Shinpei Ueno, a professional skateboarder and director of TIGHTBOOTH, spent nine years working on LENZ III since the release of the preceding video in the series, LENZ II.

The film was premiered in Tokyo, Osaka, New York and London, with countless skaters in attendance. When the screening started, the audience cheered and applauded as if they were watching the skate tricks live in front of them. The space was filled with a raw excitement, more like what you would see on the streets than in a movie theater.

The aesthetic vibes presented in LENZ III are cool and humorous, not only in terms of the skating footage, but also in the computer graphics and background music. The video is filled with these characteristics that are inherent in skate culture. It is a collection of subcultures, just like all the famous skate videos that have been released in the past.

When you feel that something crazy is about to happen, and you know that you are about to witness that very moment, there’s this tingling feeling of excitement that you can’t ignore. You feel like your feet are barely on the ground and you’re dancing inside. That is probably what everyone was feeling at the premiere of LENZ III.  The film must have inspired so many people, and a lot of them even went skating on the streets right after the event.

This work, which documents the cutting edge of the contemporary as an independent company skate scene, will surely be passed down to posterity as a skate video that conveys the early 2020s in Japan. At first glance, many people may feel that producing a skate video isn’t that special. However, it’s quite difficult to create a full-length street skate video in Japan, and to do so on a D.I.Y. basis is a tremendous task, which makes the completion of LENZ III in itself an epoch-making miracle.

That being said, we asked the creator of the featured piece, Shinpei Ueno, his thoughts behind the making of LENZ III and its series, and what he thinks about the immense difficulty of making a skate video.

Shinpei Ueno
Born in Osaka in 1983, Shinpei Ueno is a professional skateboarder for Evisen Skateboards and brand director of Tightbooth Production, renowned for a number of independent skate videos put out over the years, notably his masterpiece “LENZ II” (2014). Other notable works include running an Osaka based skate shop, Shred, creating video content for brands such as Gucci and Moncler, design contribution to Supreme’s inline collections and brand direction for the pizza franchise Pizzanista! Tokyo. In 2023, LENZ III the final piece of his LENZ trilogy is released worldwode.
https://shop.tightbooth.com
Instagram：@shinpei_ueno

I captured the best skaters in each generation

– On the stage of the LENZ III premiere, you said, “I dedicate this to the VX series and MK-1”. First of all, please tell us about the equipment you used for filming and the reasons for using them.

Ueno: I use Sony DCR-VX1000 video cameras released in 1995 with CENTURY OPTICS MK-1 ultra fish-eye lenses, which have been coined “the ultimate skate video camera setting”.

The distortion that the MK-1 possesses allows it to create a distinct sense of realism and speed, and the DCR-VX1000’s unique dry microphone sound and film-like visuals also work great. We’ve been shooting with this setup since 2005, which makes it our nineteenth year of filming this way. For the VX1000, we’ve used more than thirty units in total and more than seven ultra fish eyes. The camera and lenses are no longer in production and can no longer be repaired, and the software for capturing the mini-DV tapes has been having some problems. Even with these issues, I’ve chosen to stick to this setting for nineteen years. I dedicate this work (LENZ III) to the VX series and MK-1.

– What is the concept behind LENZ III?

Ueno: The production of it is very simple. Basically, I direct the entire production while shooting talented skaters in prime locations. I captured the best skaters in each generation, also as a journalism point of view to broadcast the scene.

– I found the flow of this film, in which the CG animation accompanying the skaters transitions into the skating portions of the film, to be very interesting. How did you go about creating this format?

Ueno: For this project, we demonstrated how LENZ III was being made at the fictional research facility VX LABORATORY. The main camera, the VX1000, was modeled in 3D and created in full CG. We shot nineteen years worth of skate videos with the VX1000, so we wanted to create an opening dedicated to this video camera.

And in the VX LABORATORY, we created Rooms for each rider that reflect their personalities and their video parts, which was a try and error process. I would come up with a rough idea, and we would discuss with the CG team how we could make it happen. For example, in the case of the part of Kotora Mitani, a cage was placed in a Japanese-style room with tatami mats and video monitors scattered around to make it look as if a tiger was walking in the room (his name Korora literaly means a little tiger). But it was difficult to show the whole body of the tiger with CG due to the budget, so we discussed the possibility of using only silhouettes for it.

Also, the soundtrack for the JAPANESE SUPER RAT part was by GEZAN, so I stacked the monitors vertically in a bright red room and scattered equipment cables all around. Then, while concert footage of GEZAN was playing from the monitors, I let rats scurry around them. That’s how we built it. The most difficult part of the project was the rendering, which took a lot of effort from conception to assembly. The CG for the intro of each part was limited to 15 seconds, but it took up to a minute and a half to render one frame, which meant it took a day to render one chapter if you included the work. And after checking the preview, it would take another day to make corrections, so I had to calculate how many more renderings I could do before the day of the premiere. We broke out in a cold sweat from the lack of time we had.

– It sounds like CG production is very difficult. 

Next, I’d like to ask about the music assigned to each part. The music was very unique, ranging from hip-hop to techno to punk. For the ending theme, a song by Japanese Synchro System, a unit featuring ILL-BOSSTINO of THA BLUE HERB, was used, which I thought it really a reflection of you. How did you decide on the music?

Ueno: We made our decisions based on the concept of the part and the personalities of the riders. I also wanted to select a soundtrack from my musician friends, so I gathered a large number of songs, including existing songs, new songs before their release, and songs that were still in the demo stage. The closing song by Japanese Synchro System is one that I’ve been listening to since I was in my early twenties, And the verse really have pushed me and my friends to keep going for years and years. I wanted to make a feature film using this song as the ending theme one day. Now, some sixteen years after the song’s release, I think I’ve finally created a work worthy of it.

– I felt that LENZ III focuses on skaters of a new generation. What attracts you to youth skaters?

Ueno: I think the best thing about these young kids is that they’re freeform. Because in addition to complex technical ledge tricks, they’re pulling off everything from gnarly transitions to unprecedented NBDs (Never Been Dones).

– More than a hundred skaters appear in the film. What are the criteria for your selection? And how did you connect to those skaters?

Ueno: The criterion is vague, but basically it’s whether or not I, as the director, feels something special in them. I don’t cast skaters simply because they’re skilled or visually appealing. Perhaps it’s because of my profession or maybe it’s common sense. But when you’re in the skate scene, you naturally know which skaters you should currently be shooting. Also, skaters are basically friends of friends, so they’re easy to connect with. Many of the young skaters grew up with the LENZ series, so it wasn’t hard for me to get in touch with them.

– I was also drawn to the fashion of each skater. Did you ever arrange the styling according to the shooting location?

Ueno:  I sometimes styled the TIGHTBOOTH member riders myself. Also, depending on the location, the impression of the shoot can drastically change if the subject wears a white or black top, so we’d often bring three outfits to the shoot. I’d ask the rider to  come up with three styling ideas in advance that they liked, and I’d make slight modifications from there.

Skate videos contain all the charms of skateboarding

– What do you find difficult or interesting about producing skate videos in Japan?

Ueno: Japan is probably the second most difficult place in the world to film a skate video, number one being North Korea. In Japan, you’ll see security guards and police officers at all kinds of spots, and they stop you instantly. Sometimes, even passersby call the police, which is a special phenomenon that happens here that I’ve rarely seen happen in the rest of the world. Even if they have nothing to do with it and it’s not bothering them at all, some people call the police out of a strange sense of justice. I’ve been skating in many countries, but only Japanese people would do that. 

Maybe it’s the Japanese education system. Of course, part of it is that skateboarding is not part of the fabric of Japanese life, and sometimes skating can be a nuisance to others, which can’t be helped… But that sense of skating being bothersome doesn’t exist outside Japan. Most people don’t care if there are people skating around them abroad. In fact, some even watch the skaters and give comments like, “that trick was really cool”. In Japan, you’re treated like a criminal just for skating. What’s interesting about shooting skate videos in Japan is the scenery and architecture unique to the locations here.

– From your point of view, what do you think is the current state of the skate scene in Japan today, and what challenges do you see?

Ueno: I think skateboarding itself has been recognized a little more due to the Tokyo Olympics. However, I feel that many Japanese people who watched the Olympics have started recognizing skateboarding as a sport, which is sort of aunfortunate thing because it has a huge negative impact on street skating that is the essential of skateboarding. For example, many people in the general public look at street skating and say, “those street skaters are getting in the way and bothering people who are trying to become a proper Olympic skateboarders”. This is something someone actually told me. I think about this issue a lot, and I feel that this is a difficult thing to change because of the national mentality of the Japanese people.

– I felt that LENZ III also attempts to bring the reality of the street skate scene in Japan to a wider audience. Was that your intention?

Ueno: I wanted to show the beauty of skateboarding, even to people who do not skate. I hope that by having as many non-skateboarders as possible watch the video and understand its allure, the current street skate scene will change for the better, even if only slightly.

– What do you feel is the appeal of skate videos?

Ueno: It’s the best “visual groove” that shows incredible skaters making art in the architecture of a city that is not made for skating, accompanied by a high-quality soundtrack. It’s not simply about conveying how cool skating is, but also about the love of creating a piece of art with your friends. Skate videos contain all the charms of skateboarding.

■DVD LENZ III (Tightbooth Production)
February 18th  release
¥24,200 (limited box set) / ¥4,180 (normal edition)
featuring full parts：RIO MORISHIGE, KOTORA MITANI, KYONOSUKE YAMASHITA, GLEN FOX, AYAHIRO URATSUKA, KENTO YOSHIOKA, RYUHEI KITAKUME, RINKU KONISHI

Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Shinpei Ueno and his Skate Video, LENZ III – The Possibilities of Skateboarding Revealed in its Production Process appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Since the Edo period (17th century), the Edo-moji script has been used in Kabuki theater, on lanterns, and on Senja-fuda, a type of paper used back then. The works created by sneakerwolf, which combine such traditional Japanese culture and the alphabet, are unique and have been called “Edo-style graffiti” or “Kanji graffiti”, and are now expanding beyond the boundaries of street art.

Although his work has been appearing more in the past few years, he has actually been drawing for more than 10 years. We asked him about the reason why he created Kanji-Graphy and the message he wants to convey, at his studio.

sneakerwolf
Artist based in Tokyo who has worked in graphic design and sign painting since his twenties, and has worked on window paintings for Supreme. In 2017, he held his first solo exhibition with his original graffiti work “Kanji-Graphy”, using Edo characters as motifs. Since then, he has been showing his work regularly and has been gaining popularity through collaborations with apparel brands and artwork for events.
https://www.sneakerwolf.com
Instagram：@sneakerwolf

I thought no one would like it

――How was the Edo-moji graffiti that you created born?

sneakerwolf: I was asked by a friend who was working on a brand to do some design work, and worked as a graphic designer there for a while. I was always searching for my own method of expression and style, separate from the art I made for work. Through that search, I happened upon graffiti that used Edo-moji as a motif.

――When did you start drawing it?

sneakerwolf: It had already taken shape over fifteen years ago, but I thought no one would like it. I wasn’t confident and was embarrassed to show it, so I never got it to the point where I could present it as a piece of work. I was just drawing it as a hobby. But then, for some reason, my friend Shitano of WHIZ LIMITED praised my work and said I should release the designs as soon as possible. So I held an exhibition of my works, including Kanji-Graphy, at his store. That helped me gain a little confidence, but I didn’t think I could keep going as an artist.

――Why didn’t you want to put yourself out there?

sneakerwolf: I probably didn’t have the courage (laughs). It was the same when I was a middle schooler. I wanted to do graffiti but didn’t have the courage to go outside and do it. I was scared of something happening… So back then, I was happy drawing in my notebook and on the walls of my bedroom. I think there are a lot of people like that. I also didn’t have any experiences of success between the time I graduated to when I started Edo-moji graffiti. If I had just one experience of success, I might’ve said, “I made something good! I can put it out into the world!” Back then, my actions often backfired on me. It’s not like I didn’t have confidence in the work itself, but I couldn’t put it out there.

――Edo-moji graffiti has now become your most symbolic work. Please tell us how you came to present it to the public.

sneakerwolf: I was initially involved in a sneaker brand, but there were some issues so I decided to quit. I was around forty at the time. With the brand gone, all I could do was draw. I became increasingly irritated and decided I was going to do whatever I wanted because I was probably going to die soon anyway. From there, I had my first Kanji-Graphy series solo exhibition in 2017 under the artist name sneakerwolf. Without the problems at the brand, I don’t think I would’ve ever presented work that was just Edo-moji graffiti.

――I wasn’t aware of such troubles! So how is Edo-moji graffiti made?

sneakerwolf: When creating a piece, I first sketch it onto paper, then I choose whether to use a round or square canvas. Then I prepare the canvas myself and expand on the idea.

I add color after sketching it out and change the thickness of the outline after looking at the proportions of the line thickness and the color scheme, and redraw it over and over again. I don’t know the details of the time it takes to make a piece, but it probably takes about a month or two. When it’s work for a client, there’s an extra step of converting it into data.

――Amateurs like myself can’t immediately tell what’s written on some of these pieces. What are the characters on the skateboard and shoebox?

Skateboard by sneakerwolf x Tezuka productions x SECRETBASE (sneakerwolf’s personal item)

sneakerwolf: The skateboard says “ATOM”, and the sneakers say “ASICS”. Naturally, I’ve combined letters of the alphabet.

sneakerwolf x ASICS SportStyle sneaker (sneakerwolf’s personal item)

――Does the image of the final product pop up immediately when you’re converting the alphabet into Edo-moji?

sneakerwolf: It’s usually immediate. For example, if I’m asked to write a brand name with the alphabet for a collaborative work, I can glean whether to make it round, square, and how to combine the English letters immediately after seeing the appearance of the letters. I can do it because of experience, although there are times I’m not happy with the finished product.

――How many Edo-moji graffiti pieces have you created to date?

sneakerwolf: (thinking long and hard) I have no idea (laughs).

――Does that mean there are too many to count?

sneakerwolf: I think it’s a fathomable number… But I have absolutely no interest in anything that’s finished. When I’m done with a piece, I don’t care about it anymore. I’m not attached to the number of pieces, awards, or gold medals I get. I do think I need to take more responsibility for my finished work, but thinking about the work and then drawing it is still the final step in my mind. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not physically going out to do graffiti. When someone doesn’t publicly show their pieces after they’ve been created, the goal becomes the creation process itself, not the self-expression that can be communicated through that process. The mindset is that the process of drawing is the goal.

As a kid, I liked drawing Gundam on the back of newspaper fliers. The moments I spent drawing were always fun. Maybe nothing has changed since I was a kid. I become uninterested once the piece is done.

There is no need to continue creating Edo-moji graffiti If I can keep using the concept of “breaking stereotypes”

――Are you currently making designs other than your Edo-moji graffiti works?

sneakerwolf: Not anymore. I no longer get client work for other designs.

――Is there anything you’d like to create?

sneakerwolf: Hmm, there’s nothing in particular. But I do have ambition, and have thought about going abroad. I’ve thought about doing a solo exhibition and selling all the artwork and making a lot of money from it, but there’s nothing specific that I want to do. I’m bad at thinking far into the future. It’d be nice if I could say something like, “I’m calculating everything for the future”, but I’m unable to, so I just do what’s in front of me, go deeper in my work, and hope that my art will be recognized.

――You posted a while back on social media that you wanted to create character-based pieces. Have you already created something like that already?

sneakerwolf: I actually haven’t yet (laughs). When actually trying to draw it, I couldn’t come up with anything. I’ve never actually created my own work other than the Edo-moji graffiti, so it was surprisingly difficult to know where to start… I was able to think of something for the Supreme window painting because they gave me a Christmas theme, so all I had to do was draw what I thought up. I also studied a lot about art, which I think actually makes it harder for me to draw.

――It took you a long time to present the Edo-moji graffiti to the public, and based on what you’ve told me, it doesn’t seem like you’re the type to present work solely because there’s momentum.

sneakerwolf: That’s true. I’m not confident, so I try to arm myself with logic. If I have a reason for why I created the work and can say what the thought process was, I can hide my lack of confidence and embarrassment. I’m not interested in making things without logic.

――You’re sporting a jacket today. Is that always what you work in? My image of you is a bit different since our last encounter.

sneakerwolf: Yes. I’ve recently felt the urge to work with a suit on, so I wear one everyday. It’s the suit from a collaboration I’m doing with F.C. Real Bristol at the start of the new year.

――Why did you feel the urge to start working in a suit?

sneakerwolf: Street artists are usually bearded and wear Dickies and a windbreaker (laughs). Or they have tattoos. I was growing tired of that image. I really dislike stereotypes like that, where you assume what a person of a certain genre is like, and you judge someone based on their external image. So I decided that I would dress in a suit when I’m making graffiti-based art, something that is in direct contrast to the style of a normal graffiti artist.

――Do you also not like people assuming what you’re like because of your job?

sneakerwolf: Yes, I heavily dislike that. My father was the type to push the phrase, “if you’re a man”. He’d say things like, “don’t cry if you’re a man”, or “if you lose a fight, fight back”. I really didn’t like that either. It made me feel uncomfortable, and I always wondered what he was talking about. Phrases like “if you’re a man” are based on someone’s personal stereotypes, values, and biases. If you think about it further, there’s no doubt that the imposition of these individual or commonplace stereotypes are largely responsible for the discrimination and harassment problems in the world. People make judgments based on stereotypes they have. Perhaps the world is full of stuff like that. I hate that. If those stereotypes, prejudices, and conventions disappeared, I think discrimination would decrease dramatically. There are concepts and messages in art, but since the art comes first in my case, I tack on the concept after. Through the five years I’ve been doing this, I’ve come to realize that I want to communicate the idea of breaking stereotypes through my work.

――You’ve incorporated the message of breaking stereotypes in your work, and wearing the suit is part of that message.

sneakerwolf: It is. Conversely, if people started talking about how I’m always wearing a suit, I might suddenly change into Dickies (laughs). I don’t want to fit into a stereotype. Even when people see my art, most people assume it’s kanji at first. That’s a stereotype. People make an assumption based on their memory and knowledge that the art is written in kanji, but once they realize it’s written with the letters of the alphabet, the stereotype is shattered, causing them to acknowledge the fact that people make quick assumptions about things. This is my message.

However, there’s no need to continue creating Edo-moji graffiti If I can keep using the concept of “breaking stereotypes”.Personally, I’d be willing to do anything, whether it’s 3D structures or film. If there’s something else I wanted to do, I’d be willing to quit doing Kanji-Graphy whenever.A stereotype imposed on artists is the assumption that they’ll keep making the same art. Although I don’t think I’ll actually quit making Kanji-Graphy, since I personally love it (laughs).

Photography Shinpo Kimura
Text Kango Shimoda

The post Kanji-Graphy is a one-of-a-kind original graffiti work that fuses Edo characters with the alphabet. Artist sneakerwolf on breaking down stereotypes appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

It’s been two years since a group of four high school students in Tokyo released songs that overwhelmed us with their advanced level of music in 2020. Chilldspot’s presence in the music scene has spread far and wide, and are thrilling audiences all over Japan. Their presence at music festivals is also significant; once you see them live, you can’t help but be intoxicated by their sound.

Although we’ve been seeing them perform more at large music festivals and events, if you think about it, they’ve only recently turned 20 years old. Yes, they’re the youth of Gen Z and beyond.

In this interview, we asked how they came to form the band, what kind of music inspires them, and how they make their music their own. We spoke with the vocalist and guitarist of the band, Hiyune.

Hiyune
Born in 2002, Hiyune is the vocalist and guitarist in the Tokyo-born band chilldspot. They released their 1st EP while still attending high school, in November of 2020. In September 2022, they released their third EP Titles, and their song, “Like?” was chosen as the theme song for the sixth installment of the TV Asahi series “Azatokute Nani Ga Warui No?” In addition to Hiyune, chilldspot is a four-piece band consisting of Kozaki on bass, Ryozan on guitar, and Justin on drums.
https://fan.pia.jp/chilldspot
Instagram：＠chilldspot_official / @hiyune_
Twitter：@childspot

I formed a band to make the most of my original music

——First, please tell us how chilldspot came to be.

Hiyune: In the beginning, I accompanied myself singing and wrote original songs. But since I had no understanding of DTMs and my guitar skills were lacking, I wasn’t able to make the most of my songs. That’s when I decided to form a band.

——That means the band began with your solo career. Which artists influenced you to start performing with a guitar to accompany your vocals?

Hiyune: As for singing original songs with guitar, I was inspired by Aimyon, Sakura Fujihara, and Remi (Matsuo Remi) of GLIM SPANKY, who all sang while playing acoustic guitar. In terms of original music, the answer is simply that my mechanical ineptitude made me give up on making music on DTMs. So instead of using a computer, I chose to use a guitar to write. Besides, computers are too expensive for middle/high schoolers; a guitar was easier to get a hold of. Now I can manage DTMs, but I still make demos with my guitar. I guess it suits my personality.

——Then you wrote original songs and came up with the idea of forming a band.

Hiyune: Yes. I started writing songs in my first and second years of high school. The first song I wrote is called “Yoru No Tanken”. After that, I continued writing songs on my guitar, and during the winter of my second year of high school, we started writing songs as chilldspot.

chilldspot “Yoru No Tanken”

——How did you assemble the members?

Hiyune: The first person I invited was Kozaki, a childhood friend from elementary school. Then, I recruited Justin, who was in the same after school band club as me. Ryozan went to a different high school, but we were fortunate enough to play in the same band at a joint music event for schools in the area. I liked him ever since that experience playing together. And that’s how I asked each person to join the band. At the start, all I did was invite them to play my original songs with me. We were just doing it to genuinely have fun as a band.

——But the band grew in name, and is now often described as having a strong likeness to black music-based bands such as Nulbarich and Kroi. Were those funk and R&B influences the band’s sonic roots from the start?

Hiyune: Not really. I made the songs on the first EP, the youth night thinking that it was J-pop. I personally wasn’t aware of any black musical influences while making it, but my band members and people around me often mentioned that parallel, which surprised me. I guess all the members like listening to Nulbarich and Kroi, so perhaps we were all naturally influenced by them.

——I see. So it’s not like you researched black music at all?

Hiyune: I didn’t. I wasn’t even conscious of it. I mostly only listened to Vocaloid music all throughout middle school. But once I started high school, I was moved by GLIM SPANY’s “Orokamono Tachi” and thought that Nulbarich and Suchmos were cool, that I imitated their singing, fell in love with their melodies, and learned their lyrics. I do believe those influences have made me more versatile.

Our strength is that we aren’t bound by genres

——I see. It’s not that you absorbed influences from Suchmos and Nulbarich in real time, but you did it in such a way that’s unique to your generation. Currently, chilldspot has become a major presence as a band and in the scene. Compared to when the band was first formed, what do you do as a band now, and what kind of things do you plan to communicate musically?

Hiyune: I think our roots have stayed the same. I just want the members to keep having fun. However, the more the band grows, the more our sensibilities change as we expose ourselves to more music. Therefore, I think the music that we want to make has changed since we first started. Our strength is that we aren’t bound by genres in this age of subscription services where you can listen to music without being restricted to a singular genre. We want to incorporate whatever music we like in that moment into our music and express it as chilldspot to the fullest extent. Also, in terms of scale, we used to enjoy playing among our friends, but now that we’re performing on larger stages more often, I’ve developed a clear desire to become a band that’s suited for such venues and to create a groove that envelops the entire crowd. We’d like to grow in that area.

——I think the genre-less incorporation of music has become chilldspot’s musical style. What kind of music are you currently listening to?

Hiyune: I’ve been into alternative-leaning music. I listen to Sasha Alex Sloan and Maggie Rogers a lot. I think the songs “Like?” or “BYE BYE” from our EP Titles were heavily influenced by them. Other artists I listen to include Claire Rosinkranz and Beebadoobee. I like the lo-fi sound of Arlo Parks and Rex Orange County, too. Even though they’re not considered alternative, I like their sound quality.

chilldspot “Like?”

——The EP Titles gave me a general impression of alternative and grunge. Now I know those artists were your inspiration!

Hiyune: Yes. But I’ve always liked alternative and grunge. I think the song, “Ningentte” on our first EP really rocks. That’s why we personally feel we’ve always been consistent! Instead of trying something new or out of the ordinary for every project, the members are flexible enough to adapt to what I’m into at that time.

chilldspot “Ningentte”

How to retrieve and internalize the overflowing amount of information

——That’s true. Your stance hasn’t wavered since your debut in 2020 when you were all still attending high school. The members of chilldspot are classified as Generation Z, and you’re just now entering your twenties. What do you feel are the differences in musical expression between your generation and past generations?

Hiyune: This is neither good nor bad, but I think my generation’s weapon is that we’re able to absorb things quickly. We’re in an environment where we can listen to different music via subscriptions, which then helps us obtain ideas. Although it’s easier to acquire, the problem is that it’s difficult to internalize and make the most of that information.

Nowadays, even if you don’t have the sheet music for a song you’re interested in learning, you can easily find the tabs for it. Instead of copying that tab, learning it by ear can help you internalize it and develop your musical expression better. There’s a lot of information you can absorb, but you have to choose your own path of hard work to retrieve the information as your own. I think that may be the difference between us and our predecessors’ generations.

——The fact that information is so readily available makes other aspects all the more difficult.

Hiyune: Exactly. If you wanted to make songs on your own, you could use a DTM, and you can look for band members on the Internet. The time it takes to act on something that you thought of is very quick. For example, if you go viral on TikTok or another social media site, you could even sign with a major label. Taking action and it immediately leading to virality might also be a Gen Z characteristic.

Music that’s not aiming to trend, but that we can confidently say is good

——As you mentioned, more and more young artists are becoming famous through social media. Recently, many artists have been releasing so-called “viral-aiming” music. How does chilldspot relate to that?

Hiyune: We’ve never been particularly conscious of going viral because of our belief that we want to make music that we can have fun with. It would be great if the music we like to make was accepted by social media and resulted in an influx of listeners.

——So ultimately, the basis of chilldspot is to enjoy yourselves, first and foremost.

Hiyune: Yes. If we can’t make fun music that we think is good, I don’t believe our listeners would enjoy it, either. Even if there’s not much response from the listeners, the fact that we made something that we can confidently say is good is incredibly encouraging. That’s why we want to do our best to create what we love now, without making any compromises.

——Please tell us what chilldspot’s and your personal goals are for the future.

Hiyune: It used to be vague, but now that we’ve performed at various festivals, I have a clear goal of wanting to be a band that suits a big stage. It’s not simply that we want to be more successful, but the consensus of the members is that we want to increase the number of listeners we have so that one day when we perform at a big venue, we’ll be a band that doesn’t look inferior to the stage.

As for my personal goals, performing as a guest with Elephant Gym at Fuji Rock left an impression on me. (At Fuji Rock Festival ‘22, Hiyune performed as a guest performer on the song “Shadow”.) It was the first time I sang with a band other than chilldspot, which was a different kind of excitement for me. I felt that singing live with a hand mic suited me well. I’d like to write songs that would allow me to do that in the future, and I’d also like to do solo music. But there’s no point in doing what I want irresponsibly, so I want to challenge myself when I know I can take it on properly.

Elephant Gym “Shadow (feat. hiyune from chilldspot)”

■New Single（Digital）
“get high”
Streaming release: 12/16

Photography Shinpo Kimura
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Behind the music of Generation Z, explored through the sound of the band chilldspot appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

TAPPEI is a tattoo artist with a signature style. His loose, doodle-like tattoos have a catchy feel, but many include humorous and ironic messages. His singular style goes beyond tattoos; many fashion brands look to him for collaborations. He’s one to watch in the Tokyo culture scene. 

To learn about his world, we spoke to TAPPEI about his early beginnings, current tattooing career, and hopes for the future.

TAPPEI
TAPPEI is a tattoo artist who was born in 1993 in Osaka. He’s been based in Tokyo since 2015. In 2020, he opened his art and tattoo studio, TAPPEI Room, in Nakameguro. He’s collaborated with many brands, such as Undercover and Nike, and also does graphic design and art direction. 
Instagram：@tappeis

The road to becoming a tattoo artist

――When did you start developing an interest in tattoos?

TAPPEI: When I was in elementary school, I saw tattoos covering a character’s whole back in the last scene of Zatoichi by Takeshi Kitano, and I thought that was cool. That was the start. 

――You were first drawn to wabori (Japanese-styled tattoos).

TAPPEI: Yes. The first tattoo I got was wabori. 

TAPPEI’s first tattoo

――I didn’t expect that, considering your current style. 

TAPPEI: I liked other tattoo styles too, but I wanted to get wabori as my first tattoo, as that was the style I fell in love with first.

――Aside from that style, what sort of tattoos did you like?

TAPPEI: The tattoos I used to look at the most in high school were the ones skaters abroad would get just for fun. They weren’t technically good, but that made them cool. I feel like that informed my current style. 

――So, your tattooing origins come from there. 

TAPPEI: Right. After I got a wabori tattoo, I realized I liked stick and poke-ish styles better. After that point, I got many tattoos similar to my current style, but they were much more stick and poke-ish. Simply put, my technical skills weren’t ripe yet. I couldn’t tattoo the way I do now. The direction was the same, but my tattoos were more loose and casual back then. 

――How did you get better?

TAPPEI: I had to gain a lot of experience. I would tattoo myself.

――Which tattoo hurt the most?

TAPPEI: My nipple, hands down (laughs). I was hanging out with a friend and tried to tattoo a smiley face back when I was still new to tattooing. Tattooing the dots for eyes hurt so bad (laughs). I finished it out of stubbornness since my friend was there, but I would’ve stopped if I were alone. 

――That sounds so painful (laughs). Did you enjoy drawing as a child? 

TAPPEI: I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. I briefly went to an art school in Kobe for university. 

――Did you attend an art school because you wanted to do something besides tattooing?

TAPPEI: No, I had already started tattooing at that point. I genuinely liked to draw, so I wanted to study it properly. But the school wasn’t what I expected, so I quit immediately. 

――What did you do after that?

TAPPEI: I quit university when I was 19 and practiced tattooing while working part-time in Osaka. In Osaka, American traditional tattoos were popular, but my tattoos had the same feel as the ones I do now. Only a few people wanted to be tattooed by me. I moved to Tokyo without overthinking it because I thought more people would want to get tattooed by me. 

――You used to work at Cannabis, a boutique, in Harajuku. Did you start working there as soon as you moved? 

TAPPEI: No, I worked at a call center that allowed tattoos after moving. I practiced tattooing at home and tattooed only a few people every month. I started working at Cannabis after that.

――You must’ve felt inspired working at a clothing store and tattooing at the same time.

TAPPEI: I did. I liked vintage clothing, so I always wanted to work at a clothing store. I was happy when I got asked to work at Cannabis. There was a brand called SUB-AGE, and I got to design graphics for them. I learned so much from that experience. 

――When I hear SUB-AGE, I picture Johnny Hiramoto-san. I used to see him at Cannabis quite often. 

TAPPEI: Johnny Hiramoto-san is the one who introduced me to Cannabis. He was there when I went to the store and was like, “I like your tattoos. I want one tomorrow!” I started helping him out, eventually leading me to work at Cannabis. 

――It sounds like Johnny-san played a significant role. 

TAPPEI: Yes. I did around half of his tattoos. Johnny-san connected me with Takeshi Osumi-san. He liked my tattoos; I got to tattoo every single one he had. He didn’t have any before we met. I used to tattoo him once a week. 

Every tattoo on Takeshi Osumi was done by TAPPEI. “I’m proud to have been trusted to do all of Osumi-san’s tattoos” (From TAPPEI’s Instagram) 

Making authentic designs

――I feel a sense of humor and irony in your work; how do you develop your designs?

TAPPEI: I don’t get inspiration from films, music, or culture. I come up with most of the designs in my day-to-day life. For example, I’d think, “It’d be interesting if everyday objects moved or were in a different scenario,” and I would draw that. Then, I add a story to the drawing or add a joke to it. I tattoo angels quite often because they blend in without sticking out. By tattooing an angel, I can add playfulness to edgy jokes. You don’t feel like it’s too harsh that way. I like angels because they’re humanlike but also look like characters.

Angel motifs by TAPPEI (from TAPPEI’s Instagram)

――Your playful designs are fantastic. What does your customer base look like?

TAPPEI: Most leave the designs up to me, and many are first-timers. It makes me happy when people say they want to get my designs and that they want my tattoo as an art piece. 

――You seldom use color.

TAPPEI: I do for my other art, but I don’t use color for my tattoo designs because I don’t want them to pop too much. I started considering that balance because I worked at a clothing store. 

――What’s the appeal of tattoos to you?

TAPPEI: I get the most excited when I get tattoos, more so than buying cool clothes or a watch. I like things that last forever. 

――You use canvases too. Is there a difference between that and tattooing?

TAPPEI: I treat them differently. My tattoo designs work precisely because of the medium. I try to leave marks with my pen when I draw on paper. The vibe is a bit different. The mood is the same, but it’s not fun if both mediums have the same style. 

――Is there anything you did to create the authentic style you have today?

TAPPEI: It wasn’t something I practiced; I just kept drawing because I loved it. People often ask me how they could become tattoo artists, and I think the important thing is drawing. Of course, technical skills are essential, but I think what’s more important is figuring out what kind of design you can create. 

――Which artist, not limited to the tattooing field, do you like?

TAPPEI: I like Keith Haring. I started liking him because of his pop art, but I fell in love with his way of thinking the more I learned about it. Keith Haring used to draw in subway stations. He placed importance on the message. I want to do that through tattooing. What he did was edgy, but he also worked on commercial design and made art mainstream. That’s what I like about him.

A dynamic career rooted in tattooing

――You recently collaborated with brands like Undercover and Nike and your friends’ brands like Dairiku, TTT MSW, and Randy. You also worked with Beams and Baycrew’s. What was it like collaborating with fashion brands?

TAPPEI: Clothes are challenging. You can’t just slap a graphic on clothing because styling and trends exist. I find it easier to design tattoos because they become a part of the person; the person doesn’t wear them.

――When collaborating with brands, does the brand request specific designs?

TAPPEI: In most cases, I would draw several designs, and the brand would choose one. But I was able to push my design idea to Undercover. 

――What was the design like?

TAPPEI: The one I said I wanted to use was the blindfolded bear. It was a tattoo I gave Osumi-san, so I had a strong attachment to it. Undercover overlayed the bear with another line and made it into a shirt. That part wasn’t my idea, so it was challenging in a good way and fun.

――You used to make your original clothing, too, right?

TAPPEI: I did, but it’s on hiatus because brands have started reaching out to me for collaborations. Now that I’ve collaborated with Undercover, which was my goal, I want to do my best to work with brands that people wouldn’t expect. 

――Speaking of unexpected collaborations, you were featured in a video campaign for Zara.

TAPPEI: That was a global campaign, and they had never featured anyone with face tattoos before. I wouldn’t have thought Zara would feature me. It was a fun experience.

――Do you want to go beyond tattooing one day?

TAPPEI: I want to continue tattooing and create other things too.

――What would that look like?

TAPPEI: I’m still in the middle of making it, but I want to create a simple animation. I’m making a flipbook. It takes so much time, so I hope to finish it in a few years. I’m also interested in three-dimensional objects. I like figurines and stuffed toys, so I’m working toward making my own. 

Photography  Hana Yoshino
Text Shogo Komatsu
Translation Lena Grace Suda

The post The Category-Defying, Expressive World of Tattoo Artist TAPPEI appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Shin Okada was the first Japanese person to make an international debut with an American skate company, and since then, he has made outstanding contributions to the Japanese skate scene. Okada recently came out with an autobiography, Megane to Otaku to Skateboard. In it, he illustrates his colorful years leading up to his entering the world stage, such as his first encounter with skateboarding as an insecure young boy, joining the legendary skate team, New Type, and being featured in a skate video by American skate brand Prime.

We sat down to speak with Okada in time for the publication of his book and looked back on his early skateboarding days. 

Shin Okada
Shin Okada was born in Tokyo in 1977. He started skateboarding seriously in 8th grade and made his international debut in 1994 as the first Japanese person sponsored by an American skate company. Since then, he’s starred in more than ten international skate videos and has contributed to the formation and evolution of the Japanese skate scene. Okada is currently the team producer of the Asics Skateboarding team and continues to contribute to the spread of skateboarding.
Instagram：@shinokada77

 “Skateboarding was all I had. I couldn’t get into the things my peers liked.”

――How did Megane to Otaku to Skateboard come about?

Shin Okada(Okada): This book was on the back burner for a decade. I had a blog on my website ten or so years ago, intending to turn it into a book. But I couldn’t make it happen. I spoke to different people about it, but nothing came out of it. Ten years passed, and I casually brought it up to Matsu-san (Hidenori Matsuoka, chief editor of Hidden Champion), and we decided to publish my book. He treated it like we were going to Disney Land the following week. That’s how quick it was. You never know what will happen in life. Perhaps the time to put this book out was supposed to be now, not a decade ago. 

――The book goes through your teenage years when you started skateboarding. How did you first discover it?

Okada: It was trendy. In elementary school, rollerskating was popular because of Hikari Genji, and then SMAP came out under the name The Skate Boys. Toy stores started selling skateboards alongside roller skates. The first time I came across one was when my friend brought it while hanging out. I was in 5th grade. It had a Tony Hawk-ish logo on it, and it was one of the mass-produced boards, not the type you would buy at a pro skate shop.

――When did you start skating seriously?

Okada: It was the beginning of 8th grade. I met Naotaka Ohya (Nao), a skater a year younger than me, and got into authentic skateboarding culture. Nao moved to my middle school, and there was a rumor that he could jump on his skateboard. I approached him and asked him where I could get a real skateboard. He showed me skate videos and took me to skate shops. From then on, my life was a cycle of going to school, skating, coming home, then sleeping. I would get sleepy after dinner because I would skate so much. I used to be asleep by 8:30 PM. My family would laugh at me, saying, “You’re going to bed already?” I would come home from school, change clothes within five minutes, and skate until the sun went down. I would skate from the morning to my curfew on the weekends. That was my life.

――You never felt like skipping it?

Okada: No. Not even a single day. Skateboarding was all I had. I couldn’t get into the things my peers liked. Everyone would talk about girls and a show or a music program they saw the day before, but they weren’t interesting. I was frustrated because I wasn’t stimulated enough. I tried many things because I had to find something stimulating at school. But that got me nowhere, and people started treating me with caution.

――You write about your insecurities with human relationships in your book. How you discovered skateboarding and spread your wings reminded me of one of the protagonists of Shonen Jump.

Okada: That’s because I was the archetypal loser (laughs). I became passionate because I discovered skateboarding, but I would’ve turned out so different had I not discovered it. But I don’t think I could’ve blended in at school either way. 

I got into skating because my life outside of school became bigger. The more I went skating, the more I saw people who were good at it. I started seeing different worlds. I believed the people in the American skate videos I would watch at skate shops would go pro one day because they were out there in the real world. So many things happened in the real world, and most of the people I hung out with were older. That was fun for me. Every day was like a role-playing game. I was more determined to skate than playing Dragon Quest.

――It’s amazing how you made your dreams into reality instead of just thinking about them in your head. 

Okada: I had the strong ability to believe. I was like, “I can make it happen; there must be an opportunity; I can get there.” It was like I found a map leading to jewels in the backyard and truly believed in it. Until then, I felt so frustrated; nothing fulfilled me. But skating was the only thing I enjoyed. It was the one. Skating was deep, like a swamp, and I could and wanted to skate forever. I just skated all the time. It was the right kind of stimulation.

――You also write about feeling insecure about your glasses when you started skating.

Okada: Only a handful of people skated and wore glasses. Toru-kun (skater Toru Yoshida) looked so cool with glasses on, but no one wore them to be stylish. People associated glasses with Nobita-kun from Doraemon, a marker of hillbillies. I looked so awkward, like this (points to an illustration from the book). Only edgy kids skated back then, so people used to be like, “Who’s this guy? Hey, look at this weirdo.”

The cover of Megane to Otaku to Skateboard was based on this photo of Okada as a boy

Driven people who go for what they want will make it in the world

――You’ve been in the skate scene since the era you’ve written about in your book, which was long ago. Do you often feel a difference between the past and now?

Okada: It’s a hard one. I feel like it’s evolved a lot, as someone who’s witnessed the scene change, and I also think it’s stepped up a level because of the Olympics. But as someone in the scene, I don’t think the vitality, motivation, and way of thinking of pro skaters have changed. 

No matter how social media advances or how people pay attention to skating because of the Olympics, the core thing skaters require to improve hasn’t changed. 

――By “core thing,” do you mean the desire to be better and win competitions?

Okada: Yes. Another is making videos. When emotion, action, and tenacity become one, and you don’t overthink things and go for what you want with your gut instinct, you can make it big in the world. You have to do everything and be like, “Let’s make a wild video. Let’s show it to someone. Let’s enter a competition and win it.” Those who are proactive and believe something is waiting for them, like Luffy from One Piece, will make it big in the world, even left to their own devices. 

――You’re currently the team producer of the Asics Skateboarding team. Do you often feel that drive from the young skaters?

Okada: It’s rare to see a kid like that nowadays. It seems like not a lot of them have that feeling. But it’s just that they don’t know. I’m sure they’ll improve if there’s someone on their case, just like I was taught things when I was a kid. 

When writing my book, I realized I am where I am today because of the talented people who lectured a cheeky brat like me. I want to convey that at Asics Skateboarding. If there’s an experienced adult, the skaters will listen to what they’ve got to say. I have nothing to complain about their potential and skill set, so I want to teach them about motivation and aiming for something greater. I want to tell them, “Let’s strive for something bigger. It’s not embarrassing to do it. You’ve got to integrate skating into your life more.” 

――Have you ever thought about what kind of skater you’d want to be if you were a teenage skater in today’s world?

Okada: No. Skating wasn’t an Olympic sport back then, but I’ve experienced almost everything I could imagine. It makes me tired just thinking about doing it again (laughs). I also don’t look at the young kids and think, “I would do it like this if I were them.” I genuinely think they’re great. 

――What about the future? What do you want to do as someone in the scene?

Okada: Nothing (laughs)! I don’t want anything to do anything half-baked and related to skating. I’ve experienced enough as someone in the scene. Of course, I have Asics Skateboarding and might be involved in skateboarding content, like my book. “Content” might make it sound like I’m not taking this seriously. Nonetheless, I want to keep a close eye on the scene, but I don’t want to be aggressive about it. I also don’t feel the need to be assigned a role or cling to one. 

――What are your thoughts on the skate scene in the near future?

Okada: It’s too arrogant of me to say what I want the skateboarding world to be like. Everyone plays a part in building the scene, and it’s not about what anybody says. The mindset of a skater is to transcend the box skaters are put in. 

Those who create things beyond people’s idea of skating will expand and deepen the scene. They motivate me. That’s why I want to watch the scene closely.

――What’s a significant aspect of skating that you’ve come to realize in your 30 years as a skater?

Okada: (Thinks for a while) I’m not sure, especially not now. There’s no distance between the scene and me. I wonder (laughs). 

――It’s an integral part of your life, so it’s hard to step back and see the bigger picture.

Okada: It’s more than that. I can’t find the answer, nor am I looking for one. It’s as though skating has melted in my body and dissolved. It’s like my blood sugar (laughs).

――(Laughs). Thank you. Those who don’t know much about skating could feel encouraged and empowered by your book. Lastly, could you give a message to prospective readers?

Okada: Let the youth dream. Let there be hope for the next generation. Let there be love for the 90s! 

Photography Masashi Ura
Text Kango Shimoda
Translation Lena Grace Suda

The post “Every Day was Like a Role-Playing Game”: An Interview with Shin Okada, the Pioneer of the Japanese Skate Scene appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

The 18th installment features Ado, a celebrated artist of today. After making her major debut with “Usseewa” in 2020, she’s fascinated the masses, regardless of age or gender. The theme song for One Piece Film Red, “New Genesis,” landed in the top 100 across all streaming platforms and became a hit. Ado scored the top spot on Apple Music’s global charts, thus gaining worldwide attention. The two shows that she’s done sold out, which became big news.

Today, each action she takes reverberates throughout the nation; what does the 20-year-old singer think about herself? We talk about Ado’s song with Ringo Sheena, “Missing,” and who the singer changing the 2020s is.

Ado
Ado is a singer born on October 24th, 2002. She became a social phenomenon with her major debut single, “Usseewa,” and breathed new life into the Japanese music scene. The soundtrack to the globally popular film, One Piece Film Red, titled Uta no Uta, features the theme song, “New Genesis,” which has been well received. In October, she teamed up with Ringo Sheena and released “Missing,” the theme song of the film Karada Sagashi. Ado will go on her first tour, “Ado Live Tour 2022-2023 Shinkiro,” on December 2nd. 
https://www.universal-music.co.jp/ado
Twitter：@ado1024imokenp
Instagram：@ado1024sweetpotet
YouTube：Ado

“New Genesis,” a song tying fiction and reality

――Your name became recognized all over Japan within two years of your debut. How have these two years been for you?

Ado: It’s been an eventful two years. People learned about me through my major debut song, “Usseewa,” and I had a lot of amazing opportunities, like singing theme songs for films and TV shows. I’ve just continued to sing. I’ve had two live performances, and most recently, I sang the songs Uta sang in the film One Piece Film Red, so I feel like my voice has reached even more people than before. Once I announced my nationwide tour, I collaborated with Ringo Sheena-san for “Missing.” I don’t have enough words to talk about the great things that have happened to me.

――The theme song for One Piece Film Red, “New Genesis,” earned the number one spot on Apple Music’s global charts; it’s been an enormous success. How does it feel to get this kind of response?

Ado: I’m sure this song has gotten a big reaction because of One Piece’s popularity. I felt anxious when I got approached to sing the part of Uta. I was worried about whether people would accept the disparity between Uta’s aesthetic and my singing voice and whether I could embody her as a songstress.

Uta is a character that’s adored worldwide as a songstress of a new era, and in reality, the song “New Genesis” became loved by people worldwide. I felt like what was happening inside the anime connected to the real world. I’m so grateful to be a part of it, and I want to thank everyone involved in the film from the bottom of my heart. 

――You had your first solo show on April 4th, called “Kigeki,” and your second, called “Campanella,” on August 11th at Saitama Super Arena, both of which excited your fans. What are your thoughts on live shows now that you’ve done them twice?

Ado: I love performing live. I want to continue doing it. Now that I’ve done two shows, I want to deliver even better performances and make everyone even more inspired. I hope to continue growing onstage and do my best so people can say my latest show was the best one I’ve ever done. I have a cohesive theme for my tour, so I want to give a high-quality performance wherever the venue is.

Photography Viola Kam

Working on “Missing” with Ringo Sheena

Ado “Missing”

――You mentioned her name, but you released “Missing” with Ringo Sheena-san. How was it like recording with her?

Ado: I sang in front of her in the recording studio and incorporated her advice into my vocal performance. Ringo Sheena-san brought out a different side of how I usually sing.

――Can you expand on that? 

Ado: The intro to the first verse has a cold feel. Ringo Sheena-san asked me to sing unnaturally, like a Vocaloid. I felt like she understood me deeply when she said that. It made me happy because it seemed like she thought about how I got into singing because of Vocaloids. I also felt a sense of surprise, and it reaffirmed how “Missing” is truly a song by both Ringo Sheena-san and me because of the process we went through.

――In regards to the making of “Missing,” Ringo Sheena-san has said you sound like the ideal stray cat, which sent shivers down her spine. What are your thoughts on that?

Ado: I was surprised to learn that being called a stray cat can be a compliment. I don’t know how to explain my singing voice, but it felt right when Ringo Sheena-san did. It was very like her to say that about me, so her words made me happy from the bottom of my heart. The expression is very humorous and unique.

―― agree. I got what she meant when she said that.

The necessity to have fun while singing

――I’d like to know about your background. ORIHARA-san is your image director. How did Orihara-san come to draw your image for you?

Ado: ORIHARA-san used to draw fan art for me. They draw memorable illustrations, so I was instantly attracted to them and used them for my YouTube icon. After that, I had to think of someone to create images for me once I made my major debut, so I asked ORIHARA-san to do it. 

――You felt like ORIHARA-san’s illustrations spoke to you.

Ado: Yes. They portray the person I want to be even when I don’t have the words to describe it. They understood who Ado was and drew illustrations that went beyond the idea I had in my mind. The quality of their illustrations improves yearly, and I think that’s great.

――Your tour, “Ado Live Tour 2022-2023 Shinkiro,” is happening in December. What are your goals for the tour and plans for the near future?

Ado: I feel like my nationwide tour, “Shinkiro,” is the next step from my show at Saitama Super Arena, which was a massive goal of mine. This tour and set of shows will show me what lies in the distance, whether that’s reality or otherwise. My goal is to become the ideal singer. One of my objectives is to reach a point where people get surprised because of how shocking, brilliant, and cool I can be. 

――Are there any specific steps you have in mind to get there?

Ado: One step is to interact more with my foreign fanbase. More people can listen to my songs in other countries, so I’d do shows abroad if people want me to, and I also want to communicate with them. That’s one of my goals. I also strive to perform on bigger stages. I want to play at big venues that I haven’t yet within these next few years.

――What do you do daily to polish your voice so you can be Ado? Do you have any advice for children who want to be like you and younger fans?

Ado: Keep singing, and have fun doing it. If you don’t give up on what you love doing and keep believing in your singing abilities, singing will become your friend. 

Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Lena Grace Suda

The post 時音 Vol. 18 The Evolutionary Era of Singer Ado appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

In July, they released their long-awaited first album SAMOEDO, presenting a sound that was created not only in Japan but also with their friends from Asia. Now that they’ve started performing, we interviewed Shin Sugawara and keyboardist Naruki Numazawa about the sound that SAMOEDO wants to convey and how the group was formed.

SAMOEDO
Shin Sugawara (ex-Siamese Cats) formed this four-piece band in 2022 with nakayaan, Kento Suzuki, and Naruki Numazawa. The concept is “make music not just for Asia, but from Asia,” and open up pop music then develop it from there.Their first album SAMOEDO was mixed by Chunchu Kim, who runs the ormdstudio in Seoul, Korea, recorded at the studio Philo’s Planet also in Seoul, and was mastered by Jaimin Shin, who runs said studio. The artwork is by Seoul-based Haeri Chung’s independent publisher SUPERSALADSTUFF.
Instagram：@samoedo.band
Twitter：＠SAMOEDO_band

Presenting music as someone living in contemporary Asia

——I understand that the formation of the band SAMOEDO was inspired by Mr. Sugawara’s writing and supervision of the book, Asian Urban Music Disc Guide (DU BOOKS). Could you start by telling us about that?

Shin Sugawara(Sugawara) : Let me tell you in order of how it happened. First, there was the breakup of the Siamese Cats, and then came the COVID pandemic, which made it impossible for me to do fieldwork-like research on Asian music. In the midst of all this, I had to write a book… At the time, I was working on the book at my desk at home, and I simply had an itch. I had a genuine desire to be on stage and not just be a music researcher. That was one of the main reasons.

——You naturally felt the urge to be on stage rather than do deskwork because you’re an artist. The concept of SAMOEDO is, “make music not just for Asia, but from Asia.” What is the idea behind this?

Sugawara: When I thought about what kind of band I wanted to make, I felt that Asian countries (other than Japan) were so foreign to me. I began to think that I needed to look at them more from the perspective that we are also people from Asia.

By doing so, I felt as if I could properly enter the world stage. This led me to the idea of doing things based on my identity as an Asian person. To put it simply, although we had to go through the COVID pandemic, I wanted to make my next music not as a Japanese band, but rather as a band that would convey to the world from Asia that cool Asians like this exist. That’s why I asked nakayaan-kun, Suzuki-kun, and Numazawa-kun to join the band.

Naruki Numazawa(Numazawa) : When I was first contacted, I was surprised because we didn’t even know each other, so I wondered why he chose me. But when I heard about the idea behind the band and his desire to play music as well as his expansive vision, I told him I wanted to be a part of it.

Sugawara: We didn’t know each other, but it couldn’t be just anyone. I knew that it had to be Numazawa-kun. Even though I had never met him, I was confident that he would immediately understand me if I talked through the language of music. Perhaps writing the book helped me think that way. Nowadays, if you have the courage, you can connect with anyone and understand each other.

——SAMOEDO is directed toward the world music scene. Did your experience being in the Japanese music scene with Siamese Cats play a large part in your decision to take this stance?

Sugawara: I personally grew along with the developing Tokyo underground scene along with everyone, so I’m not being critical of the Japanese scene. But although the Internet is everywhere and should’ve contributed to a free world, if you look at it from a broader perspective, things have actually felt more fixed and isolated. What I wanted to implement in SAMOEDO was a stance against such ideas. I wanted to compete with these ideas by joining forces with friends all across Asia to create and transmit new ideas.

——I see. So the concept “presenting music as Asian people” doesn’t mean that you’re positioning yourself exotically for the consumption of an American or European audience?

Sugawara: Exactly. For example, designs with kanji characters are very popular nowadays. Such designs are popular because they present this kind of exoticism or partake in innocent self-orientalism. There’s something refreshing about it, which is why it sells. But on the other hand, I think there are cases in which we consume such things unconsciously, without knowing the history of the country’s culture or how the people living there feel about their lives. The concept of SAMOEDO is that we aren’t doing that.

We are all “originally” Asian, and we are recognized as such by people around us, but we aren’t using our Asian identity to engage in economics or to consume culture; we’re merely people living together with others. In the music video for “Suiteki,” I wanted to convey the fact that sushi exists very close to us in our daily lives. Conveyor belt sushi restaurants, where you order from a touch screen, are as real to young people’s daily lives as a family restaurant.

SAMOEDO 「Suiteki」

A synthesizer band-like style that took shape in the album

——I feel like it’s impossible to know where in the world or in what time period the music of SAMOEDO was made. In a way, it seems to resonate with anyone’s life, no matter what country the music is played in.

Sugawara: I was conscious of that when making it. I think the synthesizer sounds Numazawa-kun creates crosses borders. I invited him to participate in the band because I wanted to make music you can’t pin down.

The musical expression that I could create on my own would make the sound more nostalgic, which I thought would prevent it from spreading the music globally. I also genuinely wanted to include comforting sounds and good synth phrases. The first album, SAMOEDO, was exactly that. It was made so it could resonate in any city, and it has the effect of a massage to the ears when you listen to it.

——Mr. Numazawa, how did you go about adding keyboard sounds in the making of this album?

Numazawa: It was easy to think about how the songs Mr. Sugawara gave me would end up sounding, so my parts came naturally. Also, there was a good amount of space for synthesizers in the songs with the other three members, so I was able to put in my own sounds at the end to bring the songs together into a finished form. I recorded the keyboard at home, and I had a lot of fun during the creation process. What were you actually looking for in my playing, Mr. Sugawara?

Sugawara: There’s a limit to what string instruments can do. Conversely, synths have unlimited possibilities, so I wanted you to include your sounds freely. I wanted this to be like a synthesizer band.

——Indeed, the guitar volume is mixed so low that the word “synthesizer band” makes a lot of sense.

Numazawa: The volume of the other instruments is minimal. Personally, I didn’t expect the synths to be so heavily in the mix at first. So when I listened to the finished mix, I felt that the synth sound was too prominent. I proceeded with the production in a rather intuitive way, thinking of phrases, layering them on top of each other, and then taking them out, like adding and subtracting.

Sugawara: I remember that. One of the most memorable moments was when we were on a last-minute deadline, and we went to Numazawa-kun’s house to record synth sounds until about 5:00 in the morning and layered them on top of each other. I think keyboard playing reflects the player’s history and musical experiences, and it seemed to me that the keyboard was layered with the context of black music, jazz, Japanese ambient, and other sounds that Numazawa-kun had cultivated over the years. It was great, and I felt that this would become one of the interesting things about Samoedo. I would like to do something like that with the guitar on the next album.

Numazawa: It’s true, it’s been a very long time since I’ve layered this many sounds.

Sugawara: And yet it’s amazing that it’s not too complex. I thought it was well put togetherl by your stylistic choices.

From left: Shin Sugawara, Naruki Numazawa, Kento Suzuki, nakayaan

Not spinning words into a story, but writing lyrics that hold instantaneous power

——Meanwhile, the descriptive lyrics written by Mr. Sugawara are very unique. You avoid using definitive words and skillfully use interrogatives and coined words. Could you speak a little about your lyric-writing style?

Sugawara: Words are very tricky things to handle, aren’t they? Japanese bands are often told that their lyrics are gut-wrenching. That “gut” feeling tends to get a lot of attention, and I like it myself, but what I want to do with SAMOEDO is to create a sound with an emphasis on rhythm. Rather than the context created by the sequence of words, I’d say that I want to express something deeper. That’s why I make the music ambiguous, so that some listeners may not be able to understand what I’m saying. In a sense, it may be very poetic, because I’m trying to find a way to use words that evoke an image. I want to express lyrics in a way that makes people feel a momentary flash of surprise when they hear my words.

——By the way, were the songs created in sessions?

Sugawara: No, we did most of it remotely using DTM. We were creating at a time when it was difficult to go out due to COVID. It wasn’t reasonable for the members to gather in a small room, and doing that felt contrary to the times.

Now that COVID has calmed down a bit, we’re at the stage of performing the songs we’ve been working on at shows. Performing in front of an audience has added another dimension of enjoyment.

——What did you feel after your first show (at Tsukuba Rock Festival on July 16) and the release party (at SPACE ODD in Daikanyama on August 10)?

Numazawa: Playing the keyboard from the stage for the audience was a very moving experience for me. At the same time, the image I had of the music changed. I approached the songs differently than the recordings, so even if I’m playing less synth notes, the music sounds filled out because we’re playing as a band. I’m now aware that the songs I used to make with DTM can be played like this.

Sugawara: A show is live communication with the audience. As a band, we have to show something different from what we’ve expressed in our recordings. I really enjoy the process of exploring how to do that in SAMOEDO.

The release party had a very happy atmosphere, and the audience was moving their bodies the whole time. We had the perfect time. Everyone was moving to the music differently, which I loved seeing. It was as if a DJ was playing good music and the audience’s bodies were freely responding to it.

——Now that the album has been released and the live shows have started, I think the band is finally in full swing. What do you want to do in the future?

Sugawara: Each member is involved in musical activities outside of SAMOEDO, so I think that SAMOEDO’s activities will inevitably move at its own pace. I sometimes feel a little sad about that, but I’d like to be able to get together anytime and do things comfortably. It’s not a specific goal, but I’d like to express what the band wants to convey in a way that’s appropriate for each occasion.

Photography Tetsuya Yamakawa
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Playing Music from Asia Around the World – SAMOEDO’s Pop Music Led by Shin Sugawara appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Despite being nearly unknown at the time they formed their band in 2017, they instantly became a breakout hit when Frank Ocean and Ezra (Vampire Weekend) introduced their debut single, “Something For Your M.I.N.D.” on an Apple Music radio program. In 2018, the band released their debut album Superorganism on the prestigious UK label Domino, and took off as a new age indie-pop band.

This supergroup has released their latest highly anticipated album, World Wide Pop. The album features a series of masterpieces created by a strong lineup of artists including Gen Hoshino, CHAI, French singer-songwriter Pi Ja Ma, Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, UK alternative hip-hop artist Dylan Cartlidge, and producer Stuart Price, who has worked with artists such as Madonna, Dua Lipa, and Franz Ferdinand.

Up until now, the focus has often been on the diversity of Superorganism’s members. Their latest album, however, allows the group to express a new sense of values, a worldview that is likely to influence not only music but also the future of pop culture itself. We asked Orono and Harry, who were visiting Japan, to talk about “pop” once again.

Superorganism
Supergroup based in London formed by multinational members from the UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Korea. They released their debut album Superorganism in 2018 on the prestigious UK label Domino. The group’s currently active members are Orono, Harry, Tucan, B, and Soul. Their latest album World Wide Pop features some of the world’s top artists, including Hoshino Gen and CHAI, French singer-songwriter Pi Ja Ma, Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, and UK alternative hip-hop artist and rapper Dylan Cartlidge.
https://www.wearesuperorganism.com
Instagram：@sprorgnsm
Twitter：@SPRORGNSM

The only rule is that there are no rules

——It seems you tried a slightly different approach from your previous production style for your latest album, World Wide Pop.

Harry: Our creative process hasn’t changed much, but in our previous album, the members never got together. Instead, we worked individually and sent each other files to complete our songs. But this time around, we did instrumental jam sessions in the US, and gathered in members’ bedrooms to make tracks. I think this new approach made a huge emotional impact. We toured after the release of the last album and spent more time actually seeing each other. Now, we all have a better understanding of each member.

——Did you discover anything new about the members that you didn’t know before as you spent more time with them?

Harry: We spent more time together, including on the tour bus, which gave us all the opportunity to learn all the things we didn’t know before. We became like a family. When we visited Japan and stayed at Orono’s parents’ house, I got to learn about Japan and saw a new side of her, since we got to know what kind of environment she grew up in. Bringing together people of different races, nationalities, upbringings, and cultures to understand each other is a unique privilege our band possesses.

——Harry, since you’re from the UK, you must have found the experience of visiting Orono’s hometown invaluable.

Orono: I even took them on a bike ride tour of my hometown.

Harry: I’ve been to Japan about five times, but always stayed in the bustling center of Tokyo. I got to see Japan’s peaceful side by visiting Orono’s hometown. We visited temples and shrines, and drove along the paths between the rice paddies while listening to the singing birds. I realized that Japan is truly a peaceful country.

——I’m sure each member has their own ideas and differs in music tastes. Do you have any unique rules for making and playing music in Superorganism?

Harry: It’s important for everyone to collaborate during the creative process, so we don’t decide on the direction or concept of the music at the beginning.

Orono: The only rule is that there are no rules.

——Nevertheless, you can feel Superorganism’s style when listening to your music. How do you perceive the part of yourselves that is uniquely you?

Harry: It’s difficult to self-analyze, but we have to be honest with ourselves. We’re eccentric, we make what we’re interested in, and we’re optimistic and humorous. We’re serious about making music, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously in other areas.

We want to provide music that is always ahead of its time

——Do you listen to trending music that’s gaining attention across the world?

Orono: I don’t listen to something just because it’s new, but listen to music that I’m curious about. But whether or not it stays in my head when I listen to it just because it’s new, is another matter. It’s like we listen to and absorb different kinds of music to update ourselves. Personally, I enjoy Beyoncé’s music.

Harry: I don’t pay that much attention to trends. Mostly because pop culture is constantly moving forward. It  moves at such a rapid pace that, for example, even if we write a song that’s influenced by today’s trending songs, pop culture would’ve moved on by the time we released it. Therefore, I’d rather provide music that’s ahead of its time rather than follow trends. To do that, it would be most ideal to do what we want to do, and be a pioneer of the times as a result.

——By the way, what impression do you have of Japanese music?

Harry: J-pop often combines catchy elements with strong melodies that invite attention. On the other hand, some also incorporate experimental and quirky elements in their music, sometimes with a unique sense of balance.

I think this is true not only for the country’s music, but also for Japanese pop culture itself. I get the impression that there is a depth of nostalgia that allows for eccentricities.

Orono: When I listen to J-pop, I get the impression of it being artificial and plastic. It has crazy and weird aspects to it, and has characteristics that are unique to the genre. I used to dislike it, but now I find the unique weirdness interesting.

Harry: I may not be accurate in my understanding because I’m not Japanese, but from a Brit’s perspective, I think there are many things that overlap with British culture. Brian Eno and David Bowie are similar in that they tolerate different things, even though their elements are different. Anyway, Japan seems to have a place for the quirky. Brian Eno and David Bowie, for instance, are similar in that they allow for different things in their music, but in their own ways. Similarly, it seems like Japan has a place for quirkiness.

I’m attracted to people who aren’t afraid to be open about their craziness

——Although not under the J-pop umbrella, this album features collaborations with Japanese artists at the forefront of the Japanese music scene, such as “Into The Sun (feat. Gen Hoshino,Stephen Malkmus & Pi Ja Ma)” with Gen Hoshino, “Teenager (feat. CHAI & Pi Ja Ma)” with CHAI, and “Solar System (feat. CHAI & Boa Constrictors).” Please tell us first about CHAI’s charm.

Superorganism “Teenager (feat. CHAI & Pi Ja Ma)”

Harry: I first saw them perform when they opened for us in Bristol. From that moment, I could feel a tremendous energy from them, and they understood our creativity well. What I’ve found on our tours together is that the second half of the show brings smiles to the faces of everyone in the audience.

Orono: I like how they combine eccentric and punk rock elements to their music. All of my Japanese friends are crazy, and the members of CHAI are also crazy in the same way (laughs). And yet, the fact that they possess cuteness is very modern and cool.

Harry: That’s why we knew they would work well in our musical world.

Orono: There are plenty of crazy people all over the world, but I think that sensibility is universal. However, it feels like there’s a need to hide that craziness to live in Japan. Because of that, I’m attracted to people who aren’t scared to be openly crazy. The members of CHAI are people like that. By the way, my father is also crazy (laughs).

——You collaborated with Gen Hoshino on the 2019 EP Same Thing. This time, it felt more like an invitation into Superorganism.

Superorganism “Into the Sun (feat. Gen Hoshino, Stephen Malkmus & Pi Ja Ma)”

Harry: He’s very sweet, kind, honest with himself, and loveable. In one phrase, he’s a good, nice guy. Usually, when you become successful and famous, you keep a distance from people. But he’s actually interested in others, and interacts with them intently.

Orono: He’s someone with normal sensibilities and has general common sense, but he also has a craziness to him. He’s a friend who possesses a special balance where normal and crazy coexist.

——You invited a variety of artists to collaborate on your latest album, World Wide Pop, and is a reflection of the current mood of Superorganism. What does “pop” mean to you?

Harry: We didn’t make this album for it to be the latest pop music. We wanted to make music that we genuinely thought was good. In a world where communication is key, I think “pop” is a culture that is accessible. It’s something that can overcome many barriers and obstacles, and a tool that makes that possible.

In terms of music, beautiful vocals and familiar melodies are necessary and a way for an audience to be welcomed into an artist’s culture. For example, the music can start with a grating melody, and then lead you to the more esoteric parts of the artist’s music. In that sense, I think it can be an educational tool as well.

Orono: For me, pop is “everything.” It’s a feeling, a sound, something you can like but also discard if it starts to feel ridiculous. In any case, I think anything can be considered pop.

■LIVE! : Superorganism World Wide Pop Tour
Performance：Superorganism
Date:
January 13th, 2023 @ZEPP DiverCity Tokyo, Odaiba, Tokyo
January 15th, 2023 @Namba HATCH, Namba, Osaka
January 16th, 2023 @DIAMOND HALL, Nagoya, Aichi
January 17th, 2023 @Hiroshima CLUB QUATTRO, Hiroshima
January 13th, 2023 @Fukuoka DRUM LOGOS, Fukuoka
Ticket information：SMASH
https://smash-jpn.com/live/?id=3754

Photography Shiori Ikeno
Text Analog Assassin
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Superorganism Develops the Culture of the Future With “Pop” As Their Tool appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Hiroya Kurata 
Hiroya Kurata was born in Osaka in 1980. He moved to America in high school and graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York in 2003. Since 2007, he has been working at an art restoration studio and creating his own artwork in New York. Kurata’s solo exhibition, “Summer Hours,” is being held at The Mass from August to September, his first exhibition in Japan in three years. 
Instagram：@hiro_kurata

Being drawn to constantly drawing since childhood

——How did you get into drawing and become a painter? 

Hiroya Kurata(Kurata) : I was born in Japan but grew up going back and forth between Japan and America since I was small because of my father’s job. I’ve liked drawing since I was small, and I drew throughout elementary, middle, and high school. I went to a high school in the outskirts of Massachusetts on the east coast, surrounded by nature. In hindsight, it was a hippie-ish school with quite a few students and teachers interested in things like, organic food and the environment.  (This was new to me in the late 90s.) The school had a welcoming attitude toward art, so no one would bother me for example if I lay on the grass with my Walkman and drew on my sketchbook. It was such a free environment. 

——Did your relationship with art in high school play a critical role in your development?

Kurata: I became friends with an older Japanese student in my high school, and meeting him played a significant role. He was an excellent artist and knowledgeable about different cultures, so I looked up to him. After graduating from high school, he attended an art school in New York. I took the bus to sleep over in his dorm room countless times and started wanting to live in New York after graduating. I moved there in the summer of 1999, as though I chased after him. I began going to Parsons and living in a small apartment on East 9th Street with three other friends (three men and one woman).  

——Did you begin studying painting once you entered college? 

Kurata: I didn’t study during my four years in college. I feel like I was too busy hanging out with my friends because I believed art was something not meant to be studied. It was a convenient yet contradictory excuse (laughs). My grades were so bad that I was on the verge of dropping out; I wasn’t a good student. 

One room in Kurata’s East Village apartment back in 1999

——How did a student such as yourself begin to want to become a painter? 

Kurata: In college, I had a professor named Jordin Isip, an illustrator and curator, who took me under his wing. He curated a massive group show—I think there were nearly 100 artists—and that show was the first I had ever participated in. It was also the first time I sold my artwork. One of the artists happened to be Barry McGee, someone we young artists admired so much. I felt shocked after realizing I could have similar opportunities if I made art in New York. Artists oozing with a DIY spirit began catching people’s eyes, which made me feel like I could do it too. That amplified my desire to become an artist. 

After graduating from school, I picked up many part-time jobs and started painting seriously. I worked at an art gallery and ran an accommodation for Japanese travelers. For four years, I worked as a studio assistant to Forrest Myers, a well-known sculptor. My most important job was art restoration, which I’ve been doing since 2007.  

——Can anyone pursue art restoration as a job?

Kurata: You usually need a degree in art conservation to do this job. But I learned how to restore paintings from scratch because of fate. The owner of the art restoration studio I work at is a true New Yorker from Brooklyn. He’s a self-made art restorer who learned the ropes through a teacher-and-student dynamic like me. He creates an open-minded environment for the staff, partially because he also wears several hats as a business owner, a poet and a musician. 

——He understands the work you want to do. 

Kurata: Thinking back, the money was just enough to make a living in the beginning but I was lucky enough to have a job as a foreigner, and most importantly it was a fun environment to work in. We’ve been working together for around 15 years, so he’s like family now. 

A photo at the art restoration studio Kurata works with his co-workers

——Is there anything from your art restoration job that affects your personal work?

Kurata: To restore paintings, we use a paintbrush to color chipped or cracked areas. Technically speaking, I learned how to make colors because there are various colors and textures in paintings. 

I learned many things thanks to working with pieces from different eras. The biggest realization I had was that the quality of a painting has nothing to do with its price. When I started working with expensive artworks worth millions, I would get clammy hands because I felt overwhelmed by their value. I used to feel nervous, thinking I would be in deep trouble if I screwed up. At some point, I became able to treat each painting as one piece of work. That is, I developed a calm attitude. Once I found out that, in some cases, there’s a big gap between a painting’s quality and marketplace value, I began to feel more at ease.  

——It sounds like what you experienced could make you feel like you’ll never lose, even if you can’t make a living only off your paintings or don’t get recognition. 

Kurata: Exactly. The realization I just talked about came from a place of jealousy (laughs). Looking back, I feel like I wasted time living in a delusion without confronting reality when I was younger. It’s embarrassing to say this, but I used cliched thinking like, “One day, I’ll make a living off of my paintings” and “I’m talented” as armor. Whenever I felt anxious, I read Taro Okamoto’s words, hyped myself, and tried to escape reality. 

It might’ve been a good thing that I painted without hurting my confidence, which wasn’t grounded in reality; I managed to avoid self-loathing. I feel like it’s emotionally easier for me to paint now after telling myself “paint what I can now at this age”. 

From “Summer Hours”

An illustrated journal can be art too

——Let’s talk about “Summer Hours.” Your work is based on the photos you take yourself. The way you portray people is quite memorable. 

Kurata: I’m  not too into realism. I like simplified faces, such as the ones you see in manga. I draw the sceneries in a detailed way, but the faces are manga-ish, which is why there’s a glaring contrast. 

——True. Your past works on Instagram look different from your current style. 

Kurata: I used to incorporate a lot of baseball-related things. I did it as a student until a few years ago but gradually got bored of it. I once drew a portrait of my parents holding hands with their grandchild so I could gift it to them, and it came out pretty well. That was what made me look to my surroundings for subjects. 

2017, a precious drawing sent to Kurata’s parents

——I pictured summer break in the Japanese countryside during the 70s and 80s upon viewing “Summer Hours.” 

Kurata: I feel like that was what I wanted to communicate. There are so many genres of art, but I think even something like an illustrated journal is art too. Some visitors who came to my exhibition told me they felt something because they associated my artworks with their memories. That made me genuinely happy. 

Over the past few years, I’ve come to like landscape artists like Milton Avery, Fairfield Porter, and Lois Dodd to name a few. What they do isn’t complicated, though. They’ve been able to draw their real lives and pass that down to the next generation. I hope I can become a painter who’s like them. 

——Is there a possibility your style could evolve in the future, much like how you changed from someone who used to paint baseball-related things? 

Kurata: I believe my style of painting will change. My kids would probably stop wanting to get their pictures taken, and it would probably be more difficult to have family outings with them [once they’re older]. My family might break apart! You never know (laughs). Anything can happen in our world, so I want to become a painter who can observe changes every day and reflect them in my work. 

From “Summer Hours”

 “I’ve been thrown into the ocean naked because I’ve never been a full-time artist” 

——Do you have any plans for the near future?

Kurata: I plan on holding a solo exhibition in Los Angeles in 2023 and Paris in 2024. 

——It sounds like balancing solo exhibitions with your job as an art restorer is challenging.

Kurata: I go to work twice a week now, but I feel like I can paint full-time soon. The prospect of that does make me feel nervous, though.

——Do you feel anxious and nervous about being able to support your family?

Kurata: I feel financially anxious, of course, but I also feel mentally nervous (laughs). I feel like I’ve been thrown into the ocean naked because I’ve never been a full-time artist. I’m sure I’ll learn as I go along and try different things out. 

“Just stick around; your turn will come” 

Kurata: I often tell my Japanese friends that I genuinely think Tokyo is such a great city. In recent years, the cost of living in New York has skyrocketed, thus pushing more people into homelessness. The city’s become less safe now. If I walked around my apartment in Brooklyn, I would spot two or three homeless people. The other day, on my way back from dropping my kids off at school, I saw someone who seemed like a homeless person quarreling with an owner of a deli, and they eventually started swinging a knife. Now, of course that doesn’t happen everyday but it’s something to consider about. As a parent of three children, I felt comfortable being in a safe city after returning to Tokyo for the first time in a long time. Safety might feel like a given for people who have lived in Tokyo for a while, but it’s essential to live in a safe city. 

From “Summer Hours”

——What are your thoughts on Japanese art culture?

Kurata: I can sense that the art scene in Tokyo and Asia is having a moment, even as someone who lives in America. It’s a wonderful custom for young collectors to support young artists, but I feel like selling and buying art at auctions only within Japan might be dangerous. Rather than emphasizing the artist’s future, it’s all about money, in which the rich get richer. I’m not sure about the specifics, but this happens in America too. I’ve come to feel like an artist’s career depends on which gallerist they become partners with.

With Forrest Myers, Kurata’s mentor. Taken in 2014.
Photography Hiroyuki Seo

——In terms of doing what you love for a living, what do you value? 

Kurata: I don’t want to sound snobbish, but looking back on how I’ve been able to making art, my horizons as a painter broadened thanks to my job as an art restorer and an assistant to a sculptor in the past. 

Everything starts with imitating, right? I believe creating an environment where you can imitate other works is essential. I still remember something from Forrest Myers: “Just stick around; your turn will come.” Or “Don’t go home yet” he said. I think that’s valuable. There was weight to his words because of the things he had been through, by seeing the New York art world since the 60s.

■Hiroya Kurata “Summer Hours”
Date: ~ September 25th 
Venue: The Mass 
Location: 5-11-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 12 PM to 7 PM
Closed: Monday, Tuesday 
Admission Fee: Free
http://themass.jp/

Photography Masashi Ura
Text Kango Shimoda
Translation Lena Grace Suda

The post The World of Hiroya Kurata, a Japanese Art Restorer and Painter Based in New York appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

In addition to tattoos, he has many other interests such as music, sneakers, and figurines. He also possesses a kawaii side, with his love of stuffed animals and Sanrio. In part two of this interview, we will get to know Katsutoshi Nishimoto through his tattoos and other cultural elements that make up his personality to his thought process.

Part.1 Here

Katsutoshi Nishimoto
Born in Saitama in 1979. Director of NISHIMOTO IS THE MOUTH. Nishimoto started to take his NISHIMOTO IS THE MOUTH endeavor seriously after retiring from a popular apparel brand in 2020. He has made several media appearances, including on YouTube channels. Nishimoto started his own YouTube channel, NISHIMOTO IS THE YOUTUBE, and has been actively increasing his media exposure.
https://nishimotoisthemouth.com/
Instagram：@k_nisimoto_
Twitter：@Nishimoto6996
YouTube：NISHIMOTO IS THE YOUTUBE

You’re basically paying for pain when you get a tattoo

——When did you first become interested in tattoos?

Katsutoshi Nishimoto (Nishimoto): I started reading magazines like “Tattoo Burst” and “Burst” in middle school. It was too expensive to buy and I didn’t have money, so I read them at the bookstore and tore out the pages I liked (laughs). Then, I started getting interested in how painful a tattoo would be, and got a tattoo of an elephant on my wrist when I was fourteen. At school, I wore bandages and a pile of wristbands to keep my tattoo concealed. My parents found out immediately, but I don’t remember getting scolded too much about it.

Elephant wrist tattoo that he got at age 14

——Why did you choose this tattoo of an elephant?

Nishimoto: I got it done at a tattoo shop on Takeshita street by an artist I didn’t know. The price of each tattoo was set at ¥10,000 for one tattoo and ¥15,000 for another, and I kind of liked the elephant that was there. I learned this later, but elephants are revered as Gods in India. It also matches my tribal tattoos, so it seems my fourteen-year-old brain made the right decision. I could fill it in, but I’m leaving it as is because it matches the other tattoos.

After that, I went down a tattoo culture rabbit hole. I wanted to get a well-done tattoo and found a tattoo artist named Yasu and contacted him because I thought that he was incredible. He got back to me about a year and a half later, and gave me three tattoo designs, all of which were very cool. Since then, Yasu is the only person who has tattooed me, which is why I don’t know any other tattoo artists. If Yasu died, I wouldn’t want to get any more tattoos, even if some of mine were incomplete. That’s what our relationship is like.

——How much did all your tattoos cost in total?

Nishimoto: It’s around ¥20,000 to ¥30,000 per session, so around 10 million yen total.

——Are you planning to get more?

Nishimoto: I haven’t gotten a new one in about two years. It’s mostly about how I’m feeling, and I just don’t feel like it now. I’m more focused on the success of my brand at the moment. I don’t have any tattoos on the soles of my feet or my penis, so I’d eventually like to get new tattoos there and in the whites of my eyes. My friend recently got a tattoo in the whites of his eyes, but was told that he may go blind in less than ten years. If my friend doesn’t go blind in the next nine years, I’ll get it done.

——This may be an ignorant question, but do you use anesthesia when you get a tattoo?

Nishimoto: You don’t. My personal tattoo philosophy is that tattoos are created from pain. There’s no point in a tattoo without the pain element. It’s like you’re paying for the pain.

—— I imagine it must’ve been quite painful for someone like you with full body tattoos……

Nishimoto: There’s almost a rhythm to it. You get used to it once you have so many. I even fall asleep while getting them. Although my achilles, the backs of my knees and thighs, and my ass were painful. And my palms. My wrists were being held down while I was getting my palms done, but it hurt so much that my body would reflexively move as a rejection of the pain. I really wanted to punch Yasu while he was doing it, too. He asked me if he could fix the pattern on my palms, but I can’t go through with that unless I’m really excited about something. I’m thinking of getting it fixed when I start dating a really beautiful woman.

I want to hook up younger artists

——You always wear a white T-shirt and white pants. Do you always wear a specific brand?

Nishimoto: I’d like to keep the brand a secret (laughs). Although I have at least ten sets because the sizing and balance work so perfectly. NISHIMOTO IS THE MOUTH T-shirts are sturdy, thick, original T-shirt body designs, but I personally prefer thinner fabric.

——Do you ever wear your own brand or other colors?

Nishimoto: I have, but it never felt right. I sometimes keep them as memorabilia, but I end up giving them away. When I wore a Nishimoto Is the Mouth T-shirt for a shoot in Portland, an American friend of mine told me to change back into my normal white outfit, and I’ve kept the full white outfit ever since. Since I only wear white, I enjoy fashion through sunglasses, grillz and sneakers.

——Is there a chance your mood will change that in the future?

Nishimoto: There was a period when I only wore black, but I don’t think that’ll happen again because white is working well for me. And I don’t get questioned on the street by the cops when I’m wearing white. I’ve only been stopped by cops three times. When I walk home in the morning from the club and pass a police car, I get a lot of looks, but never get stopped. Maybe when I wear white, they think, “this guy might not be a problem after all.”

——You talked about sneakers earlier, and have a considerable amount of sneakers at home. How many pairs do you own?

Nishimoto: If you include the pairs at my parents’ house, I’d say around 500. I used to only buy Nikes, but it’s spilled over into Asics and Salomons, too. I’m constantly buying sneakers and records. I feel like I wouldn’t be myself if I stopped buying them. I can’t help but want them when I see pictures, and I watch Sneaker Wars everyday. I watch that show and feel bad that new sneakers are coming out. I think, “I’m gonna run out of money again” (laughs). I wouldn’t care if it was past the release date, but the day before is the worst. I just have to check.

Sneakers overflowing in his house

——I understand that feeling (laughs). I often ask my acquaintances to buy sneakers for me (laughs).

Nishimoto: I do that for the ones I can ask for, too. The ones I can’t ask for I don’t even think I can win through the lottery. If I really want it, I’ll buy it at the premium price. If it’s around ¥5,000 more on SNKRDUNK or Mercari, that’s a good buy. I’m not really interested in premium sneakers, so I don’t buy them for hundreds of thousands of yen.

——What’s a sneaker you bought recently?

Nishimoto: The Nike Air Kukini in triple black, the Nike x Jacquemus collab Air Humara, and others. The Asics that Kiko (Kiko Kostadinov Studio) designed is also cool. If they come out with four colors, I usually  want all of them. It’s a disease.

——Do you wear the ones you buy?

Nishimoto: I actually don’t (laughs). I like sandals in the summer. I open the box once it’s delivered, try it on once with an outfit, look in the mirror, think it’s cool, and that’s it. I’m fulfilled just by owning it.

——Is there anything else you collect?

Nishimoto: I also collect art. Not art that costs hundreds of thousands of yen, but art by young, cool artists. This is my personal opinion, but I’m not interested in commercial art that focuses on how much you can resell it for. I’d rather hook up younger artists. They don’t have money yet, and it costs money just to buy paint. So I send clothes to the artists I like so they can use that money they would’ve spent on drinking and art supplies. But it can’t just be any young artist. I’m betting on artists that will eventually blossom and become popular in ten years or so.

——You also own many figurines and records.

Nishimoto: The walls of my room represent the inside of my brain. It’s pretty stupid. I like to buy rather strange figurines. For instance, I don’t want an Antonio Inoki figurine, but I’d love a Haru Ichiban figurine. I also like stuffed animals and Sanrio. The Sanrio characters I’ve liked since I was a kid are Tabo and Keroppi. I used to visit the Sanrio shop close by often. And I like frogs. I had thirteen pet toads at my old place. Their eyes are really cute. I like different types of music, too. I like noise and black metal, but also listen to J-rap, and artists like iri and Boredoms. I DJ at a party I host called “Zuttomo” at the Shibuya Lion once every two months, where I only play weird vinyls. When I play trance music from the late 90s to 2000s, the young kids who have never heard it before start to mosh and stuff. It makes me happy to see them get so excited.

The figurines on the wall that are said to represent the inside of Nishimoto’s brain

I’d rather people think I’m stupid than people be concerned for me

——You’ve started your own Youtube channel recently. What prompted you to launch your own channel?

Nishimoto: There’s nothing specific. People told me that I should, and I went with it. But I don’t want my YouTube channel to be too intertwined with the world of NISHIMOTO IS THE MOUTH. I’d like to just get footage of the real Katsutoshi Nishimoto. Although the title of the channel is “NISHIMOTO IS THE YOUTUBE,” which means I haven’t actually succeeded in separating the two (laughs). 

My goal is to get 10,000 subscribers by the end of this year. I’ve just been uploading all the videos that we’ve been taking and copying popular YouTube video prompts like 100 questions and routines. But we’re now talking about making a Terrace House-type drama about two grandmas falling in love with me. People have also told me to start a TikTok. I’ve heard that doing TikTok can really increase your YouTube and Instagram followers, so I have to do it.

——Will you be dancing on your TikTok?

Nishimoto: I know. I thought I’d do expressionless dances. I turned it down once, but I’ve been told that we’ll have to start filming them soon.

——Who is telling you this?

Nishimoto: The cameraman who shoots my YouTube videos. He’s a TV cameraman as well, and he always does my stuff for free. He’s a good editor and helps me a lot, but also finds my content funny. I’m not a comedian, but I’d rather be laughed at while I’m alive and die while being laughed at. I want people to laugh and think I’m dumb for having tattoos all over my face. I’d rather people think I’m stupid than people be concerned for me.

——Have you always felt that way?

Nishimoto: No, my feelings have changed since I quit my previous job. I was depressed before, and when I got my face tattooed, people started to look at me weird. I had to go to a psychiatrist because my autonomic nervous system was shot. But there were many people with much worse conditions than myself there, which made me realize I was relatively healthy. Even though at the time, I really felt that my mental health was deteriorating. I like tattoos but getting tattoos made my mental health worse. I was also depressed when I quit my previous job that I had to get unemployment benefits at the public employment security office. It was sad. I wondered how people looked at me. I’m sure they thought, “this makes sense” seeing me in that waiting room with this appearance.

——You used to go to the public employment security office?

Nishimoto: I didn’t want to write a resume and I knew I would fail all of my interviews, so I didn’t go to look for jobs. I was thinking I could work at a club or do physical labor or something. But two months later, I got an offer to start a brand. I thought, “great, now I don’t have to work!”

——And once you started NISHIMOTO IS THE MOUTH, your mindset changed?

Nishimoto: Exactly. Once I started the brand at 40, my mindset changed to a more positive one, and I learned to embrace the future. The current environment where I’m self-sufficient is great, and I feel like I want to do everything.

I’m super thankful to the people around me, like Mr. Sugaya from Common Base and the YouTube cameraman. I feel guilty that I’m the only one being featured, because I couldn’t have done any of this alone. I’m able to be featured in this way because of the people around me. I always feel so thankful for my friends, senpai, and artists that have helped me.

Photography Hidetoshi Narita
Text Kango Shimoda
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post “I Want To Be Laughed At When I’m Alive, and Want To Die Being Laughed At”——Interview with Katsutoshi Nishimoto of NISHIMOTO IS THE MOUTH part.2 appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.