WEEKEND UPDATE:
Mother Records Japan marks 5th anniversary

"Music is Connected to Universe" (Saturday, Dec. 8, Differ Ariake, 10 p.m.)

Mother Records Japan celebrates its 5th anniversary with another exciting episode of its "Music is Connected to Universe" theme on Saturday at Differ.

Live acts Protoculture (BNE Records, South Africa), Atomic Pulse (BNE Records, Israel) and Wizzy Noise (Exposure Productions, Greece), plus DJs Ta-Ka (Mother Records, Japan) and Daijiro (Digital Block, Japan).

Congratulations to Mother and label head Seiichi Sato for not only surviving five years in this ultra-competitive market, but also thriving. Having Japan's best psychedelic trance DJ -- Ta-Ka -- certainly helped, but Mother has built a solid reputation for doing things just right.

Mother's growth into Japan's Top-5 echelon has been measured, steady and respectable.

Even when they take a gamble, the odds end up stacked in their favor. Case in point was their 2007 summer signature event "SOS -- Space of Sound."

Despite being held from Sunday to Wednesday over the O-Bon holidays, they sold about 4,800 wristbands. Not only was this an all-time personal best, but it was also this summer's biggest party.