- Could you tell us about the theme or concept behind this DJ set?
The theme today was “Funky Soundtracks.” I’ve always loved soundtracks that combine drum breaks and drum grooves with orchestral sounds. Of course, the composers themselves are a big part of that as well. I’m a big fan of Italian composers such as Ennio Morricone and Stelvio Cipriani, as well as many Japanese composers. So today I brought a bunch of records with me and didn’t really make a detailed plan—I just wanted to have fun. It was a really great time. Thank you.
- Among the records you played today, were there any tracks you were especially excited to play or particularly wanted to introduce to the audience?
For me, that’s always one of the fun parts. There are great records that people may not know about, and there are also records that everyone assumes people know, but they actually don’t. So I try to keep a good balance between the two.
With that in mind, I brought along some records today that aren’t very well known but are really cool. One example is what I call “cheap heat” — records you can buy for around ¥100 that contain amazingly funky and fantastic music. One of them is the soundtrack to Serpico, the 1970s American film starring Al Pacino, composed by a Greek composer. That’s a really great record.
There’s another one as well. A lot of old kung-fu movies didn’t have original scores and would simply use library music or music borrowed from other productions. But Joseph Koo, who passed away a few years ago, was a truly great Chinese composer. The soundtrack he composed for Bruce Lee’s The Big Boss is, in a way, what you might call Chinese kung-fu funk.
But the composer I especially wanted to introduce is Lalo Schifrin. He has always been a major inspiration to me and is one of my musical heroes. Today I played “Theme From ‘Medical Center’” from his soundtrack collection Medical Center.
There’s also a fun and unusual record I played. It’s the soundtrack to a documentary produced by Playboy magazine. The American adult magazine actually made a nature documentary. I’ve never seen the film itself, but the soundtrack has some great drum breaks and spoken-word passages.
There was actually one more record I really wanted to bring, but I forgot it at my studio and was pretty disappointed (laughs). I figured I’d save it for another time, but when I stopped by Manhattan Records yesterday to visit some friends, they happened to have a copy. So I ended up buying in Japan the same record I had forgotten back home (laughs). It was Hugo Montenegro’s Love Theme From The Godfather, which includes an incredibly funky version of the famous Godfather theme. It’s a record that’s usually very inexpensive in America, and it turned out to be inexpensive here in Japan as well.
- As a musician, you continue to release amazing original works inspired by soundtracks and library music. What drew you to that kind of music in the first place?
I first absorbed this music watching cartoons and TV shows as a kid in the late 70s and early 80s. The Japanese anime on television always had epic music, with Hiroshi Miyagawa’s score for Space Battleship Yamato being my absolute favorite (I didn't know these shows were from Japan being so young, I just loved them). At the same time, American shows like Taxi and the music of Bob James made a big impact on me without me even realizing it, as did Sesame Street. By the time I was a teenager, I was hungry to learn more and started digging for cool old movies and albums. I've never stopped since, and I still reflect those early influences in my own musical explorations.
- Soundtracks and library music were originally made as functional music to accompany visuals. In that sense, they can also be seen as music shaped by both functional beauty and stylistic beauty. Do you feel a certain romance in that aspect as well?
For me, image and sound have always been connected; when I hear things, I see them, and vice versa. Part of this stems from my father's record collection and how the artwork made me feel while listening. I’ve always gravitated toward music that tells a story and feeds the imagination visually. When people tell me my music makes them imagine stories, it makes me proud. That's exactly how I feel when listening to old library music and soundtracks, or when creating in that vein.
I believe thoughtfulness in function can evoke stylistic beauty, just as a narrative can inspire functional choices; the two are deeply intertwined. Approaching my own albums as narrative concepts grounds me with a sense of purpose and style, guiding the process in a way that feels simultaneously romantic and endless.
- What do you think is the key element in transforming music with that kind of character into your own original work?
The key for me is a compelling narrative concept. Whether it's an image or a storyline, that concept fuels a stream of consciousness that guides the entire project. It gives me a framework to reference familiar musical elements while inspiring me to try experimental ideas I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. The worlds behind my tracks are often far more detailed and nuanced than the song titles suggest, and that depth is what guides me and helps me to move quickly.
- To produce that kind of music, I imagine it takes a deep love and broad knowledge of music such as jazz, funk, and many other genres. Are you yourself also a passionate record collector?
It really does. I’ve been making music since I was 14 and will be turning 50 this year, so it’s been nearly 36 years of creating music and even longer loving and studying it. While I've gained a lot of technical knowledge over the years as a self-taught musician playing with others, the most important element for me is an endless passion and curiosity.
To answer your question: yes, I am a deeply passionate record collector. I’ve been collecting vinyl since I was a teenager and am constantly exploring music through films, the internet, Discogs, and anywhere else I can find new inspiration. I’ve learned so much over the decades, but the musical universe feels infinite and I love that feeling that there is always something new to explore and learn.
- You also have an amazing home studio surrounded by a wide range of vintage equipment. Could you tell us about your studio, and about your passion for and attachment to vintage gear?
For years, my setup was a typical home studio, but in 2020 I moved to a much larger space to build a 'studio that doesn’t exist anymore.' I was inspired by classic spaces like Gold Star and Olympic Studios, places where I could cut records the way my favorite 60s and 70s albums were made, while offering that same environment to like-minded artists. It’s mostly my private creative space for projects and soundtracks, but I do occasionally produce and record for outside artists.
My passion for recording started the same year I picked up the guitar at 14, when I got a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder. Writing, playing, and recording have always been intertwined for me. Over the decades, I’ve studied classic engineering techniques, talked to veteran engineers, and built up a collection of vintage gear, luckily acquiring much of it back in the 90s and 2000s when it was more affordable.
That said, our ears and experience are the most important 'gear' we have. Real skill takes daily focus, and I'm proudest of the techniques I've learned over decades, rather than the equipment itself. If I had to name one truly special piece of gear, though, it’s my main microphone: a 1962 Japanese Sony C37a. It sounds absolutely flawless on everything.
- Your own work sometimes references motifs from older Japanese films, and on social media you often share information about deep-cut Japanese movies and TV programs, including yakuza films and cult movies. What first drew you to that side of Japanese subculture?
As I mentioned earlier, it goes all the way back to when I was about two years old. Around 1979, there was a TV show in the US called Star Blazers, which was based on Space Battleship Yamato in Japan. The music was amazing—it had a really funky soundtrack. So I feel like I’ve been exposed to Japanese culture through movies and animation for my entire life. As I got older, I became a huge fan of movies themselves. I’m a record digger, but I’m also a movie digger. I’m always searching for obscure and overlooked works, especially from Japan. I really love Japanese films and soundtracks from the Showa era, particularly those from the 1960s and 1970s.
- Are there any Japanese films or soundtracks you especially love?
There are so many that it’s hard to know where to start. The Female Prisoner Scorpion series is an all-time classic for me. The music is fantastic as well, and there were so many great film composers working during that era. I also love Lone Wolf and Cub. And there are so many great anime soundtracks too. It never ends—there are just too many to mention. As for soundtracks, Yakuza Deka (The Kamikaze Cop) has a really great one.
- How do you usually discover works like that?
In Seattle, there’s a video store called Scarecrow Video. I believe it’s one of the largest rental video stores in the world, with an enormous collection of Blu-rays and DVDs. I’ve been going there for nearly 30 years, and it’s been one of the best ways for me to discover new films. I also use an app called Letterboxd, and I’m always searching online and on YouTube for new discoveries. I’m constantly looking for things I haven’t seen before. When I’m in Japan, I spend a lot of time digging around as well. And sometimes I learn about new films from friends, too.
- Aside from film and music, do you have any special connection to or affection for Japan?
I’ve loved Japanese culture for as long as I can remember. I love Japanese food as well, but when I was growing up, many aspects of Japanese culture were difficult to find in the United States. Things that are very familiar in Japan were often rare and hard to come across in America. In the 1990s, whenever I came across something like Gundam, it felt like a meteor crashing down from outer space. It had a huge impact on me creatively. As I got older, I just kept going deeper and deeper.
Later, I made an album called A Lady Sword Fighter as a musician. I wanted to create something inspired by those old yakuza films and samurai movies, but make a new album that sounded like an old one. While working on it, I met some incredible musicians in Seattle who were masterful players of traditional Japanese instruments. At the time, I was really just making the album for myself and having fun with it. I never expected it to be embraced so warmly in Japan. That’s why I was so happy to visit Japan for the first time last September. In many ways, that album made it possible. After making the second album in the series, I started work on a third one, which is scheduled for release this summer. I’ve actually been recording here in Japan during this trip. The new album features even more psychedelic fuzz guitar, big beats, and traditional Japanese instruments such as the biwa and shinobue. I actually own a biwa, which is a very rare instrument to find in the United States. I’m still learning to play it, although I’ve been playing guitar and bass for 35 years.
- Is this your first time visiting Japan, or have you been here before?
It’s my second time. The first time was in September 2025. Japan is my favorite place. I’ve never been anywhere that I miss every single day after going home.
- From your perspective as a musician, what do you think about Japan’s record culture and club scene?
It’s so good that it almost makes everywhere else in the world feel a little unfortunate by comparison (laughs). I really mean that. There are a lot of great record stores in a city like Seattle, and even more in Portland, Oregon, which isn’t far away. But the amount of great records in Japan is on another level. Japanese records are extremely difficult to find in the US, unless you’re talking about things like City Pop reissues. It’s really amazing. I honestly think Japan is the best place in the world when it comes to vinyl.
- What inspires your creativity outside of music?
Life in general. My family, visual arts, good food, a nice walk, or a great movie… inspiration is everywhere.
- What plans do you have for 2026?
I’m currently working on my 13th and 14th LP. So I look forward to releasing those as soon as i feel they are ready and also im working on producing and recording two albums for some other artist as well as working on some other different library albums.
This fall I’ll be back in Japan as well, so excited to return so soon for some more DJ events in Tokyo and beyond.
- Finally, how did you feel about playing at ELLA RECORDS today?
It was amazing. I really like this store. I came here last year and bought some records, so I’m very happy to be back. I really enjoy this kind of experience—sharing music and different kinds of music with people. So thank you very much.
