2 and Stasys 118 subwoofers throughout the venue. The ArcM 12 is used as a DJ monitor with amplification provided by Bias D1, Bias Q1 and Bias Q2 amplifiers. The system also includes the first installation of the Arcline 218 subwoofer in Japan, and is completed with Cirrus 6.1 ceiling speakers.

‘We aimed to create an even sound space by eliminating blind spots, and we made meticulous adjustments to reduce cancellation,’ Tocci explains.

A specific request from the operator was to have the Royal VIP area (located behind the DJ podium) to have a ‘significant bass experience’, and so a Venu 215 V2 subwoofer is embedded behind the VIP sofa.

One of the greatest challenges to the team was that there are no interior walls in the 800 capacity, 740sq-m venue from which to hang fixtures, and so the entire sound system needed to be mounted using bespoke structures. ‘The inability to hang speakers was a major constraint to the sound plan, and we really had to think outside the box to achieve the end vision desired by our client,’ Tocci says.

‘The glass is polyhedral and has no parallel surfaces, so there are no standing waves from reflections,’ he continues. ‘Acoustically, the room is not as bad as one might expect. The ceiling, however, has a height of 27m and the glass is shaped to tilt inwards as it goes up, so the sound pressure of the bass is not reduced even on the upper floors. To reduce noise spill, we improved the absorption to minimise the transmission of the sub on the floor and used a Forward Directivity Isolator (FDI) system. FDI suppresses resonance by surrounding the array with a unique structure to prevent sound leakage, whilst at the same time improving the impulse response and directivity. This results in tighter bass and a more natural sound.’

The result is impactful and out-of-the-ordinary: ‘Of course, as well as the beautiful aesthetics of the loudspeakers, the sound quality is outstanding and And perfect for the discerning VIP club-goers at Raise,’ Tocci reports. ‘As a nightclub in the heart of Tokyo’s prestigious Ginza, the speakers needed to be stylish as well as of an exceptional audio design.’

Given the pandemic timing, the challenges presented by the installation were exacerbated by not having the integrator on the ground, explains Sean Iskhander, APAC Sales Manager for Void, who is based in Singapore. ‘Having no option to travel to Japan, our advice and input was mostly over email and WhatsApp. We had to ensure we were giving as much support to the team at Eastaudio as we could in order to fulfil the project. Being thorough in our responses and advice, and with a keen attention to detail was key.’

‘It is a luxurious club, and the sound quality is equally luxurious and of an extremely high definition,’ Tocci comments. ‘And this has most certainly been acknowledged by many of the club-goers who have been lucky enough to get their hands on a highly sought-after ticket to Raise.’

‘Raise is a club located in an exclusive neighbourhood where Tokyo’s best VIPs and celebrities gather, says Taro Fujita, General Manager for Raise Tokyo. ‘We are pleased that the sound quality and aesthetics of Void’s speakers complements the high-end club perfectly. A Void sound system can accommodate the wide variety of music genres and the wide range of music played by the famous DJs who are playing at our club. In addition to which, the bespoke silver chrome finish of the loudspeakers is a significant addition to the interior design.’

More: www.voidacoustics.com