Turntable Terrorists: Dex Pistols

By Matt Lyne | Tuesday, Dec 1, 2009

Dex Pistols

The post-Daft Punk electro scene really blew up in Japan just over two years ago. Previously the apparel-music club conventions had been soundtracked by jazzy house, although by the end of 2007 the big club's promoters were switching the sounds of trumpet samples and congas to harsh, heavily compressed/distorted 909s and contorted disco-stabs. And with the rise of the scene's popularity, the accessibility of music on the Internet and the shift to CD and digital DJing, a new breed of DJs and artists started to emerge in Japan. Many of the new names weren't (and still aren't) worth the paper of the event flyer that their name is printed on; some, however, have risen to prove themselves as successful DJ/promoters in their own right.

Although 80kidz may have made a small name for themselves internationally amongst blog-bound teenagers, their DJ sets and overall presence have never matched the fierce Tokyo duo Dex Pistols. These guys had already been tearing up fashion-brand-sponsored electro events before 80kidz got their first big gig at Diskotopia in Osaka.

The Dex Pistols are DJ Maar and DJ Daruma. They are heads of the clothing label and DJ/artist collective Roc Star, and - since the promoters started flying the big international names in the scene over to Japan - they have been supporting everyone from Justice, Busy P, and Sebastian to Boys Noize, Simian Mobile Disco, and Crookers. What sets them apart from the other Japanese DJs in this fickle scene is their lightening-fast ability to keep up with the latest sounds and trends, along with their bad-boy style and aggressive nature which, like it or not, oozes cool. You can catch them regularly at all the big clubs in Tokyo, at their monthly "Midnight Request" residency at Onzieme in Osaka, and in guest spots at other events around the country.

myspace.com/dexpistolstokyo

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