Serials 【MONTHLY CCC SESSION] VOL.15 Oskar Mann (BOOK WORKS) "Journey and Imagination Expressed through Music

City Country City" is an anonymous brand that does not disclose its design team, but has been steadily increasing its presence. In this Series, we interview creators who have been close friends of City Country City since its establishment, in order to find out what the brand is really like. We will be looking into the contents of this mysterious brand from all angles.

This time, we are joined by Oscar Mann of "BOOK WORKS," who just announced a collaboration in October. He talks not only about his own brand, but also about the background of the collaboration, which was realized with music as a common point, and what he values in his creations.

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It is something that fulfilled me as a teenager and something I can wear today.

First of all, please tell us about "Book Works".

Oscar:I started this brand with a friend of mine who has a great love for music. If you take out the "R" from the word "brand," you get the word "band. Book Works is a band. Sometimes I am the band leader, and sometimes I work as a solo artist. Sometimes I work behind the scenes as a sideman, sometimes I am involved in recording, and sometimes I am just there, doing nothing. That is part of the band. In other words, I think of it as a group of people, not just one person.

I think music flows through all of your creations, but what is important to you about it?

Oscar:To use classical music as a "means of storytelling". I want to tell a story through classical music while paying respect to it. For example, most jazz music is based on standards. The Great American Songbook is a standard, so to speak.

Like the Jazz code?

Oscar:Right. Chord progressions are not copyrighted. So everyone can use those chords to write another song. In other words, we are building on history. But the foundation of the music is "classical music. I think this leads to the idea of "respecting the classics. Through such expression, I can throw a message to the audience, make them laugh, or provide an opportunity for them to explore their own inner selves. I think that is my role.

It is not easy to express such questions through design, is it?The following is a list of the most common problems with the

Oscar:Many of my designs feel like I'm giving form to things that were out of reach when I was a teenager. It's very hard to put into words, but it's like I'm choosing clothes for my old self. I want to make my old self happy, or perhaps I am taking a second look at what I thought was "cool" when I was younger. Of course, I am not a teenager now, and I am already 41 years old, but I think about what I can wear. I think about what I can wear now and what I could wear then. I try to express both at the same time.

It's like finding a record that appeals to you, and it becomes a classic, and you keep listening to it.

Oscar:That's exactly how I feel. I'm more interested in the sound itself than the attractive jacket. I'm looking for songs that I don't know yet, with a sound that fits my tastes. Everyone has a sound that they are attracted to, right?

That's true. Is it a sound that is familiar to the ear, or something like that?

Oscar:I want to find songs that I like, but have not yet encountered. So, I'm looking for songs that I "like the sound of" but "don't know. That's what I want to express in "Book Works" as well.

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Everything expands from the story.

How did you first meet CCC?

Oscar:Through a mutual friend. He played me the sound of "CCC," if you will, and it resonated with my ears. It resonated with my ears. So I wanted to put something on top of it. That's how I felt.

What was it about CCC that resonated with you?

Oscar:They express their music through the medium of fashion. The references they choose are wonderful, and through them, I can imagine what kind of people the members of "CCC" are. What kind of music they listen to and what they have learned. The respect and love that we value is there, and I thought we could communicate with them in a very natural way. We could understand each other without exchanging many words. I felt an immediate affinity with them.

Nylon Cap ¥9,900（WISM Shibuya Store)

Moleskin Jacket ¥49,500 (WISM Shibuya Store)

Logo T-Shirts ¥9,900（WISM Shibuya Store)

Message T-Shirts ¥9,900（WISM Shibuya Store)

How did you come up with the designs for this collection?

Oscar:The inspiration came from the song "Good Beit" by John Coltrane. Coltrane recorded this song when he was young, and it tells a story in a 7-minute performance. I was inspired by the song and intuitively decided to put "CCC" in the logo.

At the same time, I was thinking about "The Days of Wine and Roses" and a very romantic image came to mind. I expressed that inspiration on the back print of the T-shirt. The world today is quite hectic, that is, unstable and unsettled, isn't it? In such a chaotic world, this romantic feeling is an expression of my desire to return to something more pure and simple, such as fun and joy.

I see. I can relate to both stories.

Oscar:Everything expands from the story, you know. Both songs fit perfectly with my mood at the time. So it just came naturally to me to go with it.

What do you feel when you actually touch the completed items?

Oscar:I like it very much. It fits me so well that I feel it is my very own uniform. I am very happy with the high level of perfection. I think this is a uniform that can be worn in the city, but also works well in the countryside.

Another thing I feel is the difficulty of making something simple. Simple looks so easy, but in fact it is very difficult. I think it is really special that it was able to take shape this time. I am very satisfied in the sense that it is exactly what I had in mind.

What do you think of the collaboration?

Oscar:The members of CCC came to New York to shoot the collection with me, and that time was the peak for me. If I were to compare it to an airplane flight, I would say that I had reached the highest point. Now that time has passed, and I feel as if I am about to land. But now that the collection is in the hands of customers, they will be able to incorporate it into their own styles, and we will be able to fly again. I am really looking forward to that.

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Catch the sound that hasn't sounded yet.

I think music is a part of your daily life.

Oscar:Now I'm listening to music with my own children more and more.

So you don't listen to music for yourself on a daily basis?

Oscar:Yes, I am. I am not the type of person who can listen to music while listening to it. I don't listen to music as background music while doing something. I need to concentrate on the sound.

You mean deep listening.

Oscar:Exactly. My father used to say, "Listen faster. I think this is a very interesting concept. That's exactly what learning jazz is all about, "listening" to the various chords and phrases first. You have to know the piano, the drums, the bass, and so on.

You don't mean to predict?

Oscar:A sense of understanding beyond prediction. The feeling that it hasn't happened yet, but we already know it. Or that we can already understand it and move on.

You already know the song itself, don't you?

Oscar:I know the tune, but I don't know what move the other players will make next, because jazz is very improvisational. But you have to visualize it. That's why trust is so important. At the same time, you have to expose yourself. Playing is also about showing your heart as it is.

It's difficult, but I kind of get it.

Oscar:I think it is the same for DJs, who need to know what to play next to the song that is currently playing before they can even think about it. I think DJs need to know in their hearts what they are going to play next, before they can think about it in their heads. You have to know which songs will keep the floor moving and appeal to someone's emotions.

Of course, there are times when we make the wrong move. But we are not machines. It is meaningful to make mistakes like that, and we can learn from them. As long as we have the desire to "guess" at the root of the game, there is no problem. After all, "listening" is more important than playing. It is more essential.

When you are digging through a record, there is a moment when you can feel the charm of the song from the first note you drop the needle on. It is similar to that feeling.

Oscar:I think this is similar to the feeling I mentioned earlier of "looking for a song that fits my taste and that I don't know yet. Even if the song does not go in the direction I expected, if it is a sound I like, I can accept it and enjoy the "journey. I think everyone has their own sound that they are drawn to, and I think it's a great thing to put your ear to that sound.

That's exactly how I felt when I discovered CCC, that they were expressing a musical journey through their creations.

Finally, what do you expect from CCC in the future?

Oscar:I hope you will continue to share your music. And I want you to keep teaching. It's simple, but that's all that matters. Right now I happen to be expressing myself through the medium of fashion, but I think that's just a coincidence. It could be cooking, gardening, or painting. Clothing just happens to be the medium now, but at the root of it all is the desire to express oneself. Especially since CCC respects the "classics," I think it has the power to convey new things. That is what I expect from you.

Oscar Mann.
Born in 1984 in Melbourne, Australia. He is currently based in New York City, where he works as a DJ, musician, and radio personality, and runs the brand "BookWorks". He has been influenced by music since his childhood, and the record store and its surrounding culture has been the foundation of his expression. He studied jazz and contemporary music at the New School University in New York and continues to explore sounds beyond genres.

Photo_Sara Hashimoto
Text_Tsuji