- Thank you very much! Oh, I should have recorded that conversation about SALOMON....
(Before the recording, the interviewer was talking about the sneakers he was wearing.)
First of all, please tell us about your own sneaker obsession.
Oh, would you start the interview with that topic? lol
I used to work in a coffee shop as a Barista and my shoes get dirty easily. So I always have two pairs of sneakers, one for going to work and one for going home. It was hard to wear shoes that I liked, but I bought a lot of shoes at that time.
-There is indeed an image of baristas wearing brands like Vans or something like that.
I would wear Vans Era shoes for the rest of my life until they were worn out.
- What about when you DJing?
When DJing, I'm basically standing the whole time, so I need something comfortable. Today, I'm wearing BAPE STAs, and they're incredibly comfortable. They're softer and I prefer them over Air Forces.
- Do you still buy many pairs?
I haven't bought any recently, but when I think of a good pair of sneakers to go with my recent clothes, I go out and buy them. I have about four pairs of SALOMON sneakers, and the XT-6 sneakers I was talking about earlier were destroyed for work. They are very easy to wear, and even if they get wet, I can wear them without worrying about getting them dirty. So basically, I wear shoes until they are worn out, and when they are worn out, I buy new ones.
- Thank you very much. Then, let's move on to questions about your set... Could you share any ideas or themes behind this mix?
I was thinking about what I wanted to play and what I was going to play, and also records I bought about 7 or 8 years ago, and I wanted to bring the atmosphere of the parties I used to have back then to this mix.
- The beginning was quite intense, wasn't it?
Yes, it was pretty intense. When I play with records compared to digital, the sound I produce changes quite a bit. With records, it tends to be harder, while towards the end, it becomes softer. That's the kind of transition you can expect.
- When searching for new music, what methods do you use?
For pop music, it's probably through Instagram Reels that come up, like festival reels and videos. It's like, "What's this?" Then, I check out related artists that appear on YouTube.
- Do you also play those tracks when DJing?
That's purely for personal use. For tracks I use in DJing, I tend to buy them after checking the online stores of record shops.
- Are there things that stimulate your creativity outside of DJing?
Ummm. I do make an effort to get out and about for inspiration, like visiting art museums. Going out, taking long drives in the car, seeing new sights, visiting places I've never been to before. After clearing my head in this way, I dive into my work or DJing.
- Where do you go for a drive?
I have driven from Saitama to Ise recently. lol
- What? Ise? Mie Prefecture? That's quite a long trip...
Yeah I made a day trip to Ise. Surprisingly, it's doable in a day! lol
- By the way, you have a Volvo 240, how do you play music? I'm wondering if you use a cassette or bluetooth.
I've been listening to music by cassette in my car. It's an old car, a '93 model, which is the same age as me. I thought I'd go to Ise for a bit of good luck and made a pilgrimage there. That was the longest drive I've ever done, about 8 hours.
- What is your favorite music while driving?
What was it? That yellow jacket of an album of Yamatatsu(Tatsuro Yamashita)?
- The boy in me(boku no nakano shounen)?
Ah, yes, that's the one. It's really good. The sound is just so different. Was it from '86? (Actually, it was released in 1988.) The cassettes from that time have a better sound than today's cassettes. I bought some reissued cassettes as well, but there's definitely a difference.
- What other artists do you listen to?
Well... I listen to Mariah Carey as well, pretty much everything. Before going on a drive, I like to stop by a cassette shop and select something I want to listen to.
- So you also collect cassettes.
I've been collecting quite a bit! I was really bummed that I couldn't make it to the cassette sale at ELLA... I'm seriously hoping they'll do it again, haha. I even buy both the cassette and record versions of the same album.
- It's not just about clubs anymore, your personal life is completely immersed in records, haha.
Of course! lol
- Shifting the topic a bit, I do wish that AHS would feature more young DJs. Do you have any advice for DJs who are just starting their careers or are thinking about beginning to DJ?
That's a tough one. Advice? For starters, I'd want to tell them that it's going to cost a lot of money, so they'd better be prepared to work hard for it. And then, I just want them to listen to a lot of different things, regardless of genre. I hope they become true music lovers.
- I think that's very serious and accurate advice.
Yeah, that's right.
- What was it like when you first started DJing?
I started DJing when I was in high school. I quit school and decided to pursue DJing full-time. Back then, there was a bar called "R" in Kokubunji; it's not there anymore, but I was really taken care of there. I learned how to DJ while spending time at that bar. There was also a party called "Night Picnic" hosted by some college-aged guys there, and they played Inner Life. I didn't even know the genre at the time, but I was like, "What is this?!" I was so moved that I decided to DJ with records. I went out to buy some the very next day. Yes, that was the catalyst for me starting to DJ.
- That's amazing!
I still remember it very well. I was 16 or 17 years old at that time.
- That must have been pretty amazing. If you had experienced it at that age.
Yes, that's right.
- I see, so that's how it went.
I got really into it from there and have been doing it ever since. Back in those days, I used to go to parties at places like Daikanyama LOOP. I remember hearing a track played by a DJ there that turned out to be by Daldoru. I asked, "What is this?" took a photo, and soon after, I went out to buy it. Yeah, that's the kind of thing I was doing.
- Finally, do you have any plans or ambitions for the year 2024?
I'd like to write and release a track. I also want to travel around the country.
- By car?
I don't know about touring by car.... Ise is too hard. lol I guess Nagoya is probably my limit.
- Yeah... I once took a kei car for an overnight trip to Kobe, and it was quite tough, haha.
Going to Kobe in a kei car is... quite the adventure, haha.This year, I really want to focus on getting the production side of things nailed down.
