That Musician Looks Back on 2017 and A Look Ahead to 2018 .

Greet the New Year & New Music

That musician looks back on 2017 and looks ahead to 2018.

Only a few days left in 2017. . it has been a year of many developments, both in fashion and music. In today's borderless world, it is very important to expand and deepen one's foothold while encountering new things, isn't it? This is especially true in the field of music, where subscriptions are becoming a common format. With instant access to both archives and the latest music, we need a benchmark. HOUYHNHNM's picks of the year's most successful artists will reflect on the past year and serve as a guide for the coming year of 2018.

Text_Maruro Yamashita

Edit_Jun Nakada

MURO
Japan's world-renowned "King of Diggin'" is not only a DJ but also a producer, and his latest album is a Japanese mono cover album titled "Wonon". His latest work is a Japanese mono cover album titled "Wonon". He has helped to establish various aspects of black culture, including fashion and music, in Japan.
www.digot.jp

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

PUSHIM "SEXY WOMAN
I released a cover album "Wonon Produced by MURO" and asked PUSHIM to sing a cover of Ruriko Ohgami's song, which was my long-cherished wish. I am happy to hear that the record has sold out.

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

This year, we have released numerous mix CDs from manufacturers, and I was able to release my first cover album myself.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

Awich
awich.com
twitter.com/awich098
www.instagram.com/awich098/

BADBADNOTGOOD
badbadnotgood.com
www.instagram.com/badbadnotgood/

What are your goals for next year?

. I hope to do more sound-related work in the coming year.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

Cover album "Wonon Produced by MURO" is now on sale , all songs will be made into 7 inches.
. works are currently being released on CAPTAIN VINYL and TOKYO RECORDS.

Keiichi Sogabe
Born in Kagawa Prefecture in 1971, he is the frontman of the rock band Sunny Day Service, which has captivated many young people since its formation in 1992 by telling the stories of people in the city with scenic poetry and transparent melodies. . In addition to his musical activities, he also produces, writes, produces music for commercials and movies, and DJs.
www.sokabekeiichi.com

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

Typhoon Club. Simply Cool.

taifuclub.com
twitter.com/taifuclub

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

. that I was in a movie. I felt like I was back in Shiloh.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

Aimi Usamaru
www.instagram.com/usamaru_manami/

What are your goals for next year?

. I want to make great music and contribute to world peace.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

Sunny Day Service's latest album "Popcorn Ballads" is now on sale & available!

Kento Yamada
An overwhelmingly trusted figure in Tokyo's independent music scene, he has created music videos for a number of major artists, including Utada Hikaru and GLAY, and is a well-known visual artist who also serves as VJ as a member of yahyel.
kentoyamada.com
www.instagram.com/dutch_tokyo/?hl=ja

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

D.A.N. "Tempest
. simply because it's probably the song I've heard the most.

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

I performed at the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL as yahyel, and I felt that it was the culmination of everything I had been working toward up to that point.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

I bought various instruments this year, but the one I want most right now is the Prophet 6.

*This 6-voice analog polyphonic synthesizer inherits the design philosophy of the legendary King of Analog Polyphonic Synthesizers Sequential Circuits "Prophet-5" released in 1978.

What are your goals for next year?

As a video director, I want to be a link between the two extremes of mass-core more than this year. . I am also into music, and I would like to do my best to release a single or an EP. With a video, of course.

Mitsu the Beats
Beatmaker and MC for GAGLE, he has also established himself as one of Japan's leading hip-hop producers and DJs, steadily expanding his sound world.
gagle-official.com
www.instagram.com/mitsu_the_beats/

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

Sweet William . He and Spit Qi (who is just as great) are great and I listened to their work the most. The sense of balance between samples and playing is on another level. As a fellow beat maker, I never thought I would be so inspired by the younger generation. . Also, there was a bumper crop of beatmaker-driven albums this year, such as 6th Generation and Marbie.

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

This is the production of the GAGLE album. I spent more time on each song than ever before. We had an accident in which we lost the sound source in the process....

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

Native Installments
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Sendai 89ers
HALEO
VALU and Virtual Currency

What are your goals for next year?

. We are planning to go around the country on tour, so we want to live well and make the most of our work.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

Please take care of GAGLE's new album "VANTA BLACK" to be released on January 12, 2018!

LISACHRIS
Producer/DJ born March 1, born in Queens, NY and raised in London and Tokyo. He is a music producer with many impressive songs that are recognizable at first listen, and as a DJ he has been booked for various parties and shows in Japan and abroad, from clubs, high brands to street culture, etc. He joined YENTOWN TOKYO and left in 2017 to form a duo with Aya Miyamoto as Pisces. After leaving YENTOWN TOKYO in 2017, he has been working as a duo with Ayana Miyamoto as Pisces.
Instagram:www.instagram.com/lisafloss/?hl=ja
Twitter:twitter.com/333lisachris888
Facebook:www.facebook.com/lisachristokyo/
Soundcloud:soundcloud.com/lisakris
official web:pisces-club.com/

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

Lil peep "The Brightside
Ivy Lab "thirsty" and "Microwave
Ivy Lab has changed me this year and I want to DJ a lot again. Thanks for dropping shizkitic and kofun songs! Lil peep has been so much more personal with this song since he passed away .

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

DJing in Seoul and Taipei at the end of the year , and shooting a music video at Pisces to go with it.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

Ivy Lab

What are your goals for next year?

I want to put out a lot of works as LISACHRIS , and Pisces is chousen to live.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

I will be presenting a song called "Asian Boyz" at Pisces. You must see the music video taken in various parts of Asia.

tofubeats
. Born in 1990, he is a trackmaker living in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. He started posting his music on the internet when he was in junior high school, and gradually gravitated towards dance music. In the fall of 2013, he made his major label debut with "Don't Stop The Music. The following year, he released his first full-length album "First Album". In May 2017, he released his third major album "FANTASY CLUB".
tofubeats.persona.co
www.instagram.com/tofubeats/

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

Jex Opolis "Mt. Belzoni
The album was Alex G's "Rocket", but the music is this one. 808 boogie atmosphere, replaced by breakbeats and Balearic atmosphere in the second half of the song is so great that I never get tired of listening to it over and over again.

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

tofubeats "FANTASY CLUB
Anyway, I am very happy to have released this album this year. I think I was able to package the atmosphere of 2017 that I had in my mind in a way that was close to my image.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

Foot massager.

What are your goals for next year?

. I hope to make and release many more songs next year. I also want to become a better DJ.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

FANTASY CLUB is also available on LP record on 12/20. Event-related information can be found here.
tofubeats.persona.co/gigs

Daigo Sakuragi (D.A.N.)
A new generation pursuing Japanese minimal mellow music with a club sound, they performed at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '15 and '16 for two consecutive years. Zidane" was used as the background music for the official after-movie of the 20th FUJI ROCK, and he is the vocalist and guitarist of "D.A.N.", an artist who will play a leading role in the next generation scene.
www.instagram.com/daigoos/
twitter.com/dansakuragi

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

Beatrice Dillon & Call Super / A :INJEKT B:FLUO
Beatrice Dillon is my favorite of the recent artists, and her combination with Call Super, who is also great under the name "ono fudd", got me. Minimal, dub, house, UK bass, all my favorite elements are here, and I'm numb to it. This is a Hessel Audio release, but all of the other artists are aggressive and I love their label.

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

This was the first LONDON performance as D.A.N. . It was exciting to see the audience react strongly to the rhythm.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

CYK, a young crew of house lovers, is the coolest. I think they are young talents that I respect wholeheartedly in my generation.
instagram.com/cyk.tokyo

What are your goals for next year?

. to make new and better music by rebuilding what has been built up. To find minimalist cheerfulness. To not spend too much on cabs.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

January 20 Helios Groovy Night @ Helios, Toyama
March 18 Tsutarokfes @ Makuhari Messe

Pxrxdigm.(paradigm)
Lead drummer of WONK . As Pxrxdigm., he not only provides music, but also leads the band set of rapper ISSUGI, is the "Executive Producer" of the artist MELRAW released from epistroph, and is active in a wide range of other activities. Pxrxdigm. is active in a wide range of activities.
www.youtube.com/c/epistroph
www.instagram.com/arata_pxr/

What song or artist left the biggest impression on you this year and why?

The Roots and Bilal "It Ain't Fair
A collaboration between The Roots and singer Bilal, produced as the soundtrack for the 2017 film Detroit , the interplay of Bilal's uncanny vocals, The Roots' sound and orchestral sounds is breathtaking. In addition to the officially released soundtrack, the live video is also a must-see.

What was your most memorable activity this year and why?

We performed in Europe at WONK in February of this year. We were very happy to see the reaction of the audience and their willingness to enjoy the music the moment we started playing, as we were completely away from home.

What are the people, things, and events you are focusing on?

Human: Kaito Yamamoto (Son Of The Cheese)
Object: Clothing
Coto: Bands and artists of the same generation

What are your goals for next year?

I would like to continue to present music that I am satisfied with, both as WONK and as an individual, and I would like to work with a variety of artists to create songs and products.

Please give me any information on announcements, etc.

WONK 2017 released twin albums "CASTOR" and "POLLUX" are now available for purchase, and will go on a LIVE tour with NY band The Love Experiment, starting January 8, 2018 to Blue Note Tokyo, Billboard Osaka, and Blue Note Nagoya.