- “The Library” is a DJ unit consisting of three members — Kairi Komoda, naovillan, and ueue. First, could you tell us what concept or vision defines The Library as a unit?
We work under the theme “a place to explore music from the past, present, and future,” with a concept of bringing together diverse sounds from different eras and regions through the filter of dance music.
— Kairi Komoda
- Could you tell us the origin or meaning behind the name The Library?
Since the three of us each have slightly different areas and eras of deep musical knowledge, we wanted to create a party by bringing together our individual “libraries” — our record and music collections. That idea led us to this name. We also draw inspiration from legendary parties in dance-music history, such as The Loft and The Gallery.
— Kairi Komoda
- When and how did the unit come together?
The starting point goes back to March 2022, when I (Takumi) first met Kairi Komoda (Kairi) while he was playing at CREOLE CAFE in Beppu, Oita. Six months later, I met naovillan (Naoya) at a club in Tokyo. The moment I heard each of them play for the first time, I was stunned — I had just started DJing at the time, and it felt almost like love at first sight. Working up the courage to speak to them was really the beginning of everything.
Later on, when I booked both of them for a party I organized, the three of us gathered for the first time and immediately clicked. Kairi was still attending university in Kyushu then, so whenever he came to Tokyo we’d DJ together, and sometimes Naoya and I would be invited to his parties as well. Little by little, our relationship grew stronger.
Right before Kairi moved to Tokyo, the idea came up to host a party for the three of us at Aoyama ZERO — but just then, ZERO announced it was closing (laughs). Soon after, we heard it would reopen in the same space as NUMM, and that was the moment we all felt, “We have to do this.” Following that flow, we announced in September 2024 on TSUBAKI fm that we would begin our activities as The Library, and the next month, we held our first three-person party at NUMM.
— ueue
- Each of you is also active as a solo DJ, but within The Library, do you have different roles or distinct characteristics from one another?
Let me start with myself (Takumi). I’m definitely the most impulsive one of the three, and honestly, my first encounter with Kairi was the worst. Fueled by drunken confidence, I messed with the mixer in the middle of his set and got absolutely chewed out (laughs). Looking back, it was something I really should never have done. But his set was so good that I just got overly excited. Later, I desperately tried to explain my love for music, and somehow he forgave me (laughs).
Kairi is the most reliable of us and acts as the “point of contact” for The Library. He handles everything smoothly—booking, scheduling meetings, even planning little trips. He’s dependable enough to call me and Naoya out when we’re being sloppy, but at the same time he keeps throwing silly music-related jokes at us. Very Osaka of him (laughs).
Naoya is someone who fits the word “solitary” in the best possible way (laughs). He has his own world, and he’s incredibly serious about music and aesthetics. He’s usually calm, but he has plenty of absentminded moments too (laughs). That’s part of his charm.
Even though our personalities are completely different, our approach to music is what firmly ties the three of us together.
— ueue
Takumi’s a good guy!
— Kairi Komoda, naovillan
- Could you tell us about each member’s specialty genres and DJ style?
All three of us primarily play house and disco, but if I were to describe our individual tendencies: Kairi gravitates toward New York house and jazz; Takumi often builds around ’70s–’80s soul, funk, and disco; and I (Naoya) mainly play New York house and disco.
At The Library parties, we put a lot of importance on the overall flow—building things up gradually from the opening, maintaining a steady groove through the main hours, and creating a sense of afterglow in the closing. Lately, the sequence that feels most natural to us is: Takumi starting slow with soul and funk, Kairi carrying that groove into house, and finally me (Naoya) either pushing the peak with house and disco or diving deep with deep house.
Even though our approaches differ, the ability to face the floor with a shared sense of “weaving the same story together” is what makes The Library so compelling.
— naovillan
- All three of you were born in 1999, but are there any unique chemistry or dynamics that come from being a unit of the same age?
I think the fact that all three of us are the same age is actually a pretty big deal. It’s rare to meet people from your own generation whose musical tastes and values align this closely, and being able to talk about the music we love on the same level makes playing together genuinely fun. Because we’re all 26 and living through the same moment in life, we naturally relate to each other on things like the future and the realities of day-to-day life. For example, there’s this contrast between us—still pursuing DJing—and our classmates who already have families, and that kind of real-life difference often becomes a shared topic of conversation (laughs).
Of course, we grew up in different places, so the cultures we came up through aren’t identical. But I feel like those differences show up in a really positive way in each of our styles and in the flow of our parties. I can’t speak for the other two, but for me, there’s something a little special about the fact that we’re a crew of three DJs all born in ’99.
— naovillan
- What do you think is the biggest appeal or most interesting aspect of DJing together as a unit?
For me, it’s getting to discover amazing tracks I never knew existed. The day after our parties, I often find myself listening on repeat to the songs the other two played (laughs).
— Kairi Komoda
What I enjoy is being taken to worlds I could never reach on my own. DJs who operate in a self-contained way can be great too, but I feel the real charm here is how the three of us—each with our own infinite options—can intertwine and create developments I’d never imagine. (Of course, there are plenty of times when it doesn’t work perfectly.)
— naovillan
What I love is being able to feel the groove of these two—whom I respect so much—up close, more than anyone else (laughs).
— ueue
- Could you share the thoughts and ideas behind this mix?
We structured it so listeners can really feel the vibe of “The Library.” It starts gently, moves into funky, deep, and soulful dance music, and lands in a place that gives you a sense of hope for tomorrow. We also included some key tracks from our parties—like Adrian Gurvitz’s Love Space. I’d be happy if this mix lets you sink into a range of different emotions.
— naovillan
- When DJing as The Library, do you coordinate your track selection in advance, or do you each bring your own records and mix them spontaneously on the spot?
When we’re invited to play as The Library, we usually have a loose meeting beforehand to align on the general flow, taking into account the venue’s atmosphere and our time slot. But once we’re actually playing, everything depends on the vibe of the night. You never know until you’re in the booth—whether the floor is already warmed up, or if the crowd isn’t fully locked into the DJ yet. So it’s not unusual for things to unfold in a totally different direction from what we planned.
That said, all three of us share the same intention: whatever the situation, we want to guide the floor toward something enjoyable. There’s an unspoken understanding that, in the end, we want to land on euphoric house or disco.
If you’re reading this interview, have you ever noticed how an unusual number of tequila shots tend to appear right before The Library plays? (laughs)
— ueue
- naovillan, you performed a solo set at After Hours Session a year ago, showcasing a house mix. This time, did you consciously aim to differentiate your performance from that previous set?
https://youtu.be/0HnFq2-Q9o0?si=NJ_I_iMqlzL826om
I remember choosing a fairly introspective selection last time. But since this mix was created by the three of us as a crew, it ended up being a soulful, party-minded set built from the overlap of our musical “Venn diagram.”
— naovillan
- What plans does The Library have from the end of this year into 2026? If there are any announcements, we’d love to hear them!
Over the past year since our formation, we’ve been hosting parties at Aoyama NUMM, which boasts one of the best sound systems in Japan. All three of us value the atmosphere and significance of parties at NUMM, so while we plan to continue hosting there, we also want to expand our activities to other venues around Tokyo.
As an upcoming announcement, on Friday, December 5, we’ll be hosting a party at Daikanyama ORD. featuring MiNNA (UK), one of the leading figures of the new-generation house music scene. Our approach of sharing a multi-layered musical experience across eras and genres remains unchanged, and we hope to bring the “library” of cutting-edge artists from around the world to everyone!
— Kairi Komoda
