Music Inn Fuijeda crowdfunding from Masafumi Gotoh

22 October 2024 12:43 UTC+0

Author: tima

On 19 July 2024, Masafumi Gotoh announced the establishment of an NPO ‘Apple Vinegar Music Support’. On 27 September 2024, crowdfunding started to fund the first project of the NPO.

We have already told you about Masafumi Gotoh creating an NPO to help local musicians and its first project, which is building a music studio in Fujieda. Now, this project goes further – on 27 September, the musician announced that he had started crowdfunding for the Fujieda Music Inn studio project.

Main information about the project

The crowdfunding project description says the following: ‘The core of this project, the studio “Music Inn Fujieda”, is located in a renovated 130-year-old storehouse in Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Taking advantage of the high ceiling of the storehouse, we will be able to record the “good sound of live drums” in an environment allowing us to do so. We will also provide the recording equipment that Masafumi Gotoh has collected at his own expense, and we will prepare it to be used freely. Together with the sound staff, we are investigating how to create a good music production environment. The adjacent main house will be renovated into accommodation, with a space for musicians and a community space for local interaction. We aim to create a base where people can freely fail and try over and over. We want to create an environment where people, whether they are staying short-term or long-term, can concentrate on music production while living in the local area. This crowdfunding campaign and the support we receive will be used to renovate the studio and accommodation facilities, excluding necessary expenses (shipping costs, return costs, etc.). Any support we receive that exceeds the renovation costs will be used towards the operating costs of Music Inn Fujieda. We aim to start construction by the end of 2024, and complete the project around autumn 2025.’

Masafumi Gotoh’s studio. Different equipment will be provided to Music Inn Fujieda.

Masafumi Gotoh’s message

Along with the band activities I have helped other indie bands and musicians. We didn’t have big budgets like major labels, and there were financial limitations for every instrument’s recording. Nowadays, anyone can produce music on a computer, and the number of private studios organised at home keeps increasing; however, commercial recording studios continue to close or go out of business. It won’t be easy to maintain without the will to protect it as a culture. In a society that values efficiency, wealth and opportunities are uneven. A better environment is accessible only to the financially well-off. I imagined how much potential was lost in a society where many people turn back in front of such economic barriers, I felt that I had to do something. First of all, we will renovate a tea warehouse that has remained since the Meiji era into a recording studio. I will provide the studio with all the recording equipment I have collected so far and prepare it so anyone can use it freely. Additionally, in the adjacent building, we will create accommodation and a community space where various workshops can be held. We aim to create a new type of studio, one that does not operate by attracting customers, but rather invites participants and operates it together.

Moreover, Masafumi Gotoh recorded a video announcing the project. Our friends from akfgfan.com translated the video.

Crowdfunding

The crowdfunding project is organised on the Camp Fire platform. The goal is to gather 55 million yen by 15 December 2024.

To the date of the publication (22 October 2024) 77% of the funds (42,537,583 yen) were gathered, and a total number of 2,087 people contributed.

Gotoh standing in front of the Meiji area warehouse which is to be renovated to a studio
Model photo © Yusuke Koshima Architectural Studio
Interior image © Yusuke Koshima Architectural Studio
Interior image © Yusuke Koshima Architectural Studio
Interior image © Yusuke Koshima Architectural Studio

Rewards

3,000 yen – Thank you email message
A handwritten thank you message from Masafumi Gotoh in a PDF file.

8,000 yen – Thank you letter
A letter with a thank you message. It contains a letter signed by Masafumi Gotoh and an Apple Vinegar -Music Support- sticker.
10,000 yen – Handwritten thank you letter
A handwritten letter with a thank you message. It contains a letter written and signed by Masafumi Gotoh and an Apple Vinegar -Music Support- sticker.
Limited to 100 people.

5,000 yen – Your name will be listed on the Apple Vinegar -Music Support- home page

13,000 yen – Masafumi Gotoh’s autographed pick #1
Masafumi Gotoh will present his used pick with an autograph.
Limited to 200 people.

13,000 yen (the rest) – Masafumi Gotoh’s autographed pick #2
Masafumi Gotoh will present his used pick with the Asian Kung-Fu Generation logo design autographed by him.
Limited to 100 people.

5,000 yen – Music Inn Fujieda pamphlet, regular edition
10,000 yen – Music Inn Fujieda pamphlet, signed by Masafumi Gotoh
40,000 yen – Music Inn Fujieda pamphlet, signed by Asian Kung-Fu Generation

30,000 yen – your name printed on the plaque at the Music Inn Fujieda (for individuals)
300,000 yen – your company’s name will be printed on the plaque at the Music Inn Fujieda in small letters (for organisations)
500,000 yen – your company’s name will be printed on the plaque at the Music Inn Fujieda in large letters (for organisations)

20,000 yen – pics used by Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada (not signed)

30,000 yen – a rare AKG sticker before the debut. Illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura. Signed by the illustrator and all band members.

30,000 yen – writing using Yusuke Nakamura’s brand lettering for you. Only for individual use.

200,000 yen – headphones Fostex TH610 with Masafumi Gotoh’s autograph.

30,000 yen – visit a Masafumi Gotoh concert in Fujieda on 29 March or 30 March 2025.

5,000 yen – an unreleased Masafumi Gotoh’s song recorded before the construction started. Includes a PDF file with handwritten lyrics and chord progression.

5,000 – an ambient track recorded at the Fujieda field.

35,000 yen – visit a Yusuke Nakamura x Masafumi Gotoh talk and Gotoh’s acoustic live on 22 March 2025 or 23 March 2025. Also includes an Apple Vinegar -Music Support- sticker.

Message from Asian Kung-Fu Generation

T. Yamada, K. Ijichi, K. Kita

We had heard about the studio project for a while, so it feels like the time has come.

We also experienced this when we were younger but having fewer opportunities to make music while staying overnight. We think this is a great initiative to create a ‘stay studio’ that allows people to concentrate on their work and also to record in a good quality at a reasonable price. We hope the studio will be completed and the activity will reach many people.