London promoter OINIMOD marks its third anniversary with a Halloween night called Manga Yōkai at Loft Studios on Scrubs Lane, on Friday 30 October 2026. It starts at 10pm and runs into the early hours across two rooms, with Subb-an, Aldonna, Squash and Nirvan on the line-up.
The music is house and tech house. The Japanese side of the night is in its theme and artwork, which borrows from Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira and takes its name from the monsters and spirits of Japanese folklore.
House and tech house in a warehouse studio, dressed for a night of Japanese monsters
Subb-an, Aldonna, Squash and Nirvan across The Hall and The Cave
Subb-an, the British DJ and producer who co-founded One Records in 2009 and was named DJ Magazine’s Best Breakthrough DJ in 2011, heads the bill. Aldonna, Squash and Nirvan complete the line-up.
The night is split between two rooms. The Hall has exposed wood, brick walls, high ceilings and a cage installation in the middle of the floor. The Cave is softer, with layered fabrics, rich colours and low lighting. You can hear what OINIMOD sounds like on its SoundCloud page.
Yōkai, the monsters and spirits of Japanese folklore
The night takes its name from yōkai, the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore. Many of the best-known pictures of them come from the 18th century artist Toriyama Sekien, whose illustrated catalogue Gazu Hyakki Yagyō appeared in 1776. The National Diet Library of Japan has his books in its online image bank.
- Kappa: water creatures said to pull children and horses into rivers
- Tengu: seen either as a yōkai lurking in the mountains or as a Shintō god
- Kitsunebi: eerie lights said to be lit by foxes
The idea of a whole procession of them, the Hyakki Yagyō or night parade of one hundred demons, goes back to a 16th century handscroll at the Shinjuan subtemple of Daitokuji in Kyoto. Many of the creatures in the parade are old household objects that have come to life, as The Met’s night parade scroll shows.
Tickets and getting to Loft Studios
- Tickets are listed at £30 on Shotgun, and further ticket tiers have not been published
- Starts at 10pm on Friday 30 October
- No age limit or dress code has been announced yet, so check the ticket page before you go
Loft Studios is at 77 to 81 Scrubs Lane, NW10, in a converted warehouse between Willesden Junction and North Kensington. The venue says it is about a 10 minute walk from Willesden Junction station, which is on the London Overground and the Bakerloo line, or around 10 minutes on the 220 bus from White City. Details of the venue are on the Loft Studios website.
Loft Studios
Tickets are on sale through OINIMOD Halloween: Manga Yōkai on Shotgun.
