DJ Krush

Interview

- Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with the UK?

K: In the '90s, I was inspired by an American film called "Wildstyle" and it was during this time that I also started DJ'ing. However, even if you worked really hard in Japan at the time, it was difficult to get any recognition and I didn't feel confident enough to approach the American market. So I thought I would try making it in Europe first and use that as a platform to go to America, then head back to Japan. So England was my first choice and I went there with a load of mixtapes and one was chosen by Straight No Chaser mag and entered their charts. Thanks to the UK acting as my trigger, I was able to release more tracks so I was very grateful for the opportunities, including working with the Mo Wax crew. So far, I have released some tracks with DJ Vadim, playing with Goldie and Roni Size in Japan as well as working with the Scratch Perverts and DJ Tatsuki.

- How was the feedback from the public at that time?

K: I remember when I released Kemuri and I played in England, there were some guys standing in front of the DJ booth with Oriental prayer beads and their hands clasped together as if they were praying.

At first, I thought that they were doing this because it was rare to have a DJ from Japan perform and that we were somehow mystical or mysterious to them instead of them actually being into my music. However, it turned out that it wasn't just a trend-type thing and that people genuinely liked my music. The UK has always had a long history of good music and festivals and that makes their listeners a much more experienced group who have higher expectations than compared to Japan. Brits are more distinct about their music tastes and know how to have fun too. In the past, Japanese people found it hard to try and stand out and preferred to follow trends instead.

Beatport Player

Download music or get this player

- What are the differences for you between performing live compared to spending time in the studio?

K: The situation has changed over the years as I used to DJ alot using a blend of other artists tracks and my own to create my own sort of world. Over time, it became more satisfying for me to produce a whole album as opposed to DJ'ing all the time. I'm now at the point where I am able to create my world using exclusively my own music and play it live for 90 minutes. It is important to respect and appreciate both aspects but for me, the two have merged.

- What are your feelings about shifting your production and live set towards a more computer-based direction?

K: In production, I started using computer software during the Shinsou album, but for DJ'ing, I still preferred using vinyl. It was actually on my Australian Tour that inspired me to change; I was carrying alot of vinyl that was really heavy and cost us alot in excess baggage charges as well as having quite a few records stolen out of my bags during our tour. Now I can play unreleased tracks live as before, I needed to use CD's instead.

- Are you still using the Vestax PMC 20-SL DJ mixer and if so how come?

K: I have tried many of the latest mixers on the market but none of them seem to have that same feel as the PMC. I originally started DJ'ing with this mixer when I was young and so far, I haven't been able to find one that suits my style of performance like this one does.

- Do you have any words of wisdom for any of our Japanese readers?

K: If you really like something, then you have to try your hardest to be good at it. Everyone is in the same boat; it's difficult for anyone to become famous and stand out from the crowd, it's whether or not you have anymore fight left in you after you have passed the first step. I'm still in that boat with everyone else trying to find the answer and trying to find a new avenue of music to explore.

- Can you tell us about your new DVD release?

K: After releasing my last album, Stepping Stones, which was a self-remixed album, I realised that I had accumulated more than 10 years of unreleased video footage and so I decided to release a documentary. It was really hard to select the footage as we had so much to choose from and it took a week just to go through all of it. I'm sure that we have more footage that fans would probably like to see.

DJ Krush Website : http://www.sus81.com/djkrush

Written by Selph