The transition of scenes that the two have seen.
-What was the scene like in '99 when you started, KURO?
KURO THE ROCK: I remember that a local friend who was playing breakin invited me to Yoyogi Park and I was influenced by CHINO and his friends playing breakin there. Then, I happened to be near my hometown and saw a member of "ROCKSTEADY CREW JAPAN" giving a lesson. CREW JAPAN" member was giving lessons near my hometown, and I started going there. But there was not much recognition of breakin' in the world. There were no kids B-Boys.
-Shigekix started 10 years after KURO. Were there any Japanese who were expanding globally?
Shigekix: Yes, I am. Kaku-chan was in this video and was in close proximity to me. He was a star in my hometown of Osaka, and I admired him for being active in the world. There were many teams like "MORTAL COMBAT" and so on.
SIN is appearing in the 2000s part.
-Did you ever practice on the street outside of school?
Shigekix: We used to gather and practice at OCAT ( Osaka City Air Terminal ), a sacred place for dance in Osaka. I believe I grew up rubbing shoulders with the older students there.
KURO THE ROCK: I used to lay out cardboard boxes in the parking lot of the elementary school I attended and practice while playing mix tapes on a boom box that a friend brought along.
-You used a boom box and a mix tape as your sound source.
KURO THE ROCK: That's right. Moreover, the number of stores that sold mix tapes was limited, and I don't think they did mail order either. How about Shigekix?
Shigekix: At first I was using speakers that would listen to the radio, but little by little I moved on to portable speakers. It was also the time when smartphones were starting to become popular, so the speakers we used were also changing. Whenever someone brought in a good speaker, everyone was buzzing.
KURO THE ROCK: Carry-carry speakers?
Shigekix: There was also that. We practiced on the street every day, so we each brought our own sound sources and speakers. Sometimes people didn't bring their own because they thought someone else would (laughs). 2014 or so, smartphones and portable speakers were the norm.
-By the way, what kind of speakers do you guys like?
KURO THE ROCK: I'm still a bass-oriented speaker. I don't like songs that don't have a good beat, especially when dancing. I like speakers that show off the snare and drums the best.
Shigekix: Yes, it is. Bass is important and simply affects sound quality. Battles with good speakers are very exciting. Players can catch the sound more subtly, which makes it easier to get into the fray. But if the speakers are not good enough, people can't get on board with the sound. So I feel that the space is affected by the speakers.
KURO THE ROCK: Small portable speakers also have pretty good sound quality, don't they? Now that music is readily available through subs and soundcloud, I think the range of music B-Boys listen to has expanded.
-How do you think things have changed?
KURO THE ROCK: Originally, the songs used were mostly fast songs with BPM of 110 or more. But today's scene is dancing to BPM 90 or so. I think this is proof that the range of music we listen to has broadened, and it must also be a factor in the change in breakin style.
TAKU OBATA, who also appeared in the 2000s part and performed breakin.
Shigekix: Breakbeat DJs around the world are releasing original sound sources and mixes of over an hour in length on YouTube and SoundCloud. Since we can easily listen to music from all over the world anytime, anywhere, I think there are more opportunities to hear various types of music, even though breakbeats is still the core of the music.
-JBL is closely connected to the breakin scene. What is your impression?
KURO THE ROCK: You can get quality sound with high-end speakers. Portable speakers are also reasonably priced. JBL's "PartyBox" appears in the video, and the sound quality, volume, and pressure are all very flattering. I would recommend them for dancing on the street.
Shigekix: I liked the "PartyBox." The handle and wheels make it easy to carry even though it is large. I have been working with JBL for about four years now, and I am honored to be able to say "Shigekix = JBL. I am honored to be able to say that Shigekix = JBL. I often see people wearing the "CLIP 5" portable speaker with carabiner attached on their backpacks.
