PROFILE
Keyboardist and leader of the instrumental band YOUR SONG IS GOOD, and DJ unit DISCO MAKAPUU with TOKYO No.1 SOUL SET's Hiroshi Kawanabe . . He is involved in various forms of music production, from providing music to producing and remix work. FRUITY, which appears during the interview, is a ska-punk band in which he has been a vocalist in the past.
PROFILE
. Born in Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Owner of CUP AND CONE, an apparel store in Zoshigaya, influenced by bicycles and music. In recent years, he has been DJing under the name DJ LETTERPACK, which he got from the Letterpack he uses frequently for deliveries.
When I started DJing, my first turntable was a "Technics" turntable.
How did you two meet?
Ryo Yoda ("Yoda"):At first I was a pure fan of Mr. Jun's, and I used to go to his talk events as well as his music gigs. . I was also a fan of Mr. Daichi of Dinozi, Mr. Naohirok, and so on. Actually, I am greatly influenced by the activities of YOUR SONG IS GOOD (hereinafter referred to as YSIG) as well as what Jun-san communicates outside of music. One day, I went to an event and was standing in line to buy something when Jun-san approached me.
Jun Saito ("Saito"):I remember that day , I remember that day. I was somewhat aware of him because he had been showing up at various sites. I didn't know much about CUP AND CONE at the time, but I had the impression that he was a young man doing something creative.
Yoda:The first time he spoke to me, I was carrying a tote bag that said "CUP AND CONE" on it, and he responded by talking to me. In the process, we gradually began to talk to each other, and a relationship was established.
You two have had many opportunities to create something together, such as the long T-shirt with "JxJxTV" that aired on Space Shower TV in the past, YSIG's 20th anniversary cap, DISCO MAKAPUU T-shirts, and "Cup and Cone" 10th anniversary T-shirts. How did this all start?
Saito:Yoda's label mates Daisuke Fujiwara of MU-STARS and M.S.G. (MuStars Group), and art director Yuji Ueyama, who is also a member of M.S.G. and has done VJ and music videos for YSIG, and others. I became friends with the people around me, such as Yuji Ueyama, the art director who also created YSIG's VJ and music videos, and I feel like my friendships were formed through this natural process. Then I asked them to do some design work for me, and so on.
Music video by MU-STARS, created by the aforementioned Mr. Kamiyama.
Yoda:As for the production of such items, it has really only been in the last few years, so perhaps it is only recently that we have come in close proximity in that sense. But for me, Jun-san was the person who defined my life in my 20s, and even now I am just a fan (laughs).
Saito:From my point of view, Yoda-kun is a very grateful person who has been really indebted to me in some way (laughs).
Yoda:But I've always been a fan (laughs).
It's quite a strange relationship (laughs). In addition to your respective activities, you both are also DJs.
Yoda:In my case, DJing is just an extension of my hobby, and I'm only too happy to do it when I'm occasionally asked to do so. The reason I started DJing in the first place is because of Jun-san. YSIG's musical style changed every few years, and there was a time when they were very close to house music, and when I heard that, I fell in love with house and dance music and started to buy records.
You were influenced by Jun-san, who was a big reason for you to start collecting records.
Yoda:Yes, I do. I used to listen mainly to punk and hardcore music, and would occasionally buy records. But as I bought more and more house records, I gradually felt the urge to connect two records together. So I bought two Technics SL-1200MK3s and started playing with them.
Saito:I actually started DJing around 2003-4. I had just turned 30 at the time, so I guess I started much later than most people. I had always wanted to try DJing since I was in junior high school, and after 15 years of accumulating the urge, I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore! So I bought it (laughs). There were many people around me who were DJing, and I really wanted to for a long time, but I finally reached my limit around that time (laughs).
You must have accumulated a lot (laughs).
Saito:Yes . After accumulating that much, I felt that I must really want to DJ, and I should be able to buy one now (laughs). So I took the plunge, bought two Technics SL-1200MK5 turntables, and started DJing. Compared to other DJs, I'm not even close to being a DJ myself.
Yoda:That's not true! (Laughs) .
Saito:No, no, no, I'm a late bloomer, and I've been in a band for a while, so I've always had that feeling (laughs).
