- You mentioned earlier that you bought a new album at Lighthouse Records yesterday.
I think I bought about 15...? I didn't look at the number lol
- Did you play all of them today?
I put about a third of it on.
- How much did you pay for the whole album?
¥35,000
- ¥35,000? You are very enthusiastic!
I don't even look at the price anymore. I look at the price of the ones I'm not sure about.... I don't even look at the price or the number of pieces for the ones I've already decided to buy.
- How do you approach the creation of your mixes? I mean not live, but recorded... I think each one has its own theme.
Well, basically, I tend to record live, and when it comes to making mixes, I kind of lose the vibe.
- I see. And there is no audience.
Yes, it is difficult to record at home because of the tension, but if I decide to do it, I do it.
- I would do it if I had to. I'm worried about even the slightest mistake...
Also, when I record something, it is more often not techno or house. Ambient, for example...
- It's more like listening.
So this time it was a recording, but it was just like going to the field.
- That's right. Did you decide on the first or second song?
I hadn't decided on that either lol.
- I see! It was a very acid house sound today, wasn't it? Come to think of it, you used to play analog music at ZERO TOKYO's All Night Long (2023/9/9 SINSO - All Night Long set-), didn't you?
I think the second half of the show was almost entirely analog.
- How much did you take with you?
I brought a box full of them, so I guess that's pretty much it?
- I was impressed that C+C Music Factory was still playing.
Yeah, dub version is cool. Because dub is cool.
- I think it's the point of 90s house that dub version is so cool.
Yes, it's true. Like instrumentals. It's not just that the vocals are removed, but the arrangement has been changed.
- What is it like when you look for new music?
I like to go to record stores. The reason I go to Lighthouse now is because the buyers bring me stuff that they think I'll like,
It's something pretty new that I like to hear.
- It's an old-school style, isn't it? It used to be like that for everyone, but now, on the contrary, that kind of thing is fresh.
I think Spotify is excellent because it tells you a lot of things, like if you like this, you like that, but when people come in, they bring in something a little different. But when new people come in, they bring something new and different. I also like to go to record stores regularly, because sometimes I dig up a used record store and listen to something I don't understand, and it happens to be good. I'd like to go once every month or two, not every day or every week.
- Do you go to local record stores when you DJ in other parts of the country?
Yes, I do. I have been going to record stores in my free time for quite a long time.
- You are a DJ of DJ.
I'm not really good at cafes, but there is a Disk Union in every town, so I just go there. I just go to local record shops to see if there are any in my area.
- Do you have someone to accompany you?
No, I usually search for "record" on Google. So there are a lot of record shops that are not for me at all.
- So you mean like so-called "vintage" places? I think you have to really like it to go there lol.
I guess so. But I think it's a good way to pass the time.
- Do you look at a lot of records other than dance music?
Sometimes. I don't buy that much, but I listen to it.
- What kind of things inspire your creativity?
I don't know... I don't even think of it as stimulation anymore. Movies, dramas, animations, books....
- These days, I'm also on the side of the performers. When you are producing or DJing, do you flip the switch and get into that mode all at once? Or do you proceed in the same way as you do in your daily life?
DJing is pretty much a continuation of my daily life. It comes naturally. I go to the scene, listen to the music, and say, "Yeah, yeah. So I don't have any inspiration for this. But when it comes to music production, I do have references that I want to make something like this.
- Do you write things down or make notes before you make a song?
I put them in playlists on Spotify or something like that. I use Spotify for that kind of thing.
- Do you have any advice for people who are just starting out in their DJ career?
I don't know... There are many different types of DJs. There are different genres of records and data, but I think it's important to keep going. If you've been doing this for a long time, you'll go through these phases.
- It's hard to keep going, isn't it? It's like a lesson already...
But it's even better if you keep going and see where it goes.
- You just said a killer word. lol You've had a long career as a DJ, but of course you didn't start out using analog, did you? When did you start?
I bought my first Sauce81 record when I was about 21 or 22. It was a song that was only available on vinyl, so I thought I had to buy it. From there, I gradually started to buy the records. I was also doing reviews for JET SET at the time, and I started digging records regularly.
- When tofubeats came to your room at McGuffin (tofubeats @ 's studio-Show Your Room#1-), were you already buying a lot of records?
Yes, I did. But at that time, I was still practicing. I didn't use them much at the studio. But now I use them both equally.
- Are there times when you consciously feel like you are going analog? Like, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"?
Yes, there are times. I mean, there are times when I feel like I'm not getting into something when I'm DJing. I don't know what season I'm in, and I don't know how to respond to the floor. I have been DJing for a long time, and there are many moments when I feel like I'm not in the right season and can't handle the floor well. We call it the "earliest period" lol.
- I'm in my "earliest days" lol.
When I'm in that phase, I pick up a record that's been sitting around the house for a while, and I think back to how I used to like it, and it reminds me of what I want to do. I think I probably go around and listen to all genres of music, even the latest ones. In such a situation, if I start looking for new records in the dark, I start to lose track of what I want to listen to.... In that case, I prefer records. Data is too huge. I do my own data digging, but that doesn't always lead me to the right one. So, when I go to a place and try DJing only with records today, I find that "ah, that's it! I'm like, "Oh, that's it!
- So that's how you reset. You play analog in a pretty big box, like ZERO TOKYO, right? Do you not mind the difference in sound output?
New records are rather good. The pressure is also strong. The mixer is getting better, so there is not much difference between the CDJ and the CDJ, so I can alternate between the two without any problems. I don't have any problems alternating between CDJs and CDs, and I don't have any problems alternating between CDJs and CDs.
- I'm not trying to force the mixers to match, but to play them in the proper order?
Yes, I do. I treat them as if they are hooks, even if the pressures are not aligned.
- Finally, can I ask you about your future projects this year?
Yes, we are planning to hold another DTM camp (Tokyo Community Radio Presents "sessions" vol.3 at Izu Inatori Sports Villa in Shizuoka Prefecture), and last year I spent a lot of time working on DTM alone. Last year I spent a lot of time working alone on DTM, but this time I'll be working with rappers and singers from the beginning, and we'll be working together as a group of about 3 people. There are a variety of rap songs in the album, so we are thinking of making club edits with DJs as well as hip-hop, and DJs can use their skills not only as DJs, but also in other ways, If we can get feedback/produce back from the field, and if we can make it with vibes together, I think it will be more mass-produced. Like Cloud Wrap. I think there are a lot of DJs who have done a lot of DJing and events and should move on to the next step.
- Especially in DTM, it's easy to hit a wall when you're alone. I think it's great that everyone is doing it together.
It's like starting from zero, and it's a different career. But I think DJs are good at directing, just like DJs are good at labeling, so I hope we can all work together more on that.
- I think it's especially important now that hip-hop is not just existing hip-hop, but also includes trance and other dance music.
Exactly, I want to work across various genres. There are rappers hanging out in clubs where house and dance music are playing, and I think we can all bring the energy together. In Japan, everyone starts from scratch on their own, so things tend to move slower. Plus, there aren't many people with their own studios.
- And we have no choice but to face everything on our own, after all.
When you get together and end up creating something, like five people making five tracks, that's really enjoyable. I want to bring back the joy of making music, not just for myself but for everyone involved. By combining our individual skills, we can create a smooth workflow that minimizes each person's weaknesses. Also, we’re releasing a compilation of tracks we made during a retreat around July! I want to keep spreading this activity to energize the scene, and I'm committed to making that happen.
