Since his first exposure to hip-hop culture via the film
Wild Style in the mid 80s, DJ Krush has been on a mission to forge his own distinctive path into a realm usually dominated by westerners. With a unique style that infuses a heady blend of dark, lush bass heavy sound scapes with jazz, electronica, live instrumentation and a hefty dose of Japanese culture, DJ Krush has been a huge pioneer in the world of hip-hop production. His live shows have become renown for their ability to captivate and enthral and he has a list of collaborators that includes the likes of DJ Shadow, Mos Def and The Roots, not to mention a reputation as being one of the most prolific hip-hop artists in the world. So with all this behind him you’d think the thought of slowing down may have crossed his mind once or twice, but as he said to Lifelounge’s Dimitri while taking a well earned rest from his busy schedule, ‘Right now, music is the only thing on my mind’.
DK: Your new album Stepping Stones is a sort of self-remixed best of album, how have the tracks changed now that you have revisited them?DJK: Selecting the tracks was even harder than the actual production. Each album is an entity in itself and has a life of its own, so it was really difficult to choose certain tracks. I needed to be inspired, so I listened to the separate elements of each track that I chose and tried to figure out what I would be inspired to create from those elements at this point in time.
All the music is something that I created myself, my offspring if you will. I know each track’s characteristics and I understand everything about them. The more difficult they were to create, the deeper an impression they leave. Each one was a challenge in its own right, but that made it even more refreshing to see them in a new light and these paths that I walked in the past are helping to push me toward the future.
DK: Do you feel that your overall musical aesthetic has changed much over the duration of your career?DJK: When you put something unfamiliar into your mouth, your tongue picks up the taste and passes it on to your brain. The brain then processes the experience and since there is no prior input, just spits it out since it doesn’t understand what it is. ‘What the hell is this ... hip-hop?’ But through this process, the brain remembers that one moment as an experience and the unfamiliar taste becomes embedded in memory. This memory loops within the brain cells faster than an index finger can hit MPC keys and the brain wracks itself trying to figure out what the experience is. Without fully understanding what they’ve tasted, people can’t relax; they keep screaming for understanding. The key is how to lead them beyond that stage. My core has not budged a bit since my early days; it’s the consciousness of the people who listen to my work that is the key.
DK: How did you get into hip-hop originally? Why do you think it appealed to you so strongly?DJK: I was young and I was searching for something that I could devote myself to. That’s when I came upon the film
Wild Style. That was when I truly found my calling. I wanted to express myself through some means, be it breakdance, graffiti, rap, DJ-ing ... and being a huge music fan since I was a kid, I chose to be a DJ. I chose music. Any road where I could express my true self was comfortable to me; a road that tries too hard to be something it’s not doesn’t interest me at all.
DK: Who have some of your greatest influences been over the years?DJK: Anyone who can express their undeniable character though music and can casually present a powerful aura that is inimitable.
DK: You have really managed to cultivate your own distinct style over time, it seems like you have a really diverse range of influences, what musical genres other than hip-hop have influenced your style?DJK: All kinds of music, jazz being the most influential, as well as various movies, paintings, photographs, people, nations, the universe ...
DK: Japanese culture also seems to play a major part in your production, particularly with your use of traditional Japanese instruments. Has it been a conscious decision of yours to try to infuse your music with some of your own cultural heritage?DJK: In Japan, the younger you are, the more you tend to lean towards western culture without seeing what great culture your home country has to offer, even though you’re eating rice and miso soup every day. To be honest, there was a time when I was like that too. Now, I’ve grown to be able to accept and naturally infuse my music with my native culture.
DK: What is the hip-hop scene like in Japan? Does it tend to mimic American hip-hop culture, or is it quite distinctly Japanese? What are some of the differences?DJK: It’s been like 20 years since hip-hop was first introduced to Japan. The current scene is much like other countries, with a mainstream scene and an underground scene. Personally, I find the underground scene much more interesting, with many artists, young and old, trying to express their views of the world through rhyme and music. There are a lot of guys who are searching for a distinctly Japanese style of hip-hop while keeping both feet on the ground. At the same time, there are idiots who still look to American hip-hop for direction, wear the same kind of outfits and claim they’re real brothers doing hip-hop while pumping out nondescript, generic music.
DK: Your live shows are quite abstract, minimal and experimental, which is a slight contrast to a lot of your production work, are you trying to achieve different goals with your live sets and the records you produce?DJK: I thrive on chemical reactions that are unexpected and unscheduled, and also on unimagined occurrences that happen within the realm of the expected. I love to experiment on stage.
DK: I had the pleasure of seeing you do a show here in Melbourne a few years ago, and you really had the ability to create a strong atmosphere in the club. Is there a particular feeling or philosophical idea that you consciously try to convey with your music?DJK: When I feel that the audience is greeting me warmly, when the atmosphere is giving off a quiet presence and surrounding my being, I feel the desire to let everything out and share my senses with the audience. If I can send whatever visual music images I have within my brain to everyone in the crowd, that atmosphere grows and absorbs everything. In a sense, it’s what being a DJ is all about.
DK: What is your set up when you play live? Do you just spin records, or do you actually use sampling and live instrumentation in addition to your turntables?DJK: Turntables, samplers, effects and CDs.
DK: Do you use any non-conventional techniques on your turntables to produce any distinct sounds, using your turntable as an actual instrument?DJK: I have no special technique to speak of. I always try to make my scratch mixes to be as emotional as possible. Nothing special.
DK: How do you go about producing a track, can you describe your creative process?DJK: That’s a difficult question to answer. The process differs with each track, so it’s hard to give a singular answer. Though I do start by offing a cold beer.
DK: Who have been some of your favourite artists to collaborate with in the past?DJK: I like them all. For instance, in the case of MCs, I like those artists who are distinct and will let you into their minds. With these artists, you listen to their rhyme and the musical image is instantly reflected into your own mind. Your imagination is set free, and becomes a sound scape. They completely stimulate the minds and bodies of the DJs who create the music. The depth of their words give us momentum. No boundaries exist there.
DK: Are there any other artists in Japan that we may not know about here who we should be looking out for, musical or otherwise?DJK: Can’t really think of any.
DK: Do you have any creative outlets other than music?DJK: Right now, music is the only thing on my mind.
DK: What are some projects that you have coming up in the future?DJK: Nothing right now.
DK: Do you have any plans to tour to Australia again in the near future?DJK: No dates are confirmed, but I do have plans for later in the year. When I have details, I’ll have them posted on my website, so keep your eyes open.
DK: This issue of Lifelounge Magazine has a nature theme, what defines the idea of nature and natural to you?DJK: It’s my ideal.
DJ Krush’s self-remixed greatest hits
Stepping Stones is out now through Red Label.