‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 6b

Coming to Week 6, and a month and a half since we started the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts (damn already?). This time round we head off to Italy and Japan – worldwide for some exclusive music and video from some of the most interesting talents from both countries. The audio side of things is taken care of by Bungalow Zen, the Italian outfit headed by Tayone and Skizo, while the video pleasures come from Japan courtesy of DJ Baku – quite possibly the most interesting DJ/producer/tablist to come out of the country since DJ Krush.

DJ Baku – Spin Street live
This week’s video comes to us from Japan, courtesy of DJ Baku and his label POPGROUP recordings. Having a Japanese representative on the second volume of the compilation was something that was important to us for many reasons. It’s a country which has been integral to the development of the artform from a practical point of view (manufacturers such as Vestax are based there) but more importantly it’s a country where many artists have developed and evolved styles for a few years without really being heard outside of Japan. Apart from appearances at the DMC (Kentaro being a prime example of this – having gone to become a world famous DJ since then) and some of these artists appearing on rare US or European compilations, the majority of the most exciting and interesting Japanese artists rarely get heard outside of the country, and if they do it’s always on a very low level. And so this time round we’re very happy to be able to feature some Japanese talent on the compilation, in the shape of DJ Baku and Tatsuki (who will appear on the mix as part of Bichi and solo on week 7 of the podcasts).
DJ Baku is a name who should be familiar to regular listeners of the show, as I’ve championed his work for the last few years ever since discovering him back in 2004/5. What’s more we had the man remix the Turntable Radio intro a few months ago – if you haven’t checked it yet, we recommend you do. I’ve written and said plenty about him on spinscience (check the Japanese feature article) and on the TTR March 05 Japan special podcast, but for those who missed it first time round here’s the short version.
Baku has come out of the Japanese hip hop underground in the last 3/4 years to establish himself as a definite successor to the sound and aesthetic pioneered by DJ Krush, and carried on in the new century by the likes of Kentaro, Hifana, Klock (RIP) and others. His production style is unique and refreshing – evolving what DJ Krush achieved in the 90s, and carrying it into the 21st century. At times harsh and cold, at times warm and subtle and always changing. He’s worked on many projects over the years, developing his style with time and patience – he waited nearly 10 years since his musical beginnings before releasing his debut album, ‘Spinheddz’, from which the video and track featured on the compilation mix are taken. He’s collaborated with and produced for Japanese MCs including MSC and Rumi, he’s worked with metal bands, punk guitarists and electronic producers, he’s performed at some of Japan’s biggest festivals and he was part of Japan’s first turntable band, Wah Kha Kha alongside Klock and Tatsuki. And as part of the Dis Defense Disc collective he’s been an integral part of the Japanese hip hop and turntablist underground since the late 90s, helping to herald through a change in sound and style which, to me, today makes Japan one of the most interesting countries musically, especially from a turntablist point of view.
Since the release of his debut album, which has given him a new, more mainstream, audience he has continued to work relentlessly, touring, remixing and working on his second album (as they say you’ve got your whole life to make your first album but only one year to follow it up). In Japan he’s probably only second in popularity as a live DJ to Kentaro and he’s recently been acclaimed by the likes of Vex’d (from the mighty Planet Mu label) and The Bug (Ninja Tune, Rephlex, Hyperdub) who are looking to collaborate with him in the future. On that subject, and as a bit of an exclusive, you can expect Baku to make an appearance on The Bug’s forthcoming Ninja Tune single, ‘Poison Dart’. More details as we get them.
And so for all these reasons and more, we felt it was only right to feature Baku on the compilation, and we’re very pleased that he’s agreed to not only give us a track from his debut album but to also give us an exclusive video from his album launch party (held in Tokyo last year, and which also featured D-Styles). The video is of a live rendition of the album’s main single, ‘Spin Street’, a bouncy, energetic roller of a track as you’ll hear and see. The video also features extracts from DJ Baku’s DVD ‘Kaikoo’, which was released in the summer of 2005. The DVD, directed and soundtracked by Baku, documents the Japanese hip hop underground with Baku introducing and featuring his friends and collaborators including Kentaro, Tatsuki, Goth Trad, Wha Kha Kha, Miyajima and many more. It’s only available in Japan, however I heavily recommend you check it out as it’s one of the most interesting documentaries about the burgeoning Japanese music underground.
For more on Baku you can check his website and the POPGROUP recordings’ website as well as Turntable Radio’s March 05 podcast and Spinscience’s Japan special feature which includes an interview with Baku and a feature on his work and that of other 21st century Japanese pioneers.
The file is 99mb, .m4v format – best viewed in Quicktime and on iTunes and iPods.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

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