the telephones marked two decades of dance-rock with a packed anniversary show at Tokyo's Zepp Shinjuku on May 31st, bringing together a lineup of collaborators and fellow musicians to celebrate the milestone.

Formed in 2005 in Saitama, the three-piece—vocalist and guitarist Terui Ishige, synth player and percussionist Nobuaki Okamoto, and drummer Seiji Matsumoto—built their reputation on energetic dance-rock that blends post-punk and new wave influences. After a major label debut in 2009, they've steadily released new material and toured internationally, including a 2013 European tour alongside fellow experimental band POLYCICS.

The "SUPER DISCO HITS!!! -20周年ファイナルだよ、全員集合-" show opened with their 2024 track "Monkey Discooooooo," complete with the band's signature rainbow lighting. Over the course of the evening, 12 guest musicians cycled through the stage—some from the collaborative album "THIS IS A DISCO CALL!!!" released just the month before, others representing key relationships forged across the band's two decades.

Highlights included a collaboration with TOPICSECRETMAN's Shinoda on "Jump Jump Jump!!!," which sent the crowd leaping; a guitar face-off with POLYCICS' Hayashi on "TOISU de DISCO," merging both bands' signature sounds; and spirited performances with other notable Japanese musicians including 4s4ki, Sugawara Takuro of 9mm Parabellum Bullet, and ROY of THE BAWDIES.

The setlist reflected the band's full span, mixing classics like "Used Skin" alongside newer tracks from their recent collaborative project. Okamoto's characteristically uninhibited dancing throughout the night captured the band's ethos—Ishige even encouraged the crowd early on to "dance like monkeys from the start."

After closing out 2026 with this celebration, the telephones demonstrated why they remain vital fixtures in Japan's rock scene: infectious grooves, genuine friendships across the indie music community, and an infectious enthusiasm that translates directly to their audience.