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| Began as a bedroom DJ in Japan in
the late '80s - hip hop's infancy. |
| Gained fame by releasing
'Strictly Turntablized' (1994) and Meiso (1996) on
James Lavelle's Mo' Wax Records. |
| Left Mo' Wax for Sony Japan to
release the acclaimed Kakusei (1999) and Zen (2001)
albums. |
| Said to be a former yakuza
member before he took up music. |
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June 5 2003
Our partners in Australia, the fine folks at
Transfuzion, had
a chat with Japan's abstract hip-hop innovator, DJ Krush, when
he was there last month. |
 Your
style has been described as everything from dark underground
beats to soothing hip-hop and breaks. How would you describe
your music?
That's for someone else to describe. I see them as sound
spaces of visions I see in my head. Call it what you will. I
can just say that I try to portray and communicate the air,
the atmosphere, the "Chi" of DJ Krush in my music.
What attracted you to hip-hop when you first started Djing
back in the early 80's?
It's the movie "Wild Style" that got me into hip-hop.
Things I had never seen before were appearing one after
another, leaving imprints in my mind. I had never seen
graffiti painted on subway trains. Oh how beautiful it was. I
had never seen break dancing. I thought it was a magic trick.
How could those guys spin on their backs for so long? I was
looking for the strings! I had never seen DJs before. The
concept of, not just handling vinyl but scratching back and
forth, it blew me away completely. You know as a child we were
told not to touch vinyl records because our fingerprints would
get all over them and it would ruin the record. I remember
seeing Wild Style for the first time vividly.
Creating intelligent, experimental concepts in your tracks is
something you are renowned for. How has being signed to
mainstream labels such as Sony influenced this approach to
your music, if at all?
I feel very fortunate to be signed to the labels that I am and
was signed to and get a support in reaching an audience around
the world. But I don't think that influences the approach to
my music. I just create my music. I don't make a certain type
of record because I am recording for one label as opposed to a
different one. I get inspirations for my music from
everywhere...every day life, Tokyo life, travelling the world,
watching news...anything really.
You recently collaborated with cutting edge hip-hop crews
such as Antipop and Anticon. How do you choose the artists you
work with?
I come up with a concept for an album and just start
contacting the artists that I want to work with at that moment
in time or I feel would add to the overall concept of the
album. I write a letter with my thoughts on the concept and
ask if they would be interested in being a part of the record
and if they would spare their time to work on it with me.
Given your limited grasp of the English language, how do you
communicate with many of your artists and how does this affect
your understanding of the lyrics you feature?
If I want to know what a lyrics is about I just have someone
translate it for me. I have never thought of it as a problem.
Even when collaborating with international artists, I
communicate the concept of my album and the artists either get
it or they don't. It may seem clich'd but music is really
universal. I think I am an example of that.
On your last album, The Message at the Depth you include a
track called Toki Notabiji (Journey of Time) featuring the
lyrics of fellow Japanese artists. How important is it for you
to maintain a Japanese flavour to your music?
When I make my music, my emphasis is to make sure it has
the Krush sound no matter what the canvas is. But Japan's
unique culture including its traditiona way of thinking such
as "ma" (time and space with tension) definitely has
influence on my music and is important.
What can you tell us about the Japanese hip-hop scene in
general and how does it differ from international scenes?
Some copy US hip-hop. Some really want to bring out their
individuality with hip-hop as the source. Hip-hop has grown in
that there are younger artists pushing the envelope. Props to
all those who are original. Tha Blue Herb and Zebra are
starting to become popular in the mainstream.
Given your global success, what advice would you give to
other Japanese hip-hop artists wanting to break into the
international market?
There's got to be a lot of different kinds of people,
considering the fact that hip-hop has become such a big scene
in Japan. But in the crowd of people, there will be some with
original styles and think "This is something that only I can
do". That's the key and for those few, I want them to expand
their possibilities into the world. That's what I desire. I
will keep featuring the best of the best from Japan on my
records. If it becomes a stepping-stone for them
internationally, I would be happy.
What can we expect to hear from you on your upcoming
Australasian tour?
I'll be playing my stuff, other people's stuff from around
the world. I'm looking forward to sharing the beat and a
moment in time with Australian audience.
What's next on the agenda for DJ Krush? Do you have any
other major releases or plans coming up?
I did a remix for the Sex Pistols recently! I also record
my original music for Sony worldwide. Touring European
festivals and I will start recording a new album in the fall.
Everywhere I go, every person I meet around the world is an
inspiration for my next record.
Peace.
-Katie Elles / Tranzfusion.net
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