All encounters with music that we thought were coincidences are connected.
What was your musical journey together like?
Yoda:I first fell in love with melodic punk when I met Hi-Standard in junior high school. I became interested in Western punk music when I entered high school, and one day I came across Operation Ivy at Tower Records and thought, "What the hell? I was still in the mood for punk music when I entered college.
Yoda:So, when YSIG's first album "YOUR SONG IS GOOD" was released, FRUITY's complete discography "SONGS" from "Stiffeen Records" was also available in the same section of the CD store. At that time, I thought to myself, "Here is what I've been looking for! (laughs). That's when I got the second wave of my initial impulse. Later, I learned that the vocalist was in a band called YSIG and was now doing something completely different. As a punk kid, I honestly couldn't understand it (laughs).
At the time, there was very little information about bands such as SCHOOL JACKETS and THE DOUBLE, both of which Jun was involved in before YSIG. The solo and split releases with Less Talk More Rock were only available on cassette, and the omnibus that he participated in was only available on vinyl. The complete album released by "HG FACT" was also out of print and expensive before the reissue with "Kakubarizumu". It was hard for the later generation.
Live video of LESS TALK MORE ROCK, who released a split cassette with SCHOOL JACKETS.
Yoda:That's right. So the guy in the band, Saito Jun, says that in magazine interviews and columns he talks about punk and hardcore. I wondered, "What in the world is going on?" I spent my 20s following what Mr. Jun was communicating. Then, as I mentioned earlier, when YSIG introduced house music and dance music, the third wave of musical impulses arrived, and here we are today.
I think the times are different again, how about you, Jun?
Saito:In my case, I started out with songs, back in the 80's. Around the 5th or 6th grade, I became aware of Western music, and my love for music accelerated. The first record I bought with my allowance was Duran Duran. For some reason, I bought a live LP called "Arena" (laughs).
Saito:Later, when I was in the eighth grade, I was exposed to early punk music of the 1970s, and was also influenced by hip-hop groups such as Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy.
It was the era of what is called "middle school" in hip-hop.
Saito:That's what happened. Later, in the 90s, when I was in my 20s, I started listening to real-time punk and hardcore. At the same time, I started to listen to soul classics, including hip-hop sampling sources, reissues of organ jazz, ska, reggae, old rock, soundtracks, and so on. Anyway, it was like I was spreading all at once.
YSIG's music is not stuck to one genre of music, just like the music of YSIG changes.
Saito:When I started DJing in the early to mid 2000s, I bought a lot of records like Calypso, New Orleans, early rock and roll, etc. In the late 2000s, I bought indie rock. Then, in 2011 or 2, I discovered current underground dance music via indie rock and "Mad Decent".
What was the mood at the time?
Saito:The timing was such that small house labels were just starting to emerge with vigor, and it was like, "Let's put it out in analog! It was like, "Let's put it out on analog! With such a new house music trend, I was awakened to the fun of buying new 12-inch records of dance music. I started to learn about the history of dance music, which was missing a lot, and I also enjoyed buying current records at the same time. At the same time, I came across "Aloha Got Soul" in Hawaii, and I was inspired by the records of people who were releasing reissues in an interesting and loving way. I don't know when it will happen, but I'm working on a project with them right now.
Last December, "Aloha Got Soul" and "Kakubarhythm" held an online streaming event, for which Technics provided equipment support. The collaboration between "TOKYO CULTUART by BEAMS" and "Aloha Got Soul" and the collaboration between "Kakubarizm" and "Cup and Cone" have been expanding greatly, with items being released in each case.
Do you encounter these new music encounters on your own?
Saito:It seems as if we came across various kinds of music by chance, but when I think back, everything was connected to the ground. It was like I followed a road and found a branching path ahead, and when I went down that path, I found a connection to where I had come from. I thought Tortoise was amazing, and then I found the members of TAR BABIES, who had released a song on SST, which I liked, and I thought, "Oh my God! I was like, "Oh, that's right.
Saito:I started with Todd Terje via indie rock and indie dance, then moved on to new disco labels such as "Mr. Saturday Night. Going in the other direction, I went back a little further in the direction of labels, and ended up with labels like "Italians Do It Better" and so on. I found out that it was run by the former "Troubleman Unlimited," who had been making interesting post-hardcore releases in the late 90s, just like Tortoise! What a feeling. I thought it was just a coincidence, but I thought that all the music I had followed, large and small, was surprisingly connected. I think that kind of thing in music is really interesting.
Yoda:I often find out after the fact. You may find out that he was in a band in the past, or that he played FUGAZI when he DJ'd. You often find out that you are connected in such a way. I often find out that there is such a connection.
Saito:Many of them used to be in punk or hardcore bands, so I feel a sense of closeness with them, which makes me happy. I see...I knew it...I knew it... (laughs).
