Velfarre
| Company type | Nightclub |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Nightlife |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Fate | Closed due to land lease not extended |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
Area served | Tokyo, Japan |
| Owner | Tetsuya Komuro and Avex Trax |
was a nightclub situated in Tokyo’s Roppongi area, Japan. Promoted as the "largest nightclub in Asia," it accommodated up to 1,500 guests across six levels—three above ground and three below. Owned by Tetsuya Komuro and Avex Trax, Velfarre focused on events featuring trance, eurobeat, techno, Para Para, and disco genres. The venue also hosted live performances by Avex Trax artists and was available for private bookings.
Influence
Velfarre played a crucial role in popularizing the Para Para culture, initiating its inaugural event, SEF HYPER (Super Euro Flash), in 1998. This weekly Para Para gathering underwent several rebrandings, evolving into SEF MACH! and later SEF GOLD amid the third wave of Para Para popularity.
Several eurobeat tracks dedicated to Velfarre were produced by Hi-NRG Attack Studios, including:
- "Velfarre 2000" by Bazooka Girl
- "Hey Hey Velfarre" by Bazooka Girl
- "Super Euro Flash" by Franz "V.I.P." Tornado & Bazooka "T.C.V." Girl
- "Everybody Velfarre" by Bazooka Girl
- "The Class Of Velfarre" by Bazooka Girl
- "Velfarre 2006" by Garcon
- "Velfarre 10" by Franz Tornado & Bazooka Girl
(The acronym "TCV" refers to "The Class of Velfarre," the nickname for the VIP floor.)
The club attracted renowned trance DJs such as Johan Gielen and Ferry Corsten. Trance music was integral to Velfarre’s essence, initially introduced through John Robinson’s Millenia and PLANET LOVE events. The Cyber Trance genre emerged from this foundation, with Johan Gielen significantly contributing during his residency from 1995 to 1997. At Velfarre’s final Cyber Trance celebration, John Robinson performed the New Year countdown set, followed by Johan Gielen and other prominent DJs before the venue closed its doors, dimming its iconic mirror ball for the last time.
Albums
In February 1995, Avex launched its first Velfarre compilation CD titled Velfarre Volume 1 - Welcome To The Future, marking the start of a series that succeeded the "Juliana's Tokyo" mix CDs. These compilations were instrumental in providing Avex with initial capital for rapid expansion. Both series were mixed and produced by DJ John Robinson, who subsequently became a member of Velfarre’s board of directors. Also in 1995, the release "Disco Week in Velfarre" was packaged with Avex’s J-POP concert album "TK DANCE CAMP" as a two-CD set named "AVEX DANCE MATRIX `95 LIVE." This marked Velfarre’s debut video release on VHS/LD formats and featured performances by both international and Japanese artists beyond what was available on the CDs. Following the success of Velfarre’s "J-POP NIGHT" events in 1997, Avex issued VELFARRE J-POP NIGHT presents DANCE with you, which included Eurobeat adaptations of well-known J-POP songs performed by groups such as MAX, SPEED, and D&D.
Thanks to Velfarre’s impact on Cyber Trance, Avex Trax introduced a moderately successful series of continuous Trance mix albums bearing the Velfarre name. The first album simply titled "Cyber Trance," was released on July 4, 2001. The initial album officially branded with Velfarre was the second installment, velfarre Cyber TRANCE 01 ～BEST HIT TRANCE～, launched on November 7, 2001. The most recent edition is a comprehensive 2 CD+DVD box set called "Velfarre Cyber Trance Complete Collection," accompanied by a 6-CD box set titled "Velfarre complete best 1994-2006." This collection categorizes Velfarre’s diverse musical styles—Hyper Techno, Hyper Trance, Dance Pop, Eurobeat, Disco House, and After Hours Floors—and includes a booklet chronicling the club’s history. Whether this series will continue following Velfarre’s closure remains unclear.
A notable anecdote credits Velfarre as the place where Ayumi Hamasaki first encountered her future producer Max Matsuura during her teenage years, underscoring the club’s significance as a talent incubator.
Additionally, Earth, Wind & Fire recorded their live album Greatest Hits Live at Velfarre in 1995.
Closing
Velfarre was in operation from December 2, 1994, until January 1, 2007. After a 12-year run, it closed because the land lease was not extended.
The club’s final events included "Countdown to the Future" on December 31, 2006, followed by "the LAST DANCE" on January 1, 2007—marking both the last party and the first dance of the new year. The venue officially shut its doors at noon that day.
During the Cyber Trance FINAL event on December 30, 2006, Komuro Tetsuya took to the stage to declare that "Velfarre will be back!"
In July 2011, Niwango, the company behind Nico Nico Douga, opened "Nicofarre" at the same site but on a reduced scale. This new club incorporated five LED screens displaying live viewer comments, utilizing Niconico’s distinctive comment feature. Nicofarre ended its operations in July 2019.