KOMONO with the people who create it. Vol.3 Yukine Matsuda, Skateboard Deck Speaker Craftsman
KOMONO is an accessory brand based in Antwerp, Belgium, that mainly offers sophisticated products such as watches and sunglasses. We previously interviewed the designer, who is also well versed in the art world, about the brand's simple, unisex designs and poetic visuals, which are steadily gaining recognition here in Japan. In this issue, we will introduce the brand's newest models through the filters of four creators who are well versed in art and culture. The third installment features Yukine Matsuda, creator of the "dajac" skateboard speaker.
Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1984. From a young age, he had many opportunities to come into contact with art and artworks at museums and other places, and developed a vague interest in making things. His encounter with surfing became a turning point in his life, and he moved to Niijima by himself at the age of 25. During that time, he met his mentors in speaker making, deck shaping, and skateboard sectioning, and in 2016, he developed a speaker that combines a skateboard deck and a sound system. Under the name "Da Jack," the company has developed its business based on announcements on social networking sites and hand-selling without any large-scale promotions. Currently, he lives between Tokyo and Niijima.
A life-changing encounter.
Walther/Camel" ￥22,000+TAX This model uses high-quality Italian leather for the belt and has a domed movement that combines high legibility and design. It is also fully functional, with water resistance and a dial with a date function.
First of all, please tell us about your job, Yukine. Would your job title be speaker craftsman for skateboard decks?
sound of snowfall: Yes. I originally had a speaker and a deck-shaping master, respectively, and it was my encounter with both of them that led me to start making speakers using these skateboard decks.
How did you come to meet your respective teachers?
sound of snowfallI met my speaker mentor at a coffee shop I visited soon after I moved to Tokyo. I didn't realize it at first, but it turned out to be a hangout for artists and writers. We became friends, and I learned a lot about music from him.
After a while, I moved my base of living to Niijima, and I met a group of skaters who came to the island for a photo shoot and were carpenters called the Ohba group (who worked as a deck brand under the name "woodentoy"), and I helped them a little. There, I was able to experience various things such as setting up skate ramps and shaping skate decks.
It's quite a coincidence, isn't it? How do you actually make the speakers?
sound of snowfallFor the skate decks, I have been given valuable dead stock that is no longer available on the market through my mentor, and I customize them to make skate decks. Of course, I don't just use anything as long as it is discarded. For skate decks, I ask skaters whose style of skating I like to help me out, and for speakers, as my mentor taught me, I search all over Japan for vintage speakers with high sound quality that are hard to find nowadays.
So not just any deck will do?
sound of snowfall: It's not a problem as a function. But I consider the rub marks left on the deck as part of the design. What kind of marks are left depends on the person's style.
I often use a pisto bike as a means of transportation these days. This one was assembled at "Diner" in Nishi-Azabu, with whom I have a close friendship.
That's actually quite a lot of work, isn't it?
sound of snowfallYes, it is. It is never easy to find and produce each material. I shape decks at my atelier in Niijima, and as for speakers, if I don't find something I am satisfied with, I can't produce it forever. Even so, although it has only been a short time since we launched our brand, we have received messages directly from people on social networking sites and from stores who want to carry our products in their stores.
Mono Selection" and "Monozukuri" are refined by a consistent sense of values.
Yukine, you seem to have the temperament of a craftsman rather than a designer, but what are your impressions of "Walther/Camel" from "Komono"? Also, what was the reason why you chose this material and color this time?
sound of snowfallI have always liked the texture of leather. I guess it's almost like a masculine feeling, but I have always liked things that deepen in flavor as they change over time. I especially like leather. Also, as the name of the model suggests, it gives me a sense of craftsmanship somehow, and I think it will fit in well even when I am working.
What kind of person would you imagine wearing this model of watch?
sound of snowfallI think it would go well with people who have a slightly classy or rugged style when it comes to street wear. Personally, I would like to see this watch worn by people who are working. I myself rarely wear a watch when I work, but this would make me want to wear it every day. I think there are surprisingly few watches that make me feel that way.
Yukine-san, who is well versed in a wide range of craftsmanship, what is it that you look for in a watch?
sound of snowfallI personally surf and work with machines, so water resistance and sturdiness are important to me. If it is too cheap, I don't think it will be practical. Also, of course, I check the design of the watch. Simple is best, and I am always attracted to leather.
Do you think that your current work and the teachers you have met have had a big influence on the criteria you use to select things?
sound of snowfallI think so. I think that the way I think about music and the way I relate to the culture of skating and surfing were largely due to my encounters with people who live and breathe in each field. It could be said that they served as guideposts for me. But it wasn't a one-way influence; I'm sure that's how I think of myself. Otherwise, I don't think I would be living like this (laughs). My clothes have not changed, and the things and people I think are cool are also consistent.
We visited Prime Skateboards, a skate store in Kanda, where Yukine's speakers are actually installed. What kind of place is this?
sound of snowfallI have several stores that use my skateboard speakers as fixtures, but this is the first store that offered them to me, and they were very understanding when I launched my brand. I get along well with the store manager, Mr. Kanai, and the staff, so it is a place where I wander in and out even if I have nothing to do.
On either side of the shelves displaying gear are "Prime Skateboards" custom-made speakers.
