Embedded Files
16th December 2025
Born from a shared obsession with jungle and jazz, Tokio Station has evolved from a student project in Bristol into a touring collective built on live improvisation, community, and the collision between scenes.
What happens when jungle isn’t just mixed by DJs, but answered by live musicians in real time?
What happens when jungle isn’t just mixed by DJs, but answered by live musicians in real time?
For Tokio Station’s Blake and Alex, this sits at the heart of their project, which exists somewhere between club night and live session, shaped by Bristol’s vibrant jam and jungle scenes.
For Tokio Station’s Blake and Alex, this sits at the heart of their project, which exists somewhere between club night and live session, shaped by Bristol’s vibrant jam and jungle scenes.
Origins of Tokio Station
Founded by Blake (BRUK), with roots in jungle, and Alex, whose musical world grew through jazz, vinyl digging, and jam sessions, Tokio Station formed around a shared curiosity: what happens when jungle and jazz meet in a live, improvised setting? Not as a concept, but as a physical exchange between DJs, musicians, and the crowd.
The relationship between the two genres had been forming long before the project officially existed. For Blake, the raw energy of jungle always felt naturally aligned with the freedom and responsiveness of jazz. What was missing was a space where that relationship could properly unfold.
That opportunity arrived through a university project, when Blake was tasked with putting on a live event. Rather than following a standard club format, he used it as a chance to build the first jungle-jazz night. The earliest shows were small charity events, followed by a handful of other nights, subsequently laying the foundations for what would become Tokio Station.
At the same time, Alex was deeply embedded in Bristol’s jam culture, spending time at community jam nights like Analogue Lounge, Space Jams, and Brakery. The pair were also heavily inspired by the community side of Bristol’s music scene, such as Kesh’s AnExperience that has since grown into one of Bristol’s standout festivals.
When the two connected through mutual friends at BIMM University, the project shifted from theory into something more tangible. Blake brought the jungle and electronic side, and Alex brought the musicians, which seemed like a natural crossover.
The pair also host a regular SWU FM show, an extension of the Tokio Station ethos. Each broadcast opens with around 45 minutes of listening and unpacking jazz inspirations. From there, the show shifts into the Tokio Station fusion zone, where jazz and jungle meet, showcasing exactly how the two musical worlds collide.
The final stretch often features a live interview or spotlight with local musicians, DJs, and producers – such as a recent feature with Bristol’s Collector Cave.
Community – Not Just Headliners
From the beginning, Tokio Station was shaped by community. In a difficult climate for nightlife, the project leaned into two core ideas: a clear identity, and people-first energy. Rather than relying on big bookings alone, the collective built each night through shared effort between promoters, musicians, designers, and volunteers – forming into a passionate, tight-knit crew.
As the shows grew, they moved into venues like The Boxing Gym and Lakota, finding spaces that could support both a soundsystem and a full live band. At the latest Bristol show, for example, they were powered by the incredible Scotland Yard Soundsystem – showcasing the great energy generated between musicians and a powerful soundsystem.
As Tokio Station expanded beyond Bristol, the ethos stayed consistent. Each booking followed the same question: does this artist genuinely represent what the project stands for? That principle is what led them to Takuya Nakamura, who many will have seen due to his resurgence online and variety of shows in 2025.
Takuya Nakamura
With decades of experience spanning jazz, DJ culture, and early New York jungle, Nakamura embodies the exact bridge Tokio Station was built to explore. His trumpet lines slip through jungle rhythms like an MC’s vocal – weaving its way through drops. For the collective, his involvement isn’t about securing a big headliner, but about lineage.
That same thinking extends to future bookings. The intention isn’t to chase recognisable names per se, but to slowly gather artists whose work sits at the intersections of jazz and electronic music. These are figures whose influence runs deeper than a ‘headline slot.’
Future of Tokio Station
Looking ahead, Tokio Station is already thinking beyond the single-room format. Plans are forming around multi-room takeovers: one space dedicated entirely to jungle, one to jazz and fusion, and a central collaborative room where the two collide.
Despite growing further afield, Bristol remains the core of everything they do. The city’s promoters, jam spaces, record shops, and independent venues continue to shape the project’s direction, reinforcing the idea that Tokio Station exists as part of a wider musical ecosystem rather than a standalone project.
What began as a student project has grown into a touring collective built on friendship, shared values, and a belief that jungle and jazz still have new territory left to explore when they’re allowed to evolve together.
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