Kaikoo feature – Serie B 2005

Kaikoo feature – Published in Serie B magazine, 2005

This feature is based on interviews conducted with DJ Baku and DJ Kentaro and accompanying feature and additional interviews conducted in the process of 2 years, all of which are available online in full at spinscience.org.uk.

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Kaikoo – A look at Japanese DJ culture and turntablism in the 21st century

Kaikoo is a Japanese word that roughly means ‘coming across somebody and the chance born from that encounter’. It’s very fitting to how this article was made possible and it’s also the title of a DVD documentary about DJs and producers on the Tokyo underground scene.
Japan has for a long time exerted a sort of exotic appeal to westerners as a land of differences, where things are not quite the same. Since the advent of hip hop culture over 20 years ago, Japan has taken its place amongst this worldwide scene – first by appropriating the music and culture and then by changing and evolving it so that it’s no longer about Japanese artists trying to imitate US or foreign counterparts but instead about Japanese artists expressing themselves through the culture and music.

Eastern Decknology

When speaking about the Japanese DJ or turntablist scene, the one name that will come to mind for many is DJ Krush. He was, and is still, a pioneer of Japanese hip hop and turntablism whose music is known worldwide and, along with others like Major Force, a godfather of sorts for Japanese DJs. His own style of experimental turntablism inspired a whole generation in and out of Japan and has earned him a reputation unlike many others since the mid 90s.
However apart from Krush and Major Force, Japanese DJs or artists finding fame, or at least releasing music, outside of Japan have been very few and far between over the last 10 years. Yet I knew there had to be more to Japan’s DJ culture in the 21st century, and with DJ Kentaro’s win at the DMC in 2002, a new door opened into the Japanese turntablist and DJ world.

No Walls Between the Music

DJ Kentaro’s DMC win was the main catalyst to making him a household name around the world in the last few years. Since his win he has been touring worldwide, opening for big acts and has done remixes and productions for Japanese and European labels (most notably Ninja Tune in 2005, with his own mix CD and a Coldcut remix), no mean feat for a DJ who no one had really heard of 4 years ago. Kentaro attributes his 2002 win to his personal philosophy of ‘no walls between the music’. This is his way of looking at music with a very open mind, without letting the constraints of certain scenes or genres limit what he can use in his sets or productions. ‘You have to be free about what you want to do. Try different music, see what you like, that’s what hip hop is all about really.’
This musical philosophy is apparent in a lot of his work and it’s safe to say that he has become famous thanks to it. He can rock any crowd and still please the scratch nerds, he is in many ways the more friendly face of Japanese turntablism in the 21st century. Like Krush before him he has enjoyed growing coverage and popularity outside of his home, showing the world a new side of Japanese DJ culture, and yet he continues to work with local talent who unlike him have not exported themselves or their music. Japanese DJs in the 21st century are as busy as everyone else. We just don’t get to hear about it as much.

Strictly Turntablized

DJ Baku is a little known Tokyo based turntablist and producer, and the focal point of the Kaikoo documentary. Over the last 5 years he has become the new DJ Krush for many Japanese fans. While this comparison shouldn’t be taken to mean his work is a simple rehashing of Krush’s music, he has taken inspiration from Krush’s work and ethic for his own musical outlook. As he told me himself recently, ‘when I was much younger I had this idea of what my ideal role model would be and what I’ve realised now is that Krush-san was that kind of person. The fact that that very person happens to be a DJ just like me means I have even more respect for him. Of course what I want to do now is my own style though. If I made a conscious decision to succeed DJ Krush, then I wouldn’t really be repaying him for all he has taught me.’
Baku’s work is as intriguing and appealing as Japanese culture is to the average man. He started DJing in 94 and joined the Dis-Defence Disc crew in 99. Unlike Kentaro, Baku never battled instead making a name for himself through his work, both live and recorded. This work includes scratch mixtapes, cuts and production for Tokyo rap crews, improvised mix and scratch sessions with classical Japanese musicians, a showcase with BMX riders called OIN, and more. Two of his most interesting projects however are a remix EP with Japanese producers Goth Trad, Saidrum & Bleeder and a turntable band showcase called Whakhakha.
The remix EP is most interesting because Baku composed his side of the release entirely on turntables. This was back in 2000, 2 years before the explosion of interest in ‘scratch music’ that followed D-Styles’ album. As he says himself, ‘Back in ’99, I thought no-one had released an instrumental album with a concept of beats with instruments scratched over it’. The fact that it is already 5 years old, and yet at times similar to recent western releases, shows how big the gap can be between East and West when it comes to the export of music. It’s like the Japanese scene exists in a world of its own.
The Whakhakha project is also interesting due to its similarities with the recent work of western scratch DJs such as Birdy Nam Nam, Ned Hoddings or D-Styles. Whakhakha was a live turntable band showcase regrouping Baku, DJ Klock and Tatsuki that toured Japan in 2003. Together they produced and pressed a limited record, Whakhakha breaks, and then used only copies of the record to perform 15 minute showcases, creating music live with only turntables and effects. Their sound and music was closer to ambient and experimental noise (with touches of harder electronic music) than their western counterparts. They used their turntables as both an instrument and a sound module, using it to build emotions through music. Baku explains in the DVD how this project was only made possible because of the way they each complimented each other musically. Klock’s sound was hardest, Tatsuki’s softest and Baku’s in the middle. Whakhakha was a great success in Japan, and the record sold out instantly.

Amazingly Baku has not yet released a solo album. His work fits within the greater picture of how people around the world are evolving the concept of using the turntable to make music, yet his location has meant that it has so far stayed within the confines of Japan, leaving him able to continue to explore new directions, sometimes ahead of his time and others.

Ichiban DJs

While we’ve looked closely at the work of both Baku and Kentaro, there are many other Japanese DJs who also deserve attention. All the following are interesting in their own ways, each working on and evolving different sides of hip hop, turntablism and scratch music.
Fellow Dis-Defence Disc members DJ Ske and DJ Martin are both quite active, doing productions and turntable compositions in and out of the crew. DJ Shun, one of Japan’s best battle DJs of recent years. The collective Urge, composed of Kouji, Hitoshi and Miyajima, became quite popular in the early 2000s, with musical showcases similar to that of western tablists like D-Styles or Ricci Rucker. Hifana are another name worth mentioning. They can be seen as the Japanese equivalent of a band like Fingathing, incorporating comic and visual elements into their work and using everything from turntables to drum kits, effects and sound modules to create their music. Hifana are known for being an exciting live act. Lastly DJ battles, such as DMC or the Vestax Extravaganza, still provide the Japanese scene with fresh blood every year, even if people like Baku prove that you don’t need battles in order to become an accomplished artist.

Around the World

Outside of Japan, there are more artists who have emigrated to varying success and people who work hard to try and bridge the divide between East and West, bringing the music from each culture closer together.
Studio Rarekwai, a London based collective of film makers and visual artists, are currently working on the European release of their documentary about Japanese hip hop culture, Scratching the Surface: Japan, that focuses on various elements including turntablism and features Baku and Tatsuki. The documentary has been well received at film festivals and should help expose the Japanese scene to a wider public. SRK also helped organise the Noroshi showcase at Sonar 2005, bringing over Tatsuki and Afra & The Incredible Beatbox band.
Tatsuki is another name we’ve mentioned in this article. Originally from Japan, he’s now based in London and Denmark, where he works closely with the Blue Foundation band. Tatsuki is one of Japan’s finest tablists, yet his name and work has grown mainly under the radar of most westerners and tablist fans. His mixtapes are as popular as Baku’s back home and his set at Sonar left the audience in awe of his skills and work. From turntablist showcases using a loopstation, to more intricate live shows using a mix of turntables and electronic equipment to productions for the Blue Foundation, DJ Klock, DJ Krush and electronic outfit Bichi, Tatsuki keeps his work varied. He is working on his own album for 2006.

The end is only the beginning…

While linguistic and cultural barriers make it harder to discover music from Japan, the work of people like Pop Group in Japan, SRK in London and artists like Tatsuki help to shine a light on what is happening on the other side of the world. This is especially important when it comes to DJ culture and tablism, an artform that is still growing and maturing and can only benefit from more diversity and openness on what can be done when using a turntable to make music.
As we move further into the 21st century, and the world continues to shrink thanks to the internet, we can only hope that this expansion will help bring local music scenes closer and make it easier for artists to share their work with fans all over the world.

Thanks to SRK, Hiroki @ Pop Group, Kotaro and Kentaro, Shoji @ BGPZ and Sparky T for providing source and inspiration for this article.

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