Tokyo Roller-zoku Gangs is a portrait series from American photographer Denny Renshaw. Created in Tokyo across five weeks in 2013 and 2015, the series was shot in parks, parties, bars, and music venues around the city. Renshaw tells us more about the series and the history behind the Roller-zoku subculture below.
2013年和2015年期间，美国摄影师Denny Renshaw前往东京，用五个星期的时间在公园、派对、酒吧和音乐场所拍摄下人像作品系列《Tokyo Roller-zoku Gangs》（Roller-zoku 指上世纪五六十年代东京的摇滚文化）。下面Renshaw 给我们介绍了这一人像作品系列，并讲述这种日本摇滚亚文化现象背后的一些故事。
“Among Japan’s many fashion tribes, one of the less explored is the Roller-zoku. For over 30 years the Roller-zoku have been borrowing greaser styles, gathering together for loud rock-and-roll music, and sporting leather, denim, and big greased up pompadours. Foreigners often associate them with the group of Roller-zoku seen in Yoyogi Park every Sunday, but this tribe can be found all over Tokyo. The Roller-zoku have grown from the roots of both 50’s and 60’s rock and roll and rockabilly because Japanese record labels did not differentiate between these musical categories at the time of their introduction.”
“在日本的各种时尚圈子中，Roller-zoku是其中比较鲜为人知的群体。30多年来，这些日本摇滚人一直在借鉴街头混混的造型风格, 他们聚集在一起听吵闹的摇滚音乐, 穿上皮夹克、牛仔服，向上梳起复古的‘庞毕度头’（pompadours）。外国人一般会首先想到的是每周日出现在代代木公园的Roller-zoku, 但其实他们遍布了东京的各个角落。Roller-zoku源自于50年代和60年代的摇滚乐和洛卡比里（Rockabilly）音乐, 因为在当时，日本的唱片公司把这些音乐混为一谈。”
“Japan experienced the popularity of these early rock-and-roll styles as did much of the world at that time, but it was the revival in the late 70’s that brought the fashions still associated with the Roller-zoku. Japanese bands like the Cools and Carol were at the forefront of this musical revival and began associating themselves with leather jackets, greased back hair, and motorcycles.”
”和当时世界其他地方一样，早期摇滚风格在日本经历了备受追捧的热潮，但直到70年代的复兴时期，才出现这种摇滚音乐的标志性时装风格。正是Cools and Carol 和其他引领着这种音乐复兴浪潮的日本乐队, 让皮夹克、‘庞毕度头’和摩托车与这种音乐文化关联起来。
“Unlike many other fashion tribes, these greasers are often all ages from the young to the old. An interesting aspect of this tribe is some members’ predilection for dancing, which can be seen being practiced in Tokyo parks on weekends. Much like early hip-hop was associated with breakdancing, Roller-zoku have their own brand of dancing, incorporating classic rock-and-roll dancing as well as intricate footwork, acrobatics, and theatricality.”
”不同于许多其它时尚圈子, 这些梳着‘庞毕度头’的摇滚人中既有年轻人也有年长者。关于这个群体，一个有趣的地方是一些成员特别喜欢跳舞。周末的时候，你会在东京的公园看到他们练习跳舞。就像霹雳舞是早期嘻哈音乐的标志性舞蹈一样，Roller-zoku 也有自己的特色舞蹈，他们在传统的摇滚舞蹈基础上，加入了复杂的步法, 动作和戏剧元素。“
Website: dennyrenshaw.com
Instagram: @dennyrenshaw
Contributor: George Zhi Zhao
Images Courtesy of Denny Renshaw
