Dekmantel Festival had its inception in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2013, marking the initial step towards the swift global acclaim of the Dekmantel name.

Dekmantel Festival 2023

The origins of Dekmantel trace back to 2007 when it began as a techno and house club party, taking place at Amsterdam’s renowned venues like Studio80. While it was initially founded by three individuals, also known as Dekmantel Sound System, the only remaining active member today is Casper Tielrooij.

They established a record label under the same name in 2009. Also, they started the Lente Kabinet Festival in 2012 and Dekmantel the following year. Furthermore, they’ve been holding the Dekmantel Selectors Festival in a resort area in Croatia since 2016 and broadened their global collaborative events. Similarly, in Tokyo, it was organized as a club event over two days at Shibuya’s Contact in 2016.

Ahead of its 10th anniversary next year, the festival featured Japanese acts such as DJ NOBU, an acclaimed artist in the world techno scene, and Osaka-based local underground hero ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U (Yousuke Yukimatsu).

Dekmantel spans five days over the first weekend of August. While it initially began as an outdoor festival in the Amsterdamse Bos Park, it has evolved with the current trend of urban festivals. The first two days now feature various venues within the central area of Amsterdam, incorporating conferences and club-related content.

Jeff Mills presents Tomorrow Comes The Harvest caught the most attention during the opening concert on the first two days.

“Tomorrow Comes The Harvest” is an entirely improvised work released by techno icon Jeff Mills in collaboration with the founder of Afrobeat, Tony Allen, and veteran keyboardist Jean-Phi Dary in 2018 under Blue Note Records.

Following Tony Allen’s passing in 2020, Jeff, working closely with Jean-Phi Dary and the acclaimed tabla player Prabhu Edouard, reimagined the concept of “Tomorrow Comes the Harvest.” Initiating a fresh project, they curated a distinctive lineup for this particular performance, introducing not only the trio but also Rasheeda “Ra Flautista” Ali, a flutist renowned in Atlanta’s jazz scene.

Jeff Mills’ drum machine assumed a prominent role as the live performance started, seamlessly blending with keyboards, flute, and tabla. The soothing tones evoked a sound reminiscent of the earth’s lament, enveloping the entire venue.

The outstanding moment was the session of Percussionist Prabhu Edouard’s tabla and Jeff amidst the performance. Despite its apparent simplicity, the exchange between the lightning-fast tabla and Jeff’s drum machine, which appeared almost superhuman, captivated the audience with its exquisite interplay and unrelenting progression.

I was blown away to see the staggering passion for music and the seamless improvisation by the maestros, who effortlessly wielded techno, world music, jazz, and classical elements on an epic scale.

The festival shifted its venue to Amsterdamse Bos Park to initiate the outdoor program from day 3. The eight stages were spread across the extensive forest, uniting artists from various parts of the world, focusing on Europe covering various musical genres, such as techno, house, and breakbeat.

The symbolic main stage of Dekmantel transformed, rebranding itself as THE LOOP. Notably, the DJ booth was downsized, and the festival has removed the once-dominating large circular roof covering the dance floor and the iconic tower. However, the characteristic visual screens encircling the dance floor have remained. As the sun went down, these screens continued to captivate the audience with mesmerizing visual effects, immersing them in a psychedelic realm. Alongside the world’s top-notch Function One speaker system, the result was the creation of a splendid dance floor experience.

Exploring the Selector’s Stage to Dive Deeper into the Festival’s Musical Taste

Some fans might be captivated by Dekmantels’ refined musical taste. While you can appreciate their sense of taste through releases and podcasts from their label, I recommend attending the Selector’s Stage at their festival to delve even deeper into their musical taste.

Many top-level music selectors (DJs) performed on the stage this year, just as in previous years: a set featuring the crew of Gop Tun DJ’s, a Brazilian artist collective and record label, along with a B2B session with Orpheu the Wizard, the founder of the now-closed Amsterdam-based online radio station Red Light Radio, and Barcelona talent John Talabot. Highlighting the critical figure Casper Tielrooij of Dekmantel and a B2B session with the acclaimed Jane Fitz, celebrated for her psychedelic dance vibes and popularity in Japan, alongside the Berlin-based Italian artist Marco Shuttle. The lineup tantalized electronic music enthusiasts, continually delivered, and left devoted fans in amazement. 

If we pay attention to the Japanese acts, DJ NOBU, who made his return after 2018, remarkably stood out. This year, he appeared on the best techno floor, the UFO I Stage, with a B2B set alongside the latest influential artist in New York, Aurora Halal. They showcased a seamless fusion, offering a mix of standard modern techno to tracks infused with acid and spacey elements, manipulating the dance floor with a sauna-like atmosphere. It seemed they were again sharing the joy of dancing to techno with the audience.

Even off the stage, he interacted with various people, from fans to staff, whether backstage or at different spots within the venue. Observing him actively participate in vibrant discussions, share light-hearted moments, and prioritize interpersonal communication over his role as an artist, his genuine demeanor was impressive.

Half an hour before DJ NOBU’s performance, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U appeared on the UFO II Stage, where many distinctive techno artists performed. I felt a sense of respect for his natural behavior, which fascinated me immediately. 

As his performance started, he poured his heart and soul into the dance floor. Despite the anarchic song selection, his set unfolded with a profound and gentle warmth, and the heavy bass resonated through the body. Halfway through the performance, cheers erupted when he took off his T-shirt, and the masculine and charismatic play enchanted the audience.

In addition to these two, another artist with a Japanese background took part in the festival. Mika Oki is a DJ and artist born and raised in Paris to a Japanese father and a Spanish mother. She performed her DJ set at the UFO II Stage on the last day of the festival. Drawing inspiration from Autechre’s live performances, her set revealed a varied musical style, featuring Warp-style electronica and tracks influenced by dubstep, reggae, and more.

I had a chance to speak to her after her performance. She shared that she’s been to Japan three times, including a recent visit in April 2023, performing at venues such as Hatagaya’s Forestlimit and Osaka’s CIRCUS. She commended the attentive nature of Japanese audiences, expressing admiration for their dedicated listening to music and her desire to visit Japan more frequently.

Apart from the artists, Japanese elements could be seen in the catering area. FOODESCAPE, offering Japanese soul food such as Okonomiyaki, shows a consistent presence at major music festivals in the Netherlands. About half of the staff is Dutch, and while faithfully recreating the flavors of the stalls, it serves as a venue for the cultural exchange between Japan and the Netherlands.

The Berlin-based streaming studio HÖR’s stage

The Radar Stage, formerly known as the Boiler Room stage from 2013 to 2022, drew particular attention at Dekmantel this year. It has now transformed into the stage for HÖR, the Berlin-based streaming studio. Recently establishing a pop-up studio in London, HÖR stands out as one of today’s most vibrant streaming platforms. All performances on this stage were also broadcast live on their platform. This shift doesn’t only mean transforming the streaming platform but also introducing substantial changes to the stage arrangement.

The DJ booth was enveloped in a distinctive arrangement, featuring scaffoldings reminiscent of jungle gyms that might come across as construction sites. The audience can dance on the same floor as the DJs or climb to the upper levels, overlooking the booth while dancing. Such a multi-level floor structure seemed unique in outdoor festivals.

Not only Dekmantel, but many European festivals have increasingly adopted an environmentally conscious approach in recent years. The predominant source of CO2 emissions associated with festival stems from attendees’ and artists’ use of airplanes and cars. Indeed, there are limitations to reducing air travel in festivals that invite many international artists. However, Dekmantel is actively experimenting with strategies to address CO2 emissions, which involves partnering with non-profit organizations to offset greenhouse gas emissions from flights and encouraging the audience to use bicycles to go to the festival site. All to find ways to minimize CO2 emissions.

More and more events in the Netherlands, including Dekmantel, offer a ticket option for CO2 emission offsetting, which allows the audience to contribute an additional 1 euro to the ticket price, supporting initiatives aimed at emission reduction. The festival site was maintained clean throughout, with staff actively involved in litter picking, creating a positive environment. 

Also, Dekmantel has been hosting the festival exclusively with 100% renewable biofuels since 2016.

Dekmantel festival made a significant impact as a massive event, with its numerous stages, each characterized by its scale and impressive number of attendees. Although dance music is still a niche genre in the Japanese scene, it was surprising to witness an event of such scale in the Netherlands, where the population is smaller than Japan.

From promising newcomers to seasoned veterans, the lineup provides a diverse range to delve into the core and origins of dance music. This year, they showcased a prevalent presence of high-BPM rave techno, drum and bass, and breakbeat sounds.

This year, rain persisted consistently from late Saturday afternoon to Sunday, coupled with low temperatures. Despite these severe conditions, their dance moves were energetic, as if it were not raining. 

There seemed to be so much for Japanese events to learn from their proactive initiatives toward environmental issues, which came to mind when walking out of the venue after the five days at Dekmantel. 

Direction Kana Miyazawa
Photography Yannick van de Wijngaert、Pierre Zylstra、Tim Buiting、Sofia Baytocheva、Jente Waerzeggers、So Oishi、Nori
Support So Oishi
Translation Takahiro Kanazawa

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Thundercat
Bassist, songwriter, music producer. Born October 19th, 1984. From Los Angeles, California. With his remarkable bass playing, sweet vocals, eccentric fashion sense, and an endlessly cheerful personality, he has captured the hearts of fans everywhere. In addition to his solo work under the name Thundercat, he has also collaborated on projects with Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Gorillaz, and the late Mac Miller, among others. In 2022, he toured the world with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as a supporting act. He is also known for his affinity for Japanese culture like anime and video games. His ability to effortlessly and charmingly walk the line between jazz, hip-hop, funk, AOR, and LA beats in his playing is nothing short of remarkable. 
https://theamazingthundercat.com
Instagram：＠thundercatmusic
X（ex.Twitter）：@Thundercat
YouTube：@thundercatmusic

Many of Thundercat’s friends appear in his interviews. His close friend Flying Lotus, of course, as well as his childhood otaku pals, buddies from his choir days, designers, nail artists, Kendrick Lamar, Domi & JD Beck, and the dearly departed masked hip-hopper, MF DOOM. He considers his position in every encounter, all while honing his technique and humor. His development is like that of the character Vegeta from his favorite anime Dragon Ball. In this interview, we discuss the connection between animation, video game music, and Thundercat.

In every encounter, he contemplates his position while honing his technique and humor. His maturing presence is just like Vegeta from ‘Dragon Ball,’ whom he loves, isn’t it? We discussed the connection between animation, video game music, and Thundercat in this interview. He appeared with large Sonic the Hedgehog and MF DOOM necklace hanging around his neck.

– That MF DOOM necklace is really great.

Thundercat: It’s cool, right? This has a story to it. Flying Lotus and I had an opportunity to work with MF DOOM before he passed, so we went to see him in London, where he lived. 

Apparently, MadLib talked to MF DOOM about me, and he knew that I had worked with Erykah Badu. He and I had been wanting to connect.

– You worked on “Lunch Break” with MF DOOM. What a cool song.

Thundercat: He was amazing! He showed me music that nobody else would know, and he listened to a tune I was writing with Flying Lotus. We hit it off so hilariously well. He was interested in the jewelry I was wearing, and asked me a lot of questions about it.

– His passing was truly a tragedy.

Thundercat: MF DOOM was collaborating with an LA-based designer called Han Cholo on making special rings. Before he passed, he asked me how he could pay me for my work. I told I didn’t want money, so instead, he made me a ring and necklace from a casting mold he had and sent them to me. Unfortunately, those rings were stolen.

– How sad…

Thundercat: I still have the necklace, though. It’s small, different from what I’m wearing right now. I became friends with the guy who makes his masks, and we talked about making something for his memorial. Together, we made the mask necklace I’m wearing now. It’s an original necklace with garnets in it. It’s very heavy (laughs). But I work out, so it’s fine (laughs).

– (Laughs). 

Thundercat: MF DOOM was a great lyricist and producer. I also loved his personality. Everyone notices when I wear this necklace. It gives me an opportunity to tell this story, like I’m doing now. It feels as though I’m wearing his memory.

– You’re wearing his memory. What a lovely story.

Thundercat: It’s my second favorite one of my necklaces. My most favorite is this Sonic one (laughs). 

– Is Sonic [the Hedgehog] a character you’ve always liked?

Thundercat: Yeah, I love Sonic. Although my number one right now is Mario (laughs). This Sonic necklace was custom-made for me. The lyrics of “Can You Feel the Sunshine” from the game Sonic R are etched into it.

– Did you watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie?

Thundercat: I haven’t yet. It’s been a very busy season. In the theaters in LA, where I live now, tickets have been selling out. 

– It’s so popular. 

Thundercat: It really is. But I don’t think anyone is seeing it anymore. I hope I have the theater all to myself when I go see it (laughs). 

– Some American critics have called it juvenile, but I don’t think it is!

Thundercat: Mario is for kids anyway (laughs). That’s not a criticism. 

Vegeta-like Humor

– You’re known to like Dragon Ball, but you’ve mentioned before that you relate to Vegeta more than Goku.

Thundercat: I do.

– I think you have some Vegeta-like qualities. 

Thundercat: I think so, too! Goku is Flying Lotus, right? (Laughs).

– Exactly! Or Kendrick Lamar.

Thundercat: Kendrick is more like Gohan’s Beast from Dragon Ball Super (laughs). 

– I think your songs are very humorous. 

Thundercat: Indeed.

– “Dragon Ball Durag” is about begging your lover for love, but you ask, “how do I look in my durag?” several times in the song. It’s very funny.

Thundercat: Hahaha! Yeah, it seems like a love song at first, but it’s actually a terrible song (laughs). 

– In “Friend Zone”, you reference Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” after you say, “You can go or you can go, I’d rather play Mortal Kombat anyway”. That made me crack up.

Thundercat: It’s funny, right? I was worried about that reference, but Kendrick thought it was funny, too.

– I think that humor is what’s most “Vegeta-like” about you.

Thundercat: Totally. He’s prideful, and yet has no choice but to be humble in front of someone amazing like Goku. No one is watching when he thinks he’s killing it (laughs).

– Perhaps it’s because of these experiences that he gradually develops a more objective perspective and becomes a kinder character.

Thundercat: I also have another perspective in me. What I want to say may not always come across the way I want it to. I’ve had a lot of difficult experiences like that. So when I’m trying to say or express something, I always have several points of view.

Influences From Video Game Music

– Your music itself is very versatile. You started your career as a bassist for Suicidal Tendencies and Erykah Badu, so you’ve been involved in both hard core punk and neo-soul. 

Thundercat: That’s right.

– Your current music incorporates jazz and hip-hop grooves, but also contains a video game-like linearity. It feels like you’re always mixing distant musical influences. 

Thundercat: I grew up listening to all kinds of music. I loved jazz and video game music, too. I also like adding color to simple things. Even in Mario, the first theme song is still being used today, but it evolves along with its different arrangements, causing the song’s colors to change. I find that to be intriguing. It’s all about the tonal palette. 

– Video game music was initially very simple.

Thundercat: Video game music from the 1980s to the early 1990s is wonderful. I love Yoko Shimomura’s work at CAPCOM. She was able to do the most with the limited resources available to her. That’s what intrigued me as a kid. Video game music now is richer and broader. The music is still great, but I’m drawn most to the uniqueness of game music from a time with limited resources.

– I sense a YMO vibe to your music, but maybe that’s also through video game music. YMO very heavily influenced game music. For instance, in the Dragon Ball game Super Butoten, there is a song that sounds almost exactly like “Rydeen”. 

Thundercat: I know that song (laughs). They’re such big artists, afterall. I think many people including myself have been influenced by them in some way. YMO and Ryuichi Sakamoto have many complex elements hidden within their simplicity.

– You’ve called Dragon Ball a “mature work” in the past. In what way do you think it’s mature? In Japan, Dragon Ball is seen as a show that young boys watch before they mature. I thought that difference in perspective was interesting. 

Thundercat: I think Dragon Ball is considered violent for Americans, which is why it’s not seen as something for children. Violent scenes in Dragon Ball Z and NARUTO are edited out. I don’t think it’s necessary, though.

– I see. So what children consume shouldn’t be violent. 

Thundercat: Interestingly, the cartoons that are most popular in the US are all Japanese. Jujutsu Kaisen,NARUTO, Dragon Ball Z… That kind of anime is weirdly edited. I’ve been watching Neon Genesis Evangelionsince the 90s. It has a cult-like power to it. Shows like that are also edited, but that loses its original rawness. 

– Interesting.

Thundercat: But cartoons and comics catered to American adults have always been very violent! I’ve been influenced by violent comics, so my opinion may not be the same as the average American (laughs). You can’t trust me because I’m crazy.

– In the Dragon Ball animation, there are scenes where the protagonists are in training. But American superheroes are superheroes from the beginning.

Thundercat: Batman and Ironman are both rich (laughs). Their own physical capabilities are the same as a normal human. 

– I’ve heard that the process of “training to get stronger” seen in Dragon Ball may be similar to the African American experience. What do you think?

Thundercat: That’s possible. Struggle, strife, and conflict are important elements in the African American community. Even the word “hero complex” exists. I think we can relate to the work ethic seen in Japanese animation because society doesn’t validate our struggle.

– You feel sympathetic.

Thundercat: I’m not sure, though. I was just crazy about anime when I was a kid. I also had Mexican and Asian friends who liked Dragon Ball. But we were a minority in the classroom. Race didn’t matter, we were just nerds (laughs). But those nerds have now grown up and are in positions to make money, and they use their money lavishly on whatever they want. Which is why anime has become even more popular (laughs). 

– (Laughs).

Thundercat: I talk to those friends a lot about how no one understood our interests back then. We wanted the Dragon Ball Carddass that was only sold in Japan. Instead, we filed photocopies of the Carddass we found online and circulated them among ourselves. We would be like, “You can have them today, but I’ll take them tomorrow”. We had fun looking at the files and tried our best to create our own stories from them.

– That’s just like your story about video game music. You got creative with the limited resources available to you.

Thundercat: Exactly. We have to do what we can for ourselves. 

Collaboration with Kevin Parker

– How did your new song “No More Lies” in collaboration with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker come about?

Thundercat: I’ve been wanting to work with Kevin since my first record. I met him at the Grammys, but I was drunk and don’t remember (laughs). He said he thought we had met before when I approached him (laughs), and told me he also wanted to work with me. We made the song together in person, and it was really fun. We were lucky – it felt like pieces of a puzzle fitting together. 

– You and Kevin have similar voices. Your whisper-like singing voice seems unique among Black musicians. 

Thundercat: I sang in my church’s choir when I was a kid. I also went to the Yamaha School for vocals and instruments, so I was never against singing. The background vocalists in the recordings are friends from childhood, too. 

– I had no idea.

Thundercat: Although it took me a long time to get used to singing on records and at live shows. I even got discouraged when my friends told me they didn’t like my voice (laughs). But all the players I admire, sing. Tony Williams, George Duke, Frank Zappa. Even Jaco [Pastorius]. I told myself if Tony Williams could sing, I could. His voice is so crazy (laughs). If his voice is acceptable, mine is, too.

– I think your soft voice beautifully contrasts with your percussive bass-playing.

Thundercat: I’ve always been a tenor. I’m good at projecting higher notes, too, so this type of singing is good for me. My normal voice is deep, though. I sound like Slipknot when I sing in my chest voice (laughs).

– I would love to hear that (laughs).

Thundercat: It’s super hard!

– The skull bag you have with you today is a collaboration with Prospective Flow, right? What is your connection with them?

Thundercat: They’ve expanded into LA from Japan now, but I wore their clothes before I knew them. Their stuff fits really well. Domi & JD Beck knew them initially, and introduced me. 

– What a connection.

Thundercat: The collaboration was recent, but we’ve been friends for a long time. They’re good people.

– Your jewelry, nails, and hairstyles have a femininity to them. Is that a conscious effort?

Thundercat: I’ve been asked this before. I’ve been told it’s an “inherent femininity”, but that doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe it’s because I toured with Eric Benét (laughs). Maybe his sexiness triggered my femininity (laughs). I actually just like shapes and colors more than masculinity and femininity. Intuition and gut feeling are everything. 

– Your nails today are beautiful, too.

Thundercat: My nail artist friend in LA did them for me. She’s a talented artist. This is one of her simpler designs.

– Your stories contain many names. Listening to how you talk and watching your gestures, I get a sense that you are who you are because of the connections you have with other people. Have you heard about Hakushi Hasegawa, who recently joined Brainfeeder?

Thundercat: Of course. I listened to their new song, too. It’s a great tune, and the video was amazing, too. It’s a good fit for Brainfeeder because of its eclectic sound. I’ve met them once, but I was drunk so I don’t remember (laughs). I would love to meet him again.

Photography Takuroh Toyama
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

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Aaron Fabian
Aaron Fabian is a graphic designer, publisher, and editor-in-chief of innen. He founded the independent publishing house innen in Budapest in 2006. He lives and works in Zurich and offers unconventional, unique perspectives on art and contemporary trends through his zines. In 2010, he launched Zug Magazine, a series of books featuring carefully selected contemporary artworks. In 2020, he co-founded innen Japan with Hiroshi Iguchi, through which he releases zines of Japanese artists.
www.innenbooks.com
Instagram: @innenbooks

innen, an independent publisher from Zurich, Switzerland, has published over 400 zines and books, offering unconventional perspectives on art and subcultures. We have received news from the publisher, Aaron Fabian, that they are releasing an anniversary book summarizing their activities over the past 18 years (innen became adult). Published by P.A.M. / Perks and Mini and supported by Carhartt WIP, fashion brands with which he has been in a close relationship, the approximately 500-page hardcover is packed with past publications and unpublished materials from the archives. A launch event was held at “The Community Centre” in Paris from April 29 to May 14 to celebrate its publication. In addition to the zines published so far, rare and original materials, rare goods, and works by artists who have been friends with “innen” were exhibited. We asked Aaron, who had just returned to Zurich from Paris after the opening, about his encounter with zines, the launch of “innen,” and the secret story behind his work with artists.

I was drawn naturally into the world of ZINE.

–First of foremost, congratulations on the launch of your anniversary book! How was the event in Paris?

Aaron Fabian (Aaron): Thank you! Having so many people there was fun, and we got great feedback. And Will Bankhead from the London music label The Trilogy Tapes did a great job DJing.

–Why did you make an anniversary book this time?

Aaron: We wanted to do it for our 15th anniversary but kept postponing it, so we finally made it happen for our 18th anniversary. Once again, I’m impressed that 18 years have passed, and innen has grown up – became an adult (laughs). It was challenging to put together all the past publications and unpublished material from the archives, but I’m glad I could cast my ideas into shape. Hans Ulrich Obrist wrote a preface to it, and American graphic designer Edward Fella did the cover design.

–I wanted to ask you a lot about yourself and innen. First of all, please tell us about your encounter with zines.

Aaron: I’m from Budapest, Hungary. My mother is an artist and art history teacher, and my father is a book designer and typographer. My grandmother worked in publishing. I grew up in an artistic family, so the printing and publishing culture was very close to me, and I first encountered photocopy-style fanzines at a local anarchic bookstore when I was 8 or 9 years old. Then, as a teenager, I created a punk culture fanzine with my elementary school friends. I was really into grayscale and black-and-white photocopying back then.

–Who did your zines feature back then?

Aaron: My stepfather was fond of punk. Partly because of his influence, we featured evergreen classic punks like The Exploited and Nina Hagen. That was the first zine I ever made, a funky punk fanzine I made with friends purely for fun.

–What is the zine culture like in Budapest, Hungary?

Aaron: I have some friends who create and publish zines, and in the last few years, there have been zine and book fairs.

Communication tools for connecting artists and the scene

–And you founded innen in 2006, but what motivated you to start it? 　

Aaron: Everything just happened naturally. I was studying graphic design in Budapest back then after in Prague, and I had to design a magazine for my final exam. I wanted to give the magazine a unique name. So when having drinks with some friends at a bar, I told them I was looking for a cool name, and one of them came up with innen. I liked it right away. I said, “It’s so cool!” and we had a few beers for that. By the way, innen means “inside to outside.”

Then, when I was in the first year of college, I started innen. The first zine I released was “F – Fotos” by my friend Füredi Tamás from Budapest. He is a very creative painter and graphic designer, and I love the photos he takes. Even after that, I made another zine for another friend, and so on. Finally, after publishing about 10 to 15 works, I found myself becoming a publisher.

I was surrounded by creative people and art through family and friends. I wanted to connect in some way or another with those people and scenes and produce something new. Zines are an easy way to communicate with them and become friends.

–Zine is a communication tool for you. So why and how are you particular about the 13 x 19 cm size of the zine?

Aaron: Benjamin from “Nieves” started five years before innen, and he used a 14 x 20 cm format, so I wanted a different size. B5 size was just too big, and I wanted to make zines pocketable, so it ended up with this size, and I will hold onto it.

–How do you find artists, and from what perspective do you select them?

Aaron: I simply choose artists I like. innen is an open platform, and it doesn’t matter how old they are, how well-known they are, or what genre they are in, as long as they have something unique to offer. It’s friendly and open and creates a conversation between culture and people. Well, I mean, it’s just real (laughs). How I look for artists depends on the situation. I might find someone online, in libraries, bookstores, and galleries, or even ask friends for recommendations.

I started innen Japan with Hiroshi (Iguchi) in 2020, and I’m a big fan of Japanese culture, so I always get a lot of information about Japanese artists from him. He is ninja and reliable.

The miraculous collaborations created through human connections

–You have worked with many prominent artists for their zines, and I would like you to share some of the stories behind the zine production process with them. For example, what was the work process with Yoko Ono like?

Aaron: “Franklin Summer” is the drawing project she has been working on since 1994. I wanted to make a zine of this series of works. The curator, Hans Ulrich Obrist, introduced me to her assistant, who gave me high-resolution scans to make it happen. I was fortunate, and I am very grateful to Hans and Yoko.

— The production takes time, right?

Aaron: The work with Yoko was completed surprisingly quickly, but sometimes it takes 5 to 6 years. For example, the work with photographer Nobuyoshi Araki took five years. I first talked to Taka Ishii Gallery, but my proposal was rejected. Brett Ratner who works as a producer in Hollywood had a collection of his Polaroids. I was amazed at how extensive the archives were. With that, I contacted the gallery again, and we managed to make it happen. It was another lucky situation. The title on the cover is handwritten by the artist himself.

I have some mutual friends with Jun Takahashi, the designer of Undercover, and when I asked him about publishing his zine, he readily agreed. I usually edit, but he did all the layouts this time. So what I did was just print. It was a luxurious situation, which I am so thankful for.

–Speaking about international celebrities, you have also worked with Chloë Sevigny.

Aaron: Her zine is a collection of photos of her exes and other men she has loved in her life, as well as articles about her in the New York Post. It was actually one of innen’s best sellers sold out quickly. I didn’t know she had a big fandom.

–I’m also looking forward to your upcoming zine releases! What do you think is good about the zine as a medium?

Aaron: Zines are one of the easiest and cheapest publications to make. There are no advertisements, and it’s a platform where you can edit freely. Printing is also affordable and fast, and we can share them easily. Today, I produce zines with offset printing, but we usually used black-and-white and grayscale photocopying back in the day. Don’t you think black-and-white and grayscale are very simple and powerful color combinations?

–Lastly, do you have any message for people fond of making zines?

Aaron: Be unique, don’t stress yourself out, and enjoy the time you spend making zines!

Photography innen

The post Eighteen Years of Connecting Artists and the Scene:<br>Aaron Fabian of innen Talks about ZINE Culture appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

What is the message contained in the products created by these two men, who are deeply immersed in the culture they have discovered and continue to give shape to their ideas through fashion and art, after hitting it off with each other? This would be the most powerful collaboration that will make the scene even more fascinating in the future.

JUN INAGAWA
JUN INAGAWA was born in 1999 in Tokyo, Japan. In 2012, he moved to San Diego, U.S.A. His drawings gradually gained recognition from the players of street culture, such as skateboarding and hip-hop scenes, in LA, leading to an offer for collaboration from A$AP ROCKY. After returning to Japan in 2018, he has been active as an up-and-coming artist with his unique style that connects anime and street culture. He has collaborated with apparel brands, provided artwork to music artists, and is also active as a DJ. Currently, he hosts a monthly party called “MAD MAGIC ORCHESTRA.” On April 7, Magical Destroyers (TBS and its affiliated TV stations), the TV anime series based on INAGAWA’s original story, for which he is also in charge of illustrating, was started. He also started a 3-piece electro band, Flog3.
Instagram：@madmagicorchestra

Shinsuke Takizawa
Creative director of NEIGHBORHOOD Shinsuke Takizawa was born in 1967. After working at FILE RECORDS inc. as a record label manager for MAJOR FORCE, he started NEIGHBORHOOD, a brand inspired by motorcycle culture and military style, in 1994. It has become a globally recognized brand representing Japan from Harajuku, with stores throughout Japan and Asia and distributors in Europe, Asia, the U.S., Australia, and other countries, demonstrating its enduring popularity. In March 2023, the brand opened a new store in Taiwan.
https://www.neighborhood.jp
Instagram：@neighborhood_official
Instagram：@sin_takizawa

His story and mindset were just interesting and surprising.

–First of all, JUN, please tell us how you came to know about NEIGBORHOOD.

JUN INAGAWA (JUN): A very good friend of mine, who is like an uncle to me, has always loved NEIGBORHOOD. Although he is not related to me by blood, he has been like a mentor who taught me about the culture.

Shinsuke Takizawa (Takizawa): Wait! You are not related to him by blood！？I thought he was your real uncle (laughs).

JUN: We are so close that I keep calling him “uncle.” He’s called “NORI,” and he’s been closer to me than my parents since I was little, and he’s the one who taught me about culture other than anime. I saw him wearing NEIGHBORHOOD’s T-shirts and accessories, and I had been interested in what it was about since I was a little kid. So I bought some incense the first time I went to the Harajuku store. I loved the smell of the incense when I entered the store. I used to go to the store before it was renovated, but I didn’t even know the word “Ura-Hara (the common name given to the network of smaller Harajuku backstreets)” back then. That was when I was about 18 years old, right after returning from America.

Takizawa: You came to our collection with that “uncle” guy. We met for the first time, and that was four or five years ago, I think. That’s when I heard about you and learned you were an artist.

–I first learned about the close relationship between JUN and NEIGHBORHOOD through “HUMUNGUS,” an event held during the COVID pandemic. Takizawa-san, were you interested in the youth culture that JUN was involved in?

Takizawa: I’m not particularly fond of anime, but I found his story and mindset interesting and very surprising. If he were just one of those young artists, I would not have connected with him, but we could get together probably because he knew the culture of, say Ura-Harajuku. My daughter is 20 years old this year, so JUN is like a son to me (laughs).

JUN: He told me that his daughter likes anime. I didn’t have much of a preconceived idea about Takizawa-san. It could have been different if I had been a big fan of him for like ten years, but I was happy to have conversations with him casually even though I was supposed to treat him with greater respect because he was much older than me.

Takizawa: What is interesting about him is that he not only draws animation but also creates his own pieces of work, and he hung out with A$AP ROCKY when he was in the US. And yet, he also has a deep knowledge of Ura-Hara culture. It’s all a mystery. I’m like, “What the hell is this boy?”

JUN: I have answered this question in every interview, but people don’t seem to understand it. I don’t know how to tell them either. To put it simply, I was just one of those anime geeks, but I got hooked on skate videos that my uncle taught me. My anime-style drawings of skateboarders who belonged to the community around Supreme and Fucking Awesome went viral on Social Networking Sites, leading to getting to know A$AP Bari and then to a collaboration with VLONE. But at the time, I knew nothing about A$AP ROCKY, Bari, or hip-hop. The only music I knew was anime songs and Mr. Children. But then I started working with them.

Takizawa: So you were not particularly interested in hip-hop?

JUN: Well, I was interested in people who were doing hip-hop. I wondered why they were interested in hip-hop, drinking outside, skating, and having fun. When I talked to them, I learned that some were from disadvantaged families and had various reasons for getting together. All these things led me to meet Takizawa-san after coming back to Tokyo. That was when I was 18 years old.

Takizawa: When we were 18, we had a lot of input from the people around us. Back then, I met Hiroshi (Fujiwara) in Tokyo and learned about various club music, so I guess people reach the stage of input at the age of 18.

New cultural trends are born out of rebellious spirit.

JUN: When I returned to Tokyo and met all the people I’m working with now, I was in a state where I could accept anything. I took inspiration from various things and digested them in my mind. Until I turned 20, I took in everything, digested it all, and tried to make my works out of the chaos. So in the early stages of my career, I would paint on the walls, and it was a mess. When I was around 18 or 19, I was rebelling against something; I don’t know why though.

Takizawa: That’s one of those things you want to do when you get to that age. You want to be passionate about something and do what you want to do, even if it means making imaginary enemies.

JUN: That’s when I started making the kind of animations that are on TV now. So my way of thinking was changing quickly. I was 19 years old when I made the animation being broadcast currently, so this work is from a very long time ago. And I did my first collaboration with NEIGHBORHOOD in 2020, right?

–-Takizawa-san, was it you who asked for a collaboration?

Takizawa: I’m not sure. It was like, “Let’s do something!” but I don’t remember in detail. We just came up with the idea when having a normal conversation.

JUN: I also like the “Let’s do something” attitude as an extension of something else. What often happens to me is that even if someone says, “Let’s do something!,” nothing happens. I have decided to remove myself from such people. They are not interested in me. Conversely, those who support me and think I am an interesting person will definitely make something happen, making me believe that I’ve found a missing piece of the puzzle.

Takizawa: On top of that, he was kind enough to create a helmet with a story and gave it to me as a gift, and although he is as young as my child, we have a relatively collegial relationship.

–In terms of what can be associated with helmets, Takizawa-san’s and JUN’s ideas may have something in common.

Takizawa: As far as I’m concerned, helmets reminds me of the band The Timers.

JUN: Come to think of it, Takizawa-san mentioned The Timers. I was also very interested in what the club scene was like when he was younger. So he told me many stories about when he was my age. Then, when I was 18, I saw The Timers’ PV and thought, “This is it!”.

Takizawa: One wouldn’t usually think so even if one sees The Timers’ music video at the age of 18 (laughs).

JUN: I guess I saw a video of them singing a song that included words banned on TV. That looked absolutely cool. Punk is an attitude, not a fashion. And I thought, “They are doing punk properly.” There are a lot of people in punk fashion now. But I’m like, “That’s not punk!”. More specifically, their attitude is not punk. I didn’t expect much, but The Timers were a very proper and extreme punk band. That’s how I fell in love with Japanese punk and started digging Malcolm McLaren and other foreign bands.

Magical Girl and UZI, inspired by ATARI TEENAGE RIOT

–Please tell us about the figures you created together for this project.

Takizawa: I really wanted to make an incense burner, but this time I decided to make a figure. At first, I was going to make one with a UZI (Israeli machine pistol) attached to its head, from which incense smoke would come out, but this was impossible due to structural problems. However, the finished product was very satisfactory, more delicate, and heavier than the one made of ceramics. This is the second time I have collaborated with Jun, but the first time we have made a three-dimensional piece from a two-dimensional work. So it was a big step forward. We also made T-shirts and incense. I like the fact that UZI is on the figure’s head.

JUN: I have never drawn a magical girl with UZI on her head before. I put it on her head because I found an Atari Teenage Riot T-shirt with a UZI printed on the back, and I drew it as it was. Then I watched ATARI’s videos and learned that they had previously worked with NEIGHBORHOOD.

–I remember that when NEIGHBORHOOD held a show as part of Fashion Week in the past, the show was a live performance of Atari Teenage Riot instead of a runway show. That way of launching the collection was just so surprising.

Takizawa: That was not a fashion show! (Laughs.) Instead of having a runway, the members of the band were wearing our clothes during the show. The people who came to see the show must have expected a runway, so when it started, they were like, “What the hell is this?” 

JUN: That’s sick! But I kind of understand why Takizawa-san wanted to have a live show instead of a runway when doing a fashion show. When I do a project, I also feel like I want to destroy it. Of course, I still stick to my common sense, though.

Takizawa: I tried to destroy the idea of a runway show by showing “DESTROY FASHION” on the LCD monitor. So it’s also lovely to hear that JUN sampled this UZI from ATARI.

JUN: It would also be nice if the flags bounced out of the UZIs! (laughs).

Takizawa: (laughs).

JUN: Aside from inspirations from Atari, this twin-tail hair was derived initially from an anime I created. I drew this girl when I collaborated with NEIGHBORHOOD for the first time. She had purple hair and UZI. This time, the brand made this girl into a three-dimensional figure.

As for making a piece of art, I am not familiar with contemporary art, and I have lived my life without being exposed to the world of art. Visual art requires experience, money, and space. And I have a problem with capitalism. In other words, I’m not too fond of the idea that art is only about what can make money. That’s why I like communicating with people through my feelings and emotion, like when I made the helmet and gave it to Takizawa-san. I like to draw pictures, so when I meet people, I always draw their portraits, but I sometimes get told that this lowers the value of my work of art. But I like how it can get through speedily to people, just like when one draws graffiti vigorously on a wall.

Takizawa: That is very artistic in a true sense.

JUN: (Looking at the works displayed in the press room) Whose work is this?

Takizawa: Kostas (Seremetis).

JUN: I have always thought this piece was cool and wondered who it was by. We are going to do a pop-up to mark the launch of the collaboration, and I’m thinking of painting my first Kostas-inspired canvas work at that time. I have never painted on canvas, but I decided to try painting something of this size. Takizawa-san was also the one who allowed me to do that.

Takizawa: Yeah, you should try painting that.

JUN: I thought drawing something just by following my impulse would be okay. I would like to rent an ample space in the NEIGHBORHOOD and try it out. I am still exploring and challenging various things, so I don’t have anything that can introduce myself, like, “This is JUN INAGAWA!”

Takizawa: But, as can be seen from your music and DJing, you have been absorbing plenty of things and changing drastically over the past few years.

Passing on culture through crossovers transcending generations and genres

—In terms of JUN’s DJ, I saw your DJ set the other day, and that was insanely cool. It was like an improvisational live show, using all the equipment available.

JUN: If I had four CDJs in front of me, I would use them all. And if a mixer has this many functions, let’s use them all. Then, instead of using them randomly, I would think about how I could make the best use of them. I learned this from watching the Chemical Brothers live. What is interesting about our generation is that the Chemical Brothers’ songs are anthems for Takizawa-san’s generation. Older DJs are too embarrassed to play their songs, but we found them through digging in our case so we can play them without hesitation. We play them because we think they are really cool. This kind of music needs to be passed on more and more to us, the younger generation.

Takizawa: I think this is one of the charms of JUN; he can be a good hub between the older and younger generations. His communication skills are very high, and it is necessary for him to play such a role.

JUN: Perhaps, my initially vague ideas have gradually crystallized. As I continue to create, I slowly understand what I like. That goes for the same with DJ; if you are an artist who paints while DJing or a model who also DJs, you are often looked down upon. Often, they can only DJ in front of their own people, but they are not allowed to DJ with what we call “real” DJs.

But I wanted to perform with people like Shinichi Osawa and Takkyu Ishino. I don’t want to call myself a DJ until I reach that level. Now, I devote much time to practicing DJ instead of drawing pictures, and I will work on it more seriously. I’m sure that DJing and making art will finally be interconnected. For example, in anime, you create a story comprising an introduction, development, turn, and conclusion. You also create this kind of structure and development when you perform in front of an audience.

Takizawa: As for DJs, do you carefully prepare your set before playing? 

JUN: I create a story in advance; I think of the one-night event as one story, I make a story, and then I book DJs accordingly. For example, the protagonist wakes up in the woods, and the story begins there. In that case, we book a DJ who can produce a forest-like sound. The story then goes as follows: the protagonist finds a UFO placed outside the forest, the UFO abducts and takes him to another planet, where he dances in a club, and so on. After creating such a story, I come up with and book another DJ. It’s a lot of fun to do that all night long.

Takizawa: Oh, so you create a concrete story for each event. It would be great if you could connect your generation with the older generation in that way. The younger generations have their own great things, and it is interesting to cross them together.

–Takizawa-san, in another interview published the other day, you talked about passing the culture onto the next generation. Is collaboration with the new generation of artists one of them?

Takizawa: Yeah. Each generation and genre has its own culture already established there, and it is acceptable to develop it in a completely different context. However, I think going back and forth between eras and cross them is even more important. It shouldn’t be that difficult if we have a collegial relationship where we can respect each other at the root.

JUN: My interactions with Takizawa-san were simple, which was great. I just enjoyed it. He gladly accepted my request when I asked him to make costumes for the band (Flog3).

Takizawa: It was just a spontaneous decision to say, “Let’s make costumes” (laughs). It would be great if I made the costumes and they wore them and performed on stage.

–Takizawa-san, how about starting a music label with NEIGHBORHOOD?

Takizawa: Yeah, that sounds nice. I want to do something related to music since the name of the incense (“Pacific”) that JUN has been buying for himself for a long time is also named after the British band 808 State.

JUN: Oh I didn’t know that! That’s what I like about NEIGHBORHOOD. That’s what makes me fall in love with it so much.

Takizawa: Nowadays, the younger generation is digging the Harajuku fashion of the 1990s, right? We were also digging up what the older generation had done, which is very interesting.

JUN: It must be a loop. I always talk about this in my interviews, but when we talk about anime, motorcycles, fashion, music, or anything else, everyone’s eyes sparkle when they talk about what they like. It’s just that the genres are different, but everyone has a passion, and everyone is a serious otaku. We all share the same energy for the things we love. That is why I always use the word “otaku.

Photography Takaki Iwata
Edit Shuichi Aizawa
Translation Shinichiro Sato

The post A Brand New World of Otaku Created by “NEIGHBORHOOD” and JUN INAGAWA appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Raised in the U.S. as a child, Oka was exposed to hip-hop culture and learned the essence of partying at New York’s legendary party “The Loft,” and on March 21, he hosted the music event “UNIVERSAL CHAOS” at ENTER in Shibuya. “The record store is a platform that connects everything derived from music,” he says.

Yuki Oka
He was born in 1981 and is the representative director of Digireha Inc., the non-profit organization Ubdobe, and ONE ON ONE LLC. He spent eight years of his childhood in San Francisco, and returned to Japan immersed in music. The illness and death of his mother and grandfather led him to work as a caregiver for the elderly and a supporter of children with disabilities. Currently, he is developing club events and mystery-solving events with themes of human science and art, welfare businesses such as in-home care, visiting care for persons with severe disabilities and mobility support, rehabilitation contents in the form of digital art, and traveling internship programs in the medical and welfare fields, as well as running a record shop.
https://linktr.ee/UQLINK
「ONE RECORD STORE」
Instagram: @one_record_store

Seeking activities related to local revitalization through encounters with the owner of ReBuilding Center, who also moved to Suwa

–What made you decide to move to Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture?

Yuki Oka (Oka): When my child was born, I was looking for an area outside of Tokyo and found Suwa City.

–How do you feel now after settling in this place? What do you find attractive about Suwa City?

Oka: I am only in Suwa about half the week because of my work, but I no longer have a home of my own in Tokyo, where I used to be based, so this place is my home base. Anyway, I feel at home here, and it is my favorite place I have ever lived. I even think it is the best in the world. There is Lake Suwa nearby, and when I drive around the lake, I sometimes come across incredibly beautiful moments. There is not only such natural beauty that I can be impressed by but also a town with many young and interesting people. I like how they are well-balanced. I don’t think there are many other places like this here.

–You have wanted to open a record store for a long time, but why?

Oka: Because my life has been centered around music. That has never changed and never will. Although I run a non-profit organization specializing in social welfare and a company that provides rehabilitation contents using digital art, all of them are run as legal entities. So I wanted a space where I could immerse myself in my own world. You may say it’s my hobby if you like.

— Why did you open it in Suwa rather than in Tokyo?

Oka: I always wanted to open a record store but have never thought of doing it in Tokyo. I may not look it, but I am actually very cautious (laughs). So I also thought operating it with someone else would be difficult. When I first moved to Suwa, I knew no one and had no friends. But when I met people who also moved to Suwa, such as Mr. and Mrs. Higashino of ReBuilding Center JAPAN, which deals with old materials and tools, and Mr. Miyasaka of Miyasaka Brewing Company, known for its sake brand Masumi, I learned that people in their 30s and 40s were taking the lead in revitalizing the community through interesting activities. Then I started looking for a place to open a record store myself, and ReBuilding Center showed me a number of places, but none of them seemed to fit the bill. However, As for this place, a florist “Olde” had already decided to open its shop here, but they suggested that I share this space and open a record store in the back of the florist. I met with Misato, the owner of Olde, and my intuition whispered to me this was the place! After four years of searching for a place to start my business, I found what I thought was my destiny.

A place not only to sell records but also to meet people.

–Running a record store in a non-urban area with no nightclubs nearby would be difficult How do you find it?

Oka: There are record stores not only in Suwa but also in the neighboring towns like Okaya and Fujimi, and even though there are no nightclubs, DJs from different areas hear about us and come to buy our records. Also, we have an online store. Matsumoto, the home of “Ringo Music Festival”, already has its own music culture. It is not far from here, and I hope that people from Ina and neighboring areas will join us in promoting Nagano’s music culture.

As stated on the store card, I am not a musician, critic, or collector. Instead, I value the simplest feeling of “Oh, I like this” or “This is cool” when I hear music.

— That is the natural feeling that comes up when we listen to music, and since it is an instinct that people have, it allows us to enjoy music in its purest form.

Oka: Yes, it is. However, the store is not yet in my ideal shape, so much work is needed in the future. I do all the purchasing myself and am about to start stocking the genres I love. For the first year after I opened, I stocked a wide range of records from various sources, hoping to create a steady stream of customers while keeping an eye on how things were going. Recently, I have been in communication with my favorite labels, such as “WARP,” “Ninja Tune,” and “KOMPAKT,” and I am almost ready to start dealing with them.

The point of running a record store is that you can meet people there, right? I think that is important. But for that to happen, it has to be physical, not digital or remote. I can ask DJs I meet at the store to perform at events in Tokyo, and vice versa. So I want the store to be more than just a place to sell records; I want it to be where people can get together and derive something from.

–With the COVID pandemic, digitalization has progressed even further. Still, just as can be seen from the fact that analog records are selling well, we are reminded of the value of physical objects and real human connections, aren’t we?

Oka: Besides selling records, I would like to invite artists to hold events. Actually, after the record store, I want to create a nightclub. Suwa is overwhelmingly lacking in music culture. There are music venues, but they feature rock and pop live music, so I need to familiarize myself with those. That’s part of why I created “ONE RECORD STORE.”

–You often go abroad. What were the most interesting places you visited and why?

Oka: There are many! From the major ones, I would say “Amoeba music (https://www.amoeba.com/)” in LA, San Francisco, and Berkeley. I was shocked when I went to the LA store for the first time when I was about 18 years old, and I was even stopped by customs on the way home after buying many records (laughs). I once went to a record store in Hollywood that specialized in black music, and a Japanese female staff was working there. I told her that I liked hip-hop, and she invited me to a party where her boyfriend was DJing. I hit it off with her boyfriend, who also likes hip-hop, and he agreed to let me in as a roadie at the party, so I followed him to a venue. The area where the party was held turned out not to be a safe place where there were murders every week, and I, as a Japanese, stood out quite a bit. However, I didn’t get scared because I was with that D.J. guy and was shocked to discover the authentic underground culture there. From that time on, I started buying records.

–It’s very unusual to have such an experience at the age of 18. Was it hip-hop that you were into at the time?

Oka: Yeah, I lived in the U.S. from the age of 3 to 11, so hip-hop culture was a natural part of my surrounding environment. But after returning to Japan, I was also into hardcore, so I used to go to both nightclubs and music venues dressed as a B-Boy but with a Mohawk on my head (laughs).

— Are there any other places that left a lasting impression on you?

Oka: Berlin was impressive. I have been to Berlin once, but I went there just when I was thinking of opening a record shop, so I visited there to look for some references. First and foremost, I like the forest-like interior of “Spacehall,” which allowed me to concentrate on digging. Then I went to “Hardwax,” which has the Aphex Twin’s logos all over it, whom I adore.

I was also influenced by “other music” in New York, which is closed now. I liked that they had a niche lineup that outside mainstream techno. My favorite place when I was in college was Nujabes’ “Tribe,” which was located in Utagawa-cho, Shibuya, although it is also closed now. I told the staff what kind of music I liked, and they suggested The Album Leaf. I was told that the mindset of the main person in the project, who originally played in a hardcore band and then transitioned to electronica, would match the transition in my life. I fell in love with that music, and from there, I started going to that record store. I loved the atmosphere of it more than any other record store in the world, and I loved being able to sit on a club chair and listen to the music. I also used to go to WARSZAWA near Tribe and buy all the records from my favorite labels.

–When the record stores in Shibuya were at their most prosperous, there was a unique atmosphere and culture. What about festivals and parties?

Oka: Of course, there were also memorable parties! When I was in my 20s, my brother lived in New York and I visited him often. A friend of mine who had become good friends there told me that “The Loft*” would be held the following month. “The Loft” was completely invitation-only, and since my friend had been invited, I got in with him. As far as parties go, it was the greatest experience. They bring in a sound system and deco [佐藤1] to a place like a community center, and the acoustics are just amazing. Also, the DJs are supposed to play one song in its entirety without connecting songs, which is the style of the founder, David Mancuso. It’s hard to explain in words, but it was an unprecedented experience for me, both cerebrally and physically. It was like being surrounded by a sense of security and happiness, even though I was among people I didn’t know at all.

The other place I would have to say is “Berghain” in Berlin. I wasn’t allowed in as a guest, so I had to wait in line with other guests to be let in. The sound of the bass, the people dancing on the dais, the chaos of the toilets, the space filled with the sound of pounding techno, and the heavenly feeling I got when I went to “Panoramabar” on the upper floor, all of it was amazing.

Yuki founded a non-profit organization to practice music therapy

–Those experiences are quite precious and enviable for party lovers. What prompted you to go from such a life where life itself is like music to starting a welfare business?

Oka: When I was in college, I was a party guy who didn’t go to school much and only did music events. However, while I was doing that, my mother became ill and passed away. I was very depressed and reconsidered my life, so I got a proper job and started working seriously. Then, my grandfather developed dementia. That is when I learned about music therapy. I thought that by having my grandfather listen to music that I loved, I might be able to revive his memory! So I quit my job then and started attending a college to study music therapy. While studying music therapy, I had the opportunity to perform at facilities for physically challenged people and nursing homes, and I would play punk music for them (laughs). Through these experiences, I ended up starting a non-profit organization dedicated to medical welfare, which is one of the projects I am currently managing.

–Is the event “UNIVERSAL CHAOS” to be held on March 21 at ENTER in Shibuya part of your welfare project?

Oka: It started back in 2010, but it was first called “SOCiAL FUNK!” and was held once every year or two at “Asia” in Shibuya, and then we moved the location to “VISION” and invited BUDDHA BRAND and others as guests for the event held in November 2019, which turned out to be the biggest-ever event. After that, unfortunately, we can no longer hold the event due to the pandemic, but to revive it, we are starting this year with a smaller party called “UNIVERSAL CHAOS.” In the welfare world, there is a mindset of “let’s all get along,” mixed with a discriminatory viewpoint. I think that is unnatural. Because there are genres of music, and each has its own history, so we should not mix them up easily. Therefore, I think it is good for things to be in a state of coexistence, not fused with other things. For example, I believe blindness and deafness are genres of human beings. So I want to create a situation where we can exchange the highest respect by making the most of each personality rather than just lumping them all together as disabled people. That is why I decided to hold a music event where both non-disabled and disabled people exist in the same space.

–I often see people in wheelchairs performing at clubs and festivals in Berlin, but they seem to be properly dressed up and dancing happily. I have never seen such a scene in Japanese nightclubs, so I think they feel it is difficult to enter and stay away.

Oka: The situation in the US is the same as in Berlin. Or rather, I feel that they treat them normally without treating them as physically challenged people in the first place. People in the U.S. seem to think it is important not to treat them differently because of their disabilities, and they are rough in a good way. In Japan, we don’t have that mindset. There is a stereotypical idea that you have to give them special treatment.

Some of the planning members of “UNIVERSAL CHAOS” are deaf or blind, but we are working together to create a project. We plan to have the blind staff listen to the performers’ records and verbalize them in their own way, and then use AI to create and exhibit the images based on their words. For those who are deaf, in addition to having them feel the sound through the vibration of the speakers, we are also preparing to express melodies with light and have them feel the music through images. Although the contents are all experimental, we hope to overturn the concept of people with disabilities through such practices.

(*This legendary party traces its origins back to a Valentine’s Day party held by David Mancuso in February 1970 in the loft of his home in New York City. From there, the party became a weekly event later dubbed “Loft.” The stories associated with the party were later made into a movie.)

Photography Shiho Furumaya
Translation Shinichiro Sato

The post It All Started With American hip-hop; Yuki Oka, Owner of ONE RECORD STORE, On the Future Derived from Music appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Film trailer for All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip-Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997)
©2021 Elkin Editions, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

In the 1990s, New York street culture, in which music and skateboarding had been slowly gaining momentum locally since the late 1980s, began to attract worldwide attention. In downtown New York, a skateboarding company called Zoo York was started. Eli Morgan Gesner, who was a central figure in the company, narrates All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip-Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997), a documentary film that focuses on New York City street culture from 1987-1997.

Directed by Jeremy Elkin, a lover of skateboarding culture and music, the film is built around a collection of rare archival footage from that era and interviews with key figures active in the New York street scene. This valuable documentary provides a rare glimpse into the roots of current street culture that includes music, skateboarding, fashion, and art.

Yes, the connection between the New York local street scene is incredibly cool, and the culture that emerged from it has definitely influenced the world, as you will learn from this film. We’d like to share an interview with director Jeremy Elkin, who visited Japan for the film’s theatrical release here.

Jeremy Elkin
Born in 1987. From Montreal, Canada. Influenced by his family, Elkin got into skateboarding and music during his teenage years and started shooting skate videos i n Montreal in the 2000s. He then moved to New York City, where he worked as a video producer for VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE. In 2018, he shot and directed a short film for the Brooklyn Museum, The Chronicles of New York City, by French artist JR. In 2017, Elkin started his own video production company, and in 2021, he launched his own video production company with his first feature-length documentary film, All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip-Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997).
https://www.elkineditions.com
Instagram：@jeremyelkin

Filming the Montreal skate scene since the age of twelve

――Let’s talk about your life before you started filming videos. What was your childhood like?

Jeremy Elkin (Elkin): I was born in 1987. I grew up downtown in Montreal, on the west side. Montreal is close to New York. I have three older siblings, my brother Josh, who is fifty now, grew up skating and spinning hip-hop records. When I was born, I didn’t really have a choice, as soon as I could walk, he was teaching me how to stand on a skateboard with all of his friends who skated. Him and my sister Rosetta were friends with Willo Perron, who’s had enormous success in the music industry. They would all go to clubs, DJ at bars, and of course go to New York all the time, so I was inspired by those cultures at very early age. My brother played basketball with the Beastie Boys, etc. Willo and my sister took me to the Rawkus Records office and Supreme in the late 90s for the first time, which were eye opening.

――When did you start taking videos?

Elkin: I started making skate videos when I was around twelve years old. A lot of the skaters were really good but there were no cameras at that time, which would’ve been 1998 or 1999. I thought it would be good to save up and get a camera to start filming them. We would get VHS tapes and watch them, but the skaters we were skating with were better than the tapes from California or wherever, so we had to film them. I then started making skate videos at an early age and it just sort of progressed from there.

――Were you self-taught in your filming?

Elkin: It was all self-taught. With skateboarding, I’m sure it’s the same with hip-hop, when you’re young, you’re around people of all different kinds of backgrounds and age groups. So you start to learn things really quickly, because of the way the scene is.

The only guy in Montreal who filmed skate videos was Eric Lebeau. His videos were unbelievable. I learned a lot from watching him film. Then there’s Barry Walsh and Marc Tison. They’re really heavy into vinyl, skating, boomboxes, dancehall, dub, etc. Everything they ever do has great style, and clarity. They’ve been huge inspirations for me.

――And you moved to New York shortly after?

Elkin: I did. I worked a lot of jobs, anything to make money. I was still making independent skate videos, not sponsored. Then I worked at Vanity Fair magazine for three years. I started a film department there that did videos about the covers, and documentaries and features. After that, I started my business, my own production company. And that’s when I started making All the Streets Are Silent.

©2021 Elkin Editions, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

Being organic is the key to capturing local culture

――What prompted you to start making All the Streets Are Silent?

Elkin: I think any good documentary starts with a big archival collection. All the best documentaries pull from a large database of unseen footage and tapes. I knew that Eli Morgan Gesner had a crazy collection. We made an agreement that if I digitized all of the tapes, I could maybe do something with them.

――Does that mean you personally proposed the idea for the film to him? 

Elkin: Pretty much. Eli wasn’t involved in the story, but he recorded the narration, which was eight hours or something. Another trait of a strong documentary is to let the footage tell itself, and let the people tell the story. I tried to let it just be organic. The story’s a little bit harder to follow, because it’s so organic. It’s not forced.

――That organic nature is true to skate culture, specifically the east coast culture.

Elkin: (laughs) It’s true.

©2021 Elkin Editions, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

――Why did you focus on the decade of 1987-1997?

Elkin: Eli was in school in 1987, and he started at Club Murs and met Yuki in 1988. So the beginning of that footage is that first year. And thenEli’s video, Zoo York’s Mix Tape, was released in ‘97. It felt like a good bookend. That decade is more interesting to me because there’s no digital.

――You interviewed many DJs and skaters for this film, but is there one person in particular that left an impression on you? 

Elkin: Kid Capri was the best, and is one of my favorites. The most interesting ones were the ones where I didn’t know the person. That was the first time I met him and I was in his house in New Jersey, in his basement, so it felt extra special. KRS-One had just left his place. We missed him by an hour. Everyone was super cool, so I don’t think there was a bad moment. We did a lot of interviews, like 55.

――Any funny anecdotes from the interviews?

Elkin: I have a lot of good ones that maybe I shouldn’t say on the record (laughs). If I were to choose… I have a good one of Lil Dap from Group Home.

He was wearing a gray Fila tracksuit and put on brand new black leather Fila as he was getting out of the car. So he’s wearing head-to-toe Fila. And he asks, “where do you want me to sit or stand?” and I was like, “right here”, by this metal standpipe. So he goes to sit down and it’s really low, and he’s calling over his cousin. I say, “Dap, are you ready for the interview?” and he goes, “yeah”, calls over his cousin, and takes off his brand new black Filas, and his cousin brings a brand new pair, opens it up. He just switches shoes and goes, “now I’m ready”. That was crazy.

――Even though you were starting to film (laughs)? I wonder why he changed his shoes.

Elkin: Because they were like a block old. He already crossed the street in them. He wanted the freshest sneakers. Even when we were rolling on Kid Capri, he was like, “just a second”, and goes on top of his piano and brings out a long towel with  all different types of watches.

©2021 Elkin Editions, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

――I’d like to talk about Yuki of Club Mars. He’s a Japanese person who’s been active in the New York scene for a long time, and is considered a real legend. This film was the first time I’ve seen footage of him.

Elkin: He discovered Madonna. He’s the best. The Standard Hotel on the High Line on the west side is where the club was. I want everyone to learn about Yuki.

――Large Professor is the music supervisor for the film, too. That’s amazing.

Elkin: We didn’t have a budget to make the film, so we raised a little bit of money at the end to be able to work with him. We showed him the film with really expensive music that we couldn’t pay for. So that’s how the conversation started. We asked him if he could make beats that sounded like these songs. We were going through all his material trying to find what would fit in the right spot and make it sound like a ten-year period. With Large Pro, it was an organic process.

――I’m sure Zoo York is a skateboard company that you love. What is the appeal of it?

Elkin: Zoo York was super important. I think it represented the east coast in a way that others didn’t. And Eli’s design, art direction, and photography was so good. He was also really good at skating, he could do everything, even was a club promoter at Mars. He was a huge legend growing up.

I didn’t even know it was one person, because his graffiti tag was OcuLarge, and his name was Eli Gesner, but then in the Zoo York ad and Supreme ads, it would say “courtesy of EMG”. I didn’t realize that EMG and OcuLarge and Eli Gesner were the same person. I would see EMG or OcuLarge in skateboard magazines or hip-hop magazines. His hand styles are really famous. The Zoo York logo is just his writing. He has an incredible hand style. And he was really close with Bobbito growing up. We talked a bit about it in the movie, but that’s how he got into and filmed all that amazing footage.

A message for the once desolate New York street scene

――Why did you choose the title, All the Streets Are Silent?

Elkin: There were three main reasons why we chose the title. One is the cost. The title I initially wanted was 212. I thought it was the sickest name, so simple and easy to remember. But the AT & T network owns 212. You can’t use it in a commercial sense, and they wanted a lot of money. Eli wanted me to call it Watch Your Step, which was kind of sick. Some of the Supreme guys had names. Everyone was trying to come up with a name at some point. But All the Streets Are Silent was the only name out of ones on my list that didn’t cost money. So I was like, “perfect”.

We registered the name before Covid and the reason why it was on my list of potential names for the film was because New York was kind of dead. The scene was going through a phase where it was a low point, and I felt like skate culture had become too commercialized and mainstream. I was walking down the street and a mannequin had a skateboard and a boombox. It was too much. The industry felt super wack. The title was kind of a metaphor for that. The culture is kind of dead right now, so all the streets are silent. But then Covid happened, and all of the sudden, there was this whole new generation of kids. I show this in the movie a little bit, but there were all of these Supreme kids who were just getting to the right age and getting better at skating, and just cooler.

―― Skating and hip-hop has become trendy and mainstream. Did you have that in mind when making the film?

Elkin: I don’t really care about that. Scale and money has never been the goal. I don’t make things with the idea of profiting. It’s probably bad, I should have more of a business sense. If I want to make something, I try to make it. That’s what this film is, really.

©2021 Elkin Editions, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

――I liked seeing a new culture being born out of skateboard and hip-hop culture organically intertwining on local New York streets.

Elkin: The thing that skate and hip-hop culture have in common is that you can’t really be in either world and be fake. It’s very hard to have friends who skate or dig for records or spin and go to listening rooms, or who sit on a curb and skate and also be half in. It doesn’t really work. It’s all or nothing.
What I’ve seen from growing up in Montreal and skating in New York is, that person who’s kind of faking it, either the group moves away from them or they just straight up tell them “you can still hang with us, but don’t skate anymore”.

Now, in skateboarding, everyone is hugging. It’s so different, there’s so much embrace. It’s like, “you just skated for the first time, high five!” It’s kind of weird. There’s so much forced positivity that was never a part of skate culture before.

――It’s so big now that it’s become an Olympic sport.

Elkin: I think it was always like that in LA, but now it’s like that everywhere, it seems. A dude who looks like a businessman can skate on a longboard, it’s weird. As my friend says in New York, we’re in the “everyone skates” era right now. And then in five years, it’ll be the “no one skates” era.

――To end the interview, what is a message you have for those going to see the film?

Elkin: Whatever you’re into, get into it hard. Go down a rabbithole and learn as much as you can. It’s not for me, but someone could do a film about 1997-2007. Do it with the same intensity. Right now, the decade we’re in, 2017-2027, there could be another. History repeats itself. Every five or ten years, there’s a new scene and energy. It’d be cool to keep seeing these moments happen. We’re probably in the middle of one right now.

I would say whatever you do, do it 100%. Get super into your craft. Don’t just have a skateboard as an object. Destroy it, use it. Same thing with these kids who wait in line to buy shoes… Wear the shoes. I hope that that comes back. I think it’s so insane what they do now. They’re so precious with their objects, that their home is like a museum. To me, it’s a little ridiculous. It’s the same thing when people buy records and keep them sealed. What are you doing? (laughs).

©2021 Elkin Editions, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

■All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip-Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997)
Directed: Jeremy Elkin
Narration: Eli Morgan Gesner
Music: Large Professor
Executive Producer: David Koh
Producer: Dana Brown, Jeremy Ellkin
https://atsas.jp
Twitter：@RegentsMovie
Instagram：@regentsmovie

Photography Atsuko Tanaka

The post The trajectory and miracle of how Jeremy Elkin captured the New York street scene’s golden age: production secrets of the film, All the Streets Are Silent appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Kyoka
Kyoka is the first solo female artist belonging to the German experimental music label “Raster-Noton”. The label represents its co-founder Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai) and internationally acclaimed artists such as Byetone, Frank Bretschneider, Ryuichi Sakamoto, William Basinski and Ryoji Ikeda. She works in a wide range of fields as an electronic producer, DJ, installation artist, and field recorder. Besides, “Hovering,” her signature song created using syncopated electronics and a rhythm-breaking drum machine, was used in a global campaign for the iPhone. She has performed at prestigious venues and festivals around the world including Aphex Twin Curates (Manchester), The Warehouse Project, Mutek (Montreal, Japan, Korea, Spain), Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), CTM Festival (Berlin), Sonar (Tokyo), Bolt Festival (Sweden), and Plisken Festival (Greece).
https://www.instagram.com/kyoka.sound/

Yone-ko
Yone-ko is a DJ who has greedily absorbed the essence of Japan’s techno/house scene, and expresses his unique musicality with his advanced skills and a selection of music that mixes the old and the new. He started his DJ career in Shizuoka in 1999, and since moving to Tokyo in 2002, he had been playing at underground parties in Japan while pursuing alternative yet universal groove of house and techno music. In 2011, he moved to Berlin and has been playing all over the world, especially in Europe. In parallel, he runs his own party “Wordless” with Timur Basha, founder and resident DJ of the Kiev club Closer. Following several releases while living in Japan, he revamped his production process after moving to Berlin. He has released his own works on labels such as Workshop, Dial records, Delsin, Aex, and Clommunity, a label run by one of his base clubs Closer.
https://www.instagram.com/y.o.n.e.k.o/
https://on.soundcloud.com/8aCMG

Upon entering the minimalistic black building, light and sound suddenly start to move in the pitch-black space. Visitors will feel mystical yet pleasant sensation of 3D sound following them as they move from room to room. The seven different light installations are a mixture of beauty and strangeness, as well as a highly accomplished piece of interactive art that makes people lose their sense of balance and that gives them a sense of immersion. These works make visitors want to stare the spectacle in front of them endlessly, or enjoy escaping reality.

Sneaking into the closing party of the open-air “SUMMERLIGHTS” installation

The highlight of the installation is the 16-meter-high light sculpture “STALACTITE,” which has a great presence and occupies a prominent part of the open space. Held under the fantastic lights is a summer-only garden party titled “SUMMERLIGHTS”. The party features a number of acclaimed artists, including Massimiliano Pagliara, Nick Höppner, and Robag Wruhme, and is attracting attention as a brandnew spot in Berlin.

On September 4, Kyoka and Yoneko were invited to perform as guest artists at its closing party. Kyoka, based in Berlin and Tokyo, is the first female artist belonging to the leading German experimental music label “Raster Norton” and is active worldwide in a wide range of fields including installation, composition, and live performance. Yone-ko, on the other hand, is a Berlin-based DJ who plays all over the world. Her party “Wordless,” which she organizes with Timur Basha, founder and DJ of the famous “Closer” club in Kiev, has earned a cult following. In recent years, Yone-ko has been broadening her scope of activities as a producer, mainly working in association with European labels such as Workshop and《Dial records》.

Although the doors opened a little later than 8:00, the place was filled with people in no time. The way people enjoyed their time at that party vary, which is quite unusual. Some people were lying down and chilling out under the fantastically color-changing “STALACTITE,” others were just hanging out or dancing.

When the baton was passed to Yone-ko again, the abstract and unpredictable tunes turned the venue into a complete dance floor, and the party quickly came to an end. Kyoka said, “Unlike the usual club venue, it was a closing party of the garden, which is only open in the summer, so it was like a big reunion, bringing together all sorts of people I had worked with but who don’t usually come to clubs: professors, researchers, scientists, people in the theatre, contemporary dance and art fields, people working in the people in the music industry, hip-hop lovers, song lovers, technologists, engineers, professional club-goers, day people, night people, drinkers, and many others. It was very interesting to see how everyone interacted with each other. Since Dark Matter is not only a party but also a cultural event where people can enjoy light installations together, I was thinking of playing the sound that could be used as background music, but when I started to play the sound, people gathered in front of the stage were ready, willing and able to dance, so I just kept going in the direction that the direction that would bring smiles to everyone’s faces. As a result, it turned out to be a party filled with excitement rather than just a chill-out gathering! I pay respect to Yone-ko who played beautiful and groovy sounds before and after my performance! I am also very grateful to the organizers who trusted me and booked me for this incredibly important timing of the closing.”

Yone-ko said, “Since this was the closing of the event and not an all-night party, I prepared for it, keeping in mind how to create a special atmosphere in a short period of time. I was very happy to see that many of the audience members enjoyed the event. This time I had the opportunity to perform with Kyoka, and I was greatly inspired by her technique of attracting the audience as soon as the live performance started, and then culminating it.”

As many of you may know, it is absolutely forbidden to take pictures during a party at local clubs in Berlin, even in the open-air area called the garden. For this reason, we are very happy to be able to report on Berlin’s local party and the activities of Japanese artists in it.

Berlin’s happening places are increasing more than ever in OST. OST, a term meaning “east” in German, refers not only to areas dotted with existing local clubs, but also to emerging neighborhoods with a deeper and more interesting culture. In this area, there are long-abandoned decadent “sites of some kind of building” that have been renovated into hip event spaces, and studios of prominent artists and creators. OST is so full of energetic power that it is hard to believe that the pandemic had turned it into a ghost town. OST reminds me of Brooklyn in the early 2000s. It makes me remember visiting Williamsburg by myself, which was considered unsafe at the time, and feeling much more excited than I felt in downtown Manhattan.

Photography  Musashi Shimamura

The post Light Installation DARK MATTER; Kyoka and Yone-ko Colors the Party in Berlin appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

The work traces the history of Britpop, through depicting impressive moments such as Alan’s encounter with Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes of Primal Scream, who recently visited Japan for Summer Sonic, when he stumbled across “Creation Records,” the recording sessions for My Bloody Valentine’s masterpiece “Loveless,” which is said to have triggered the label’s bankruptcy, and the fateful encounter with Oasis.

What did a man from the countryside who, despite being treated as a failure, pushed his business to a world-famous indie label with influence rivaling that of the majors see beyond his success and downfall in the course of living purely by instinct?

Between fiction and documentary

−−The film, obviously, is not a documentary, but fiction based on a true story― but many people who’ve seen the film might believe everything in the film actually happened. Before the project was realized, did you make any requests [of the filmmakers]?

Alan McGee(Alan): No. When you get Irvine Welsh, who’s a genius, to write a script for you, it would be foolish to try and edit Irving Welsh, so I just went along with it, to be honest.

–How did it feel to see somebody like Ewan Bremner, of course famous for his performance in Trainspotting, portray you in the movie?

Alan: I loved it, I love Ewan.

−−In the film, your character wears t-shirts from the acts you managed, like The Jesus and Mary Chain. Did you ever actually wear your own band’s t-shirts?

Alan: I think that’s just Irving Welsh.

−−What’s your dynamic with Danny and Irvine? What kind of values do you feel you share with them?

Alan: Well, Irvine brought Danny Boyle, and I’ve never met Danny Boyle, so I don’t know. But when he decided to produce it, the film got made, so that’s fantastic. I’ve never actually met Danny Boyle. But I’m best friends with Irvine Welsh, and I love him.

−−What do you think you have in common with Irvine? Or in what ways do you differ completely?

Alan: He’s a communist. I’m not, I’m a capitalist. It’s pretty fundamental. (Laughs). But he’s my friend, one of my best friends. He’s a genius, you know what I mean.

−−Another friend, of course, is Bobby [Gillespie]— do you know if he’s seen the film?

Alan: Yeah, he thought it was funny.

−−What about your other friends― or even enemies― that are in the film? Did they share with you what they thought about the film?

Alan: Everybody thinks it was funny, you know what I mean.

−−Yes. I was amazed at how much the actor who played Liam Gallagher resembled him back then.

Alan: Yeah, Liam chose that guy. He was good.

−−I see.

Alan: He chose that guy to play him.

−−The guy who plays Noel doesn’t look like Noel at all.

Alan: There was a funny moment with that, because the producer, Shelly Hammond, was sending me all these Liam lookalike actors, and then she sent me at the last minute this guy, and I went “Who’s he supposed to be playing?” And she’s from North England, and she went “Noel.” And I was like “It doesn’t fuckin’ look like Noel!” And she was like “But we’re gonna get his nose right.” A prosthetic nose, I think he got. He plays the part well. But I’m not sure he looks like Noel Gallagher.

What happened after Creation Records became the world’s largest indie label

−−Anybody who knows Creation knows, especially after the debut of Oasis, how you had struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. Many of the members from other acts you worked with also had similar experiences— do you feel those experiences are more easily overcome for a rockstar than a businessman?

Alan: No, I don’t think it’s got anything to do with being a rockstar or a businessman. I think it’s just, you’ve got to get sober, to find it within yourself to do that. Some people can do that, some people can’t. It’s difficult.

−−Obviously when you’re running a business, there are moments when you’re required to make huge decisions, and if you’re not sober, of course, that would certainly affect it…

Alan: Yeah, it’s just, sobriety’s not about what you do, it’s about who you are.  Nobody knows what’s going on at every end of everyone’s life.

−−Do you ever think that if you had been sober at certain times when you were running Creation you could have been more successful, say, become a Billionaire?

Alan: I don’t really care, anyway. I mean, I never did it for the money, I just happened to make a lot of money at one point. I was just doing it cause I didn’t want a real job. It’s true.

−−As you probably know well, the acts that debuted under Creation have always been very popular in Japan, both then and now― what do you think is the biggest reason why?

Alan: Maybe Japanese people have good taste. We love Japan, all of us, we’ve always loved Japan. Primal [Scream] was really bigger in Japan than they ever were anywhere else, really, weren’t they?

−−But don’t you find it a little strange? As you probably know, Japanese are kind of divorced from drugs…they’re not as widely available as they are in the West, as you’ve probably experienced yourself. Even weed, it’s not something we could ever fathom would be legalized in Japan— in a country like that, you have a label with these artists who are, well, druggies, and people here somehow connect with their music.

Alan: I think they were all doing it behind their backs. I’ve been to Tokyo more times than I can count. So maybe the Japanese don’t need drugs.

−−Oasis, of course, is the biggest act you’ve worked with— what do you think is the biggest difference between Oasis and the other acts you’ve worked with?

Alan: Hits, they had the hits.

−−They had luck as well as talent.

Alan: Maybe it’s luck, but I don’t think Oasis were lucky. I think Oasis were just good.

−−You, yourself, had a band for a time too― which acts that you worked with made you most jealous as a musician?

Alan: TV personalities.

−−This film is a very accurate portrayal of that part of the band. Not only does it feature the leader, Dan Tracy, but also Edward Ball, who in later years was also a business partner in the label’s operation.

Alan: I really like Dan and Edward. But I never thought I was less talented than them. If you feel that way after watching the film, that’s part of Irving’s creation. I had talent too. Well, I suppose you can become famous without any talent. I mean, there’s loads of people who are famous in Britain, don’t really do anything, they’re just celebrities cause they were on a TV show or something. But in music, to be respected, you have to have talent.

−−In the climax of the film, there is of course the bitter moment were you support Tony Blair and the labor party, and we see the Indies taken over by this huge capital corporate. It’s been 25 years since then— when you look at Britain now, from the music scene, at least, it doesn’t seem like much has changed. How do you think the situation has changed?

Alan: Well politically, Brexit’s happened, and that’s terrible. But you’ve got to understand, that last bit of the film, that’s just Irving. I would never go and be a rebel always.

−−If you could use a time machine and return to a specific day in your life, when would that be, and what would you re-do?

Alan: In my own life? I don’t really know.I think everyone’s got regrets. But I don’t live my life thinking I should’ve done this, should’ve done that. I try to just live for now. Just be happy. To just enjoy life. I mean, I’ve only got, at best, 20 more years, I’m 61. So, to enjoy it. I’ve become a hippy. [Laughs]

Alan McGee
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Alan McGee founded Creation Records in 1983. He played central role in the indie rock scene in the 1980s and 1990s, signing with Jesus & The Merry Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Teenage Fanclub, Oasis and his classmate Bobby Gillespie’s Primal Scream. His label had been called “the world’s most successful indie label,” with an influence rivaling that of the majors. Even after the closure of Creation, he maintained his energetic activities, including the launch of a new label, Poptones.

Edit Jun Ashizawa(TOKION)

The post Alan McGee of Creation Records, The World’s Most Successful Independent Label, Looks Beyond Success and Ruin appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

The owner of the store, Takahiro Akiyama, earnestly tells us that he is “more of a butt person than a boob person” during our. Upon stepping into the store, we were greeted with hand-printed T-shirts by Mr. Akiyama, who has been in the retail industry since he was a teenager. What does “cheerful and fun eroticism” entail at a store filled with erotica and humor?

Takahiro Akiyama
Akiyama has been gaining experience in sales and marketing since he started working in the retail business as a teenager, and developed the Loud Color brand of T-shirts and accessories in 2005. This year marks his 14th year as the owner of California Store, a souvenir shop in Nakameguro that sells clothes with original prints and sundries under the theme “cheerful and fun eroticism.” He has been the owner of the business for 14 years, and is recognized as the “super pervy old guy” by the neighborhood elementary school students.
Instagram：@california6969

What’s important is whether it can make you laugh or not. By that definition, “boobs are pop”

——California Store’s theme is “cheerful and fun eroticism,” but I had assumed from the atmosphere of the interior that it was a thrift store.

Takahiro Akiyama (Akiyama): The products we carry are mainly antiques, and the clothes are new clothes with original designs that we’ve been using since the store opened.

——I have a vague image of the west coast of the U.S. being open to different cultures. I thought that could have something to do with the name of the store.

Akiyama: The origin of the store name comes from the fact that we originally purchased our products in California, and because California is said to be the birthplace of printed T-shirts, according to various theories. The interior is influenced by the interiors of boot stores in San Francisco, 1970s motels, and a touch of my parents’ house thrown in for good measure. Maybe that’s why my older customers find the place nostalgic and reminds my younger customers of their grandpa’s house.

——Is it true you like “erotic” things?

Akiyama: Well, of course I do (laughs). In the past, dolls, stuffed animals, tableware, and sundries with erotic motifs were often displayed in thrift stores and antique stores. But whenever I asked for the price to buy them, I would always be told that they were for display purposes only. The items were always priceless, and couldn’t be sold. When I started my own store, I thought, “I have to sell something that isn’t sold anywhere else!” So I decided to start my own shop, and somehow ended up selling this (erotic) genre of stuff.

——Is “eroticism” a common genre in the vintage clothing and antique industry?

Akiyama: It’s always existed as a genre. Erotic products from the 1950s and 1960s are considered art pieces. For example, mugs with erotic handles usually come in sets of five or six and cost as much as $1,500 in the U.S. In terms of market value, I’d say that “eroticism” is an established genre. But there aren’t any specialized dealers even in the U.S., which means I have to do a lot of legwork to find my products.

These boob-shaped mugs are “fancy goods” in the modern sense of the word. And this is a milk pitcher. You can serve milk from its boobs (laughs). For these, I basically collect whatever I can get my hands on. Most of them are from the 1980s. Each era used different coloring styles and materials. The ones currently in circulation are made of more solid materials and are sturdier, but they don’t stand out much. That’s why I only buy products that were made up to the 1990s.

——Most of the products you buy are American-made?

Akiyama: Actually, the products from the 1950s and 1960s are all Japanese-made. This doesn’t mean that they originated in Japan, but rather that Japan was selected for our excellent craftsmanship. In fact, you can find many well-made Japanese-made products from this period.

——These handcrafted dolls are very cute.

Akiyama: On the far right is a flasher doll modeled after a character from a TV show. Some people may recognize it because it’s famous. This hairy doll has a pen●s attached to it if you lift up the furry part (laughs). Most of the dolls are in pairs of men and women, and were made around the 1970s, but some of the stockings and other parts of the dolls are thought to have been remade. This one was apparently modeled after a hippie man with a bushy beard who always had his lower body exposed. It’s still a mystery why they would make such a thing (laughs).

——These caps with boobs on it are so stupid that they’re great.

Akiyama: These  are 1980s snapbacks. They used to make a lot of other silly, non-erotic caps.

——It’s clear at a glance that this store focuses on erotica. The wall behind the cash register with its large collage of nude photo clippings filled with boobs makes that particularly obvious.

Akiyama: Thank you (laughs). But I’m actually a butt guy, and have no interest in boobs. Even this wall was initially centered around butts, but that eventually got too graphic… even the customers started to pull away (strained laugh). So I rushed to change it to boobs, then even girls started liking it. When I thought about why that was, I figured it’s a matter of whether something’s funny or not. By that definition, boobs are pop. The fact that there are surprisingly few antiques with butt motifs proves this theory.

——Are most of your customers men?

Akiyama: No, 70~80% are women. I feel like the percentage of women has increased in recent years. Compared to a decade ago, I think more ground has been covered for eroticism as a culture. The fact that I’m being interviewed by the media is proof of this (laughs). Although there are many instances in which couples visit our store but the woman doesn’t come in. I also sometimes get banned if I post a picture of this wallpaper on Instagram (laughs). But it seems that our store is famous among the neighborhood elementary school students.

——Interesting, what do they call the store?

Akiyama: They call it “the super pervy guy’s store” (strained laugh). Whenever I tell the elementary school kids who pass by the store to come in, they always run away. In the old days, there was always at least one store in town run by a weirdo older guy. That’s California Store (laughs).

Most of the items in my store have their own original stories, I just “add nipples to it”

——The original clothes you sell are all hand-printed. When did you start selling those?

Akiyama: I’ve always liked erotic T-shirts and used to collect them. I decided to make my own because collecting started to get too expensive. I used to print them at a factory, but things happened and all the factories I had connections with went out of business… One day, my friend suggested I print them myself, which is how I started hand-printing.

——Your customers can choose the body, size, and their favorite design on a selection of  T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies, have it printed on the spot, and picked up on the spot once it dries. That’s an interesting service you provide.

Akiyama: The process takes 10~15 minutes. I’m particular about the fabric because I want it to have a cheap, souvenir-like look. I don’t use an outer frame to print the designs. I place a silk-screened plate on top of the T-shirt so customers can enjoy a different finish on each piece instead. A free beer also comes with a purchase of a T-shirt. We even have customers who stay and drink until the store closes (laughs).

——You also have a wide variety of designs. What’s the most popular?

Akiyama: The most popular one is “Mr. Mouse in Dreamland,” but I would definitely get in trouble if it was posted here. We have a lot of designs that can’t be sold online (strained laugh). On the other hand, if everything was sold online, that would take away from the fun of coming to the store. We purposefully don’t list all of our items online for that reason.

—— I’d like to know which ones are your favorites, out of the ones you can show here.

Akiyama: This one is called “Hawaii is Hiwaii.” This is an adaptation of a design that existed in the 80s on souvenir caps. The key here is that we made sure the silk screen was off-center at the data production stage, which is another method to create that cheap feel. I also made the donuts look like boobs, the crotch like the “v” in “love,” and the hat like a butt. These are all favorite pieces of mine, but that doesn’t mean they sell. In fact, I have trouble selling the designs that I’m most fond of…… (strained laugh).

——What do you keep in mind when expressing erotic, pop designs?

Akiyama: Only that you can’t tell what it is upon first glance. Most of the designs have an original story behind them. I just “add nipples” (laughs). Once I find that sweet spot, it’s good to go. This one has nipples on the hearts. I often see designs with it on butts, but putting it on boobs makes it original to me.

——Around how many designs do you have?

Akiyama: I have a space in the back of the store where I keep all the silkscreen plates I’ve made. They’re hard to part with, so they just pile up. I probably have around 230 different designs. I used to release a new print once a week, but I slowed down my pace once COVID hit. Now I’m down to about two prints a month.

——Do you have a desire to make these prints for any specific type of person?

Akiyama: Not at all, actually. I just keep making what I find funny. Eroticism is “pop,” but it’s difficult to find the right balance. Although if I think too much about it, I’m unable to come up with anything, so I purposefully don’t think too deeply. I don’t even explain the designs to customers unless they ask. I don’t really do customer service in general. It’s a little creepy to have an old guy talk about the beauty of his erotic T-shirts, right? (laughs)

——You’ve been actively doing pop-ups outside of Tokyo, as well. I’m curious what the customers’ reactions have been like.

 Akiyama: Ah, the “live printing show.” People would invite me to their store or restaurant and I’d print a design of their liking with my mobile silkscreen plate. Of course, all of the designs are erotic. People assume that it’s hard to gather an accepting crowd outside of urban areas. On the contrary, we’ve always had more customers come than expected, and they’re usually happy with our services.

——You opened your doors in 2008, which means that California Store is in its 14th year. As you mentioned earlier, the conversation around erotica continues to change around the world, along with compliance issues. Are there any changes that you’ve experienced firsthand?

Akiyama: There’s a YouTuber who owns a store around here. Ever since they were interviewed once, their clientele has become much younger. It seems like my surroundings continue to change, but I personally haven’t changed much, and am sometimes overcome with anxiety (laughs). The only thing I know for sure is that eroticism is peace and that I will always be the erotic owner. If you can continue to do the same thing even after you’re 70, you’re the real deal.

——So your goal is to become the Katsushika Hokusai of the erotica world.

Akiyama: Might as well go all the way. They’ll make fun of me in my old age, saying “that old man’s still printing erotic T-shirts” (laughs). I turn 53 this year, but the way I relate to erotica hasn’t changed. Maybe that’s why I’m able to keep going. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said,
“my motivation for erotica keeps increasing, if anything!”

Photography  Satoshi Ohmura
Translation Mimiko Goldstein
Text Tommy

The post ―Eroticism and Humor on T-Shirts― Welcome To California Store appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

In Berlin, there are many shops and skateparks within parks. Among these, Civilist has collaborated with world-renowned brands like Nike and is constantly under the spotlight, not just within skate circles but also in the mainstream. Since it opened its doors in 2009, the shop has been a community hub for over a decade. We at TOKION decided to inquire into Civilist’s background. Alex “Foley” Flach, skate photographer and owner of Civilist who preserves and represents what the shop stands for, speaks to us about how communities should be like, the beauty of the city, and more.

Anybody is welcome anytime; a shop that feels approachable  

–How has the Civilist community changed over the past decade?  

Alex Foley (Foley): Our shop is like a destination for skateboarders. People come here to visit us, and our current staff used to be customers. At first, they would come to the shop as customers, then we started talking a little bit and became friends. When I needed people to help me out, I asked them, “Do you want to work here around twice a week?” They said yes. People from different backgrounds come here every day, so it happens a lot.  

–What’s important to you when it comes to managing Civilist?  

Foley: When I was a kid, local skate shops were more than just a skate shop; it was where I read magazines, watched videos, and worked from time to time. When I went to Los Angeles for the first time, I found a local skate shop. The locals told me about good skate spots, parties, and restaurants, and I visited those places. It’s proof of a good crew existing and is very important for the shop. We can help some of our members now with their careers. It’s always been important to provide a space which is more than a shop that’s just open during certain hours every day. 

–The importance of functioning as one community in the city.  

Foley: Yeah. In summer, we all drink beer and hang out in front of the shop after it closes. At times, we keep the shop open until 10 PM. Our stance is that anyone is welcome anytime, especially the skate kids. The shop must be like a community where people could charge their phones and use the bathroom. I try to create a real destination where people can chill, hang out, and make connections with each other. People who meet here might work together in the future. Those lowkey connections are essential for our shop.  

–Do you have any ideas about what you want to do next? 

Foley: A lot. We were thinking of opening up a new shop, but the most crucial thing for Civilist is our original clothing brand. I want to keep pushing and make the brand bigger. I have other ideas, but I can’t talk about them yet. I want to continue being connected to skateboarding either way. I also want to do something to give back to the city and people, as I live here in Berlin.  

Skateboarding is now an Olympic sport; more people will compete. It’ll become even bigger. It also means that skating will go in a sports direction, but I want to preserve its underground side. Some people aren’t interested in skateboarding at the Olympics. 

–The skateboarders are divided on this issue.

Foley: I love the aspect of skating on the streets and not always going to the skatepark. Of course, you’ll get better at skating if you go to a skatepark every day, but I always tell the kids, “Hey, if you want to understand us, go skate on the streets.” It’s from experience because we didn’t have skateparks when we were kids, so we skated in cultural buildings. Another reason I like skating on the street is you can get to know the city well.  

–On one hand, skateboarding might have a disciplined sports side to it, but do you want to preserve the underground side, which existed back then? 

Foley: Having said that, it’s true that everything changes in life. Even football has become more commercialized than 20 years ago, and so has the level of professionalism. It applies to any scene that grows bigger, so it’s fine. But I like the DIY spirit and finding things out for yourself.  

If I walk around a place I’ve never been to before with my skateboard, I might find a building that’s perfect for skating. I like that instead of always going to a familiar skatepark. Skateparks are fun, but I enjoy skate sessions on the streets where I go on a bus or ride my bike to find skate spots. I did that when I went to Tokyo too. I also asked local skateboarders. But besides that, I usually walk around the city, find a good spot, and skate. What I like about skateboarding is exploring the city with my own eyes.  

The best place to start for those thinking about getting into music and art 

–What impression do you get from people living in Japan?  

Foley: There are seven times more people in Tokyo than in Berlin. It must be hard living in a city like that where the living costs are high. Compared to London and New York, the living costs in Berlin are stable. You’re guaranteed to be able to pay rent by working at a bar, so where you live might play a role in that.  

–Do you think Berlin is an appealing city for those trying to break into the creative industry? 

Foley: I think the environment is important. I believe people involved in different creative fields like musicians, DJs, and skateboarders, come to Berlin because you can live cheaply, and the cultural foundation is solid. There are well-known clubs, and international DJs come here all the time. Some things have changed along with the times, but the environment’s still great compared to other cities. My friends who moved from New York to Los Angeles said something similar. Los Angeles is more laidback, and there are fewer buildings and people who walk. That might also have an impact on people living there.  

–So that’s why you feel like Berlin’s appealing? 

Foley: I’ve seen many places like Korea and countries in Africa and South America, but I still think Berlin’s a great city. This morning I swam in a lake only half an hour away from the city. When I was a young photographer, I admired London and New York because of their trendy fashion and music, but I don’t think that way anymore. Berlin is the best starting point for people thinking about starting their career in music or art. Some people got their start here and became established in London and New York. 

–What’s next in store for you, personally? 

Foley: I believe there’s so much creativity in skateboarding. I think that’s why young people still get into skating today, which is a good thing for the future. I want to be connected to skateboarding for the rest of my life.  

Alex “Foley” Flach 
Alex “Foley” Flach is the owner of Civilist, a skate shop that opened in 2009 in Berlin, Germany. The shop shares a community and culture from Berlin, based on the concept of creating a space for people of all kinds, like musicians, artists, skaters, and BMX riders, to meet each other
civilistberlin.com/

Photography Hideaki Ota
Translation Lena Grace Suda

The post The reason Civilist, the heart of Berlin’s skateboarding scene, is loved by both locals and the world. appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.