Could you share the thoughts and ideas behind this mix?
I've made it a ritual to never bring records from home to Japan when I play gigs here, and rather dig for them locally. The set I played was bought within two hours of digging in Osaka and Tokyo, and only two tracks were tracks I knew from before (I bought a double copy of my friends The Glue's seminal - A broken heart and homie Lipelis' That's a steal edit compilation series). Finding music like this is a really fun challenge, and also feels very appropriate for me and my DJ style.
Can you tell us about your approach to creating mixes?
I never plan my DJ sets and always pack way too many records for gigs so I can fall into whatever vibe I feel like during the gig. With mixtapes it's a challenge to keep focus, so I try to set really rigid rules for myself (ie. Only 1978-82 productions). I also dig a lot of different styles and feel I have a better subconscious understanding of how they fit together, rather than pre-planning, so often I deliver mixtapes which are a one-hour cutout of a maybe five hour long set as they tend to sound better (at least to me).
What methods do you prefer when searching for new music? Do you still enjoy browsing for music in record stores, or have you come to prefer online purchases?
Record stores will always be my favorite way of discovering new music. While the skill and experience levels of digging (learning names, producers, labels, memorizing covers and so on) increase, there's also the x-factor of new discoveries through hearing it play at the store, seeing a weird/funny/dope cover and all these other random impulses that pulls you towards a record. My best purchases are usually the ones I didn't know I wanted before I entered the store. The past few years I've moved a lot of my online shopping from discogs to Bandcamp, with the convenience of getting lossless digital files in addition to the physical record.
Besides DJing, what stimulates your creativity?
I used to make a lot of music in High School and lost interest at some point. Lately though I've bought some gear, the Polyend Tracker and the Chompi specifically, that has re-sparked my love for making music as well. Also a huge movie buff and gamer since the MS-DOS days. Proper nerd!
Do you have any advice for those looking to start a career as a DJ?
Focus less on your technical skills and more on building a music library. Learn to communicate your musical taste, and practice moving through different genres while still conveying your own style.
What plans do you have for 2024?
I'm pushing towards doing my first ever live set in 2024, and I'll also be upping my touring frequency from this year and going forward. I'll be back in Japan in November with Kim Dürbeck, so if anyone would like to book us, hit us up please!
