Turntable Terrorists: The 10 Must-See DJs in Japan (w/ free MP3s)

By Matt Lyne

In compiling this feature I came to a decision not to present: 1) a regurgitated list of the usual "top 10 DJs", 2) solely figures who are already well-known, or 3) a selection that you could easily compile yourself with a few quick Google searches. Instead, I've aimed to present an informative, progressive and (at least this is the idea) invaluable list of 10 of the hottest DJs and DJ units in Japan right now. That's not to say that the big-name veteran DJs like Towa Tei, Ken Ishii, Q'Hey, Wada et al are not worth checking out, or that by not including the pop-generation DJs such as Yasutaka Nakata and Shinichi Osawa I am surreptitiously attempting to disregard their contribution to the Japanese club scene. Furthermore, although there are other names - let's drop some: detroit-techno master Compufunk, genre-spanning spinner Duck Rock, extreme-turntablist Kentaro, techno-veteran Kompakt artist Hiroshi Watanabe (Kaito), and hard-working Osakan staple DJ Yuzi - who very well should have, but for one reason or another haven't been included, it's nothing personal. It's just that this list is an attempt to introduce or reintroduce some DJs that you may have overlooked, a group so talented that it should be a criminal offense not to catch them playing out at some point during your time in Japan.

Here's the list in alphabetical order. Click on the DJs' names for complete profiles and some exclusive free MP3s: 

ALTZ (free MP3 inside)

Dex Pistols 

Force Of Nature 

Fumiya Tanaka 

Goth-Trad

DJ Kensuke 

DJ Krush 

DJ P.O.L. Style (free MP3 inside) 

TR NCH aka Dave Twomey 

DJ TUTTLE (free MP3 inside)

To download a PDF of this story as it appears in the magazine, click here

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