Thanks to a mix of language barriers and cultural stereotypes, most 'heads think Japanese hip-hop is derivative, silly, or downright racist. But the emerging Japanese underground is pumping out excellent, innovative tracks that deserve to be heard around the world. Japan The Beats highlights the best of these releases and tells the stories behind them. Click here to access the archive.
Skyfish is one of a few producers in Tokyo now making dubstep, music at the intersection between hip-hop, reggae, and electro. His hard-hitting, frenetic, bass-heavy beats have backed up Katchitola Haguretic MCs, Rumi, and CIAZoo, and along with other producers like Goth-Trad and Takuya Nakamura, he's part of a sort of dubstep sub-subculture within underground hip-hop. Tokyo's dubstep takes cues from Japan's heavy background in brutal noise music, making some European and English dubstep sound understated. You can get a pretty good sense of what this scene is all about from the name of the showcase where many of these artists honed their craft -- Murder Channel.
I met Skyfish just before the start of a party at Dosraa, a small club in the Shibuya section of Tokyo. We talked about his musical background, dropping out of college, Japanese reggae, and the difficulty of being an aspiring musician in Japan's hierarchical society.
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When did you start making music?
When I was 16 -- about nine years ago.
What inspired you?
I was really interested in gabber at first, and I thought I could make that kind of music. I was interested in gabber, electronics, and noise.
Really, noise? The band I'm in at home is a noise band. When did you start working with Rumi?
Well, I knew about her before this, but we first met at a party thrown by her label [Sanagi] in 2005, and I gave her a demo CD in 2006. She chose a track to use on her album in 2007.
So you gave Rumi the CD and she liked it?
Yeah, but also, because I was DJing, we were in the same places a lot, and so she heard many of the tracks I was making. She put one on the 2007 record.
Did you have the idea of working with vocalists before that?
Yeah, before that I had done various things with Chinza Dopeness and Chuck Moris, and others. It wasn't hip-hop, but I'd done a lot of things with rap and vocalists.
When you work with vocalists as opposed to just instrumentals, does the music you're making change?
Well, it's not completely different, because when I'm working I usually think about the hook, the heart of the song. It's necessary. And so I record the original idea that I have, but when I'm working with a vocalist, I bring that to them and we work on it more together.
Chinza and Rumi have been interested in dubstep for a while, right?
Rumi definitely has, from way back. Chinza was always more into hip-hop and techno.
Have you done Murder Channel?
Yeah, I've played there a lot.
When did you make the transition from gabber to dubstep?
Well, like I said, I was into gabber and noise, but after that I started listening to Jungle and dancehall. I really liked ragamuffin, so from that I got into reggae, garage. And in the middle of that I got into dubstep.
Who was the first musician to bring dubstep to Japan?
Well, I used to play Pinch's track before dubstep was well-known. But I know dubstep was getting big by the middle of 2006. Goth-Trad had already made his album, including his big song, “Back to Chill.” I think dubstep was first played at breakcore parties.
[At this point the other DJs playing that night's party started warming up, and we had to move into the streets of Shinjuku, to look for another place. The nearest coffee shop is full, forcing us out onto the street. We seated ourselves on two granite stones marking the border between sidewalk and street, where we were able to get on with the interview in peace -- the relative silence of even Tokyo's busiest areas is one of its most surprising features.]
What kind of equipment are you using?
When I started out, I was using a sampler and a sequencer, but now I just use my computer. I do everything with that.
Tokyo's all-night shows are a special feature of the scene here. Are the audiences at all-night shows and earlier shows different?
Yeah, there are lots of unusual people at the overnights, but the ones in the evening are more normal, like people with jobs.
Which do you prefer?
Well, the people in the late shows are interesting, but they don't have any money. The people at the evening shows buy more CDs. They're collectors. So, I like both kinds of crowds.
Which are bigger fans of your music?
Probably the late-night groups. My releases still aren't that known. So the type of people who come to the late-night parties are more focused on what's going on -- they're more likely to know me, and to know dubstep.
You don't have a solo record out yet.
No, it's coming out next year. I'm right in the middle of making it now. But people have heard my work making rap tracks, and people who like dubstep show up. So the crowd is kind of between those.
Are those two groups separate?
I think they really want different things. The people who listen to rap are listening to dubstep because they like the track, but the dubstep people just really like bass. [Laughs]
Is there a label for next year's release?
Yeah, it's coming out on Pop Group.
It seems like Pop Group and [underground hip-hop label] Mary Joy have a strong connection.
Yeah, I guess so. We're all good friends.
Other than that, who do you have connections with?
There's a label called Part 2 Style, and they have a group called Rubadub Market. They're pretty reggae, but they've definitely got techno and dubstep influences.
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"Hierarchy here is very strong, like a pyramid. If you don't have a serious job, you can't get married, stuff like that."
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Have you worked much with reggae artists?
Just one, Chuck Moris. He's also has interests outside of reggae – techno, things like that.
What about just regular reggae artists? There are a lot of Japanese reggae artists.
I haven't really hooked up with those people yet. I'd love to try it, but our motivations for doing things are a little different.
How so?
Well, the mainstream reggae artists really want to become popular. They don't really have such special feelings or ideas.
But you like Japanese reggae? Any particular favorites?
I like Papa B, H-Man, Rudeboy Face.
When I first got to Japan, I was surprised that reggae was so big.
Oh yeah, it's big. Because it's in Japanese, not a whole lot of people understand it, but the skill level is really, really high.
Compared to the Tokyo scene in the past, have things changed recently?
I think hip-hop has really changed recently. In the past, it was mostly B-Boy music. But lately lots of different people have started getting into it, various kinds of people. If I can put it in the best possible sense, OL [female office workers], assistants, everyone listens to it now．It's become much more widespread than before.
But there's still a bit of a split. Rumi, for example, is still pretty underground. The OLs probably like stuff that's a little more mainstream, like Rip Slyme.
[Rapper] Clever, stuff like that.
You speak a bit of English?
Yeah.
Where did you study?
When I was 19, because I had friends there, I spent about two months in England. I was talking to my English friends all the time. Just to be able to communicate, I had to speak English, so I learned pretty well. This was because I was making noise and gabber in high school, and I sent out demo tapes all over the place, overseas, to England, Singapore. I also corresponded in English via email, and learned from that.
So you have overseas connections?
Yeah, I'm a member of 19-t; it's a record label with people all over – Japan, Canada. We can do tours all over the place.
Did you get together over the net?
Well, everyone used to live in Japan, in Tokyo, but then went back to their homes.
So, do you have an interest in other countries?
Yeah, a lot of interest. The parties are better than in Japan.
Really? The parties in Japan are great, I think.
You think so?
Well, I've never lived in New York, but I've been to parties there, and I think the parties in Tokyo are better. But what are you most interested in?
Well, I like English music the most – dubstep, techno, all the stuff I like comes from there. But the cost to live there is so high; I think it would be hard to live there. I have an interest in all of Europe, though.
It's interesting, Japan used to be more expensive than anywhere, but recently...
Yeah, after the Bubble, it's gone down.
After you went to England, did your opinion of Japan change?
Yeah, it changed a lot. I was born in Tokyo, and the speed of life is so fast here. In England, everything is so slow. Everyone's like... “Time out, I need to drink some tea.” And the evenings are so long... even at 9 PM, it's still light out. It's still modern -- it's still a city, but it's different.
Well, of course the middle of Tokyo is crazy, but the circle around that is different. Koenji isn't so fast-paced; it's smaller, quieter.
It's really local. I live really close to Koenji.
This is a completely different question, but... did you graduate from University?
Yeah, but only just now.
A little long?
Really long. It took me six-and-a-half years.
Why?
I was making music, and sort of stopped going to school, dropped out.
So it wasn't that important?
Well... I didn't think it was that important. But it's important to have a job.
What are you doing right now?
Right now, I don't have a job.
Oh, because you just graduated.
Yeah, I'm wondering what to do.
Are you looking for a particular kind of job?
I'm thinking something connected to computers would be good. I know computers pretty well.
Because you've been using them to make music?
Even before that... I used to use Windows 2000, that long ago. I'm pretty good with them.
So what are your plans for the future? Have a job and make music at the same time?
I'm still just thinking about that. I think it would be good if I could keep the music coming, but right now I'm making four or five tracks a month, and I don't think I can keep that up if I have a job. So that's a really rough thing about a job. So when I can't keep it up, when there's nothing I can do. I would like to keep making music, though.
I've talked to various musicians, and a lot of them are Freeter. They don't have such serious jobs, they're part-timers.
Easy jobs.
They prefer that kind of job because they have more time. But you're interested in a more serious job?
Yeah. Doing only that kind of thing, only part-time work, is really hard. You can do it, but if you get to be 30 years old and you've only worked part-time jobs, that gets tough. If you go to other countries, that's okay; it just depends on the environment.
For example?
For example, if you go to another country, there are Japanese people who just wash dishes. But in Japan, appearances are so important. Working at a part-time job until you're 30, that's like... Hierarchy here is very strong, like a pyramid. If you don't have a serious job, you can't get married, stuff like that.
Really?
Yeah, let's say you fall in love, and that person's mom sees that you're not working a serious job; they won't let you get married. That happens, so that's one reason I want a serious job.
This is the last bit, but it's connected to work. Do you have an interest in Japanese politics?
Yeah, I'm quite interested.
Lots of interesting things happening lately.
Yeah, with the prime minister's resignation [in reference to the September 1, 2008 resignation of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda].
Do you think [Japanese] young people are interested in this stuff?
I really don't think everyone is. I think people have become unable to think about stuff that's that big. Right now, no one in Japan has money, so everyone's more concerned with themselves -- paying their taxes, their rent. And since nobody has money, they don't want to think about it. So they just take the money and drink with it.
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