Kim Ann Foxman × PUNKADELIX Interview

NYのクラブシーンにおける最重要人物として知られるKim Ann Foxmanは、NYでNu Discosシーンの先駆けとなった伝説のグループHercules and Love Affairのヴォーカリストとして知られ、ハウスのDJ／プロデュ—サーとして自身のレーベルを立ち上げるほか、GucciやDior Homme、Prada、Addidasなど数々のコラボレーションを果たす。東京のクラブシーンを代表するDJであり、アートディレクター・近藤麻由としても高い評価を得ているPUNKADELIXは、彼女の活動やスタイルに共感し、東京への招聘を熱望。昨年12月に渋谷のContactで開催されている人気パーティー”MOTORPOOL”で共演を果たした。そのふたりに、現在のクラブシーンから自身のあり方に至るまでを語ってもらった。




——来日は６年ぶりだそうですね。


PUNKADELIX「以前来た時はelevenだったよね。contactのスタッフや一緒にパーティしているメンバーとずっと呼びたいねと話していたから実現できて嬉しい。ここ3、4年NYに行けていないんだけど、今のシーンはどう？面白いクラブがあったら教えてほしいな」


KIM「かなり変わったよ。しばらくは動員が厳しい時期が続いていたし、人を集めるのが大変でちょっとフラストレーションもあった。素晴らしいDJがたくさんいたんだけど、ダンスミュージックがあまり流行っていなかったんだよね。今は爆発的に盛り上がっていて、クラブも混んでいるし、倉庫でやっている不法のパーティーもたくさんある。流行ってるぶん、とにかくクラブに行きたいだけのいろんな人も来ていたりするから、いいヴァイブスを得るのは難しいときもあるかもしれないけど、クラブシーン自体はとても活気があっていい感じ。私はブルックリンのグッド・ルームというところでレジデンシーをやっているんだけど、楽しいしリラックスできる場所だよ。ローカルの人たちや他のDJたちが自然と集まっていて、ファンシーなクラブにしようとしているわけでもないし、みんなが同じレベルで楽しめて居心地がいいんだよね」


PUNKADELIX「同じものを共有できるかどうかはとても大切だと思う。東京もそうだけど、観光地のようになってしまうと音に集中しない人も多くなって共有するものが分散されてしまう。エンターテインメントという要素もクラブの一つのあり方なんだろうけど。東京も小さくてシンプルな箱に音が好きな人たちが集まっていたりするし、どこの都市でも一緒なんだね。でもNYが盛り上がってると聞いてすごく嬉しい」



KIM「ようやく自分の住む街でプレイできる（笑）。NYはポップカルチャーやメインストリームがとても強くて、ダンスミュージックに火がつくのは時間がかかった。ロックやポップはとても人気があって、ハウスも小さなシーンが根強く存在したけれど、どちらかというとBODY & SOULのシーンとか、THE LOFTのデヴィッド・マンキューソのような感じ。でも今ではNYに強いアンダーグラウンドのテクノシーンがある。とても人気があって、すごくフレッシュなシーンなんだ」


PUNKADELIX「NYにテクノの新しいシーンがあるのは、端から見ててもわかる。面白いレーベルもいっぱい出てきているよね」


KIM「うん、ただ、今のテクノシーンの若い子たちは、『ここで流れる音楽は全てテクノであるべき。ハウスはダメ！』という姿勢なんだよね。私はいつでもなんでもプレイしてきたし、テクノもハウスも大好き。ひとつのジャンルに縛られないDJセットが好きなんだ。ハマるのは素晴らしいことだけど、彼らももっとオープンな姿勢でいたほうがいいんじゃないかなーーって言えるのも、もしかしたら私が年齢を重ねて、そういう考え方を乗り越えただけなのかもしれないけどね。自分も『歌詞のある曲は好きじゃない、レイヴだけが好き』とか言っていた時期があったもん（笑）」


PUNKADELIX「いろんなカルチャー、ジェネレーション、セクシュアリティの人がいて、それでいてアンダーグラウンドでカッコいい音がかかっているというのが一番理想とするクラブの形だよね。私もNYのハウスやシカゴハウスと同時にヨーロッパのアヴァンギャルドなテクノやエレクトロニカのシーンからもかなり影響を受けていて。だから自分の中でもそのあたりのジャンル分けがはっきりしていないの。東京も今はどちらかというとテクノが盛り上がっているけど、確かに同じようにちょっと偏りすぎているなと思う時もある」


KIM「私にとっては、サンフランシスコでダンスミュージックにはまったのが良かったと思う。サンフランシスコで遊んでいたころは、すごく良いシーンがあった。私がハマっていたDJたちはいろんなジャンルをプレイしていたから、私の耳もそれに慣れていたわけ。だからディープハウスだけしかプレイしないDJだと、すごく退屈してしまう。それが良くないとは言わないけど、私にはあまり刺激的ではない」










PUNKADELIX「確かにね。KIMの作る曲はダンスクラシックやシカゴハウスの影響を感じるんだけど、音楽的なルーツを教えてくれる？」


KIM「クラブミュージックを知る前からエレクトロニックミュージックにハマっていたかな。ラテンのフリースタイルやブレイクダンスの音楽、初期のエレクトロとかね。どれもドラムマシーンをベースにしたエレクトロニックミュージックだったな。80年代に育ったから、マーズの“Pump Up the Volume”やテクノトロニックによって、アンダーグラウンドなサウンドに導かれたわけ。で、誰かがものすごく安っぽいベタなテクノのコンピレーションをくれて。私が育ったハワイではそういう音楽は耳に入ってこないから『なんだ、これ!?』って一気に好きになって、同時にロンドンなんかにあるレイヴのシーンの存在を知ったのかな。1994年頃にはハワイにも小さなレイヴのシーンが誕生したんだけど、私はその頃、ハワイのクラブで働いていて」


PUNKADELIX「レイヴのクラブ？」


KIM「うん。ママがすごく厳しかったから、夜に出掛けられるようにクラブでバイトすることにしたわけ。遊びじゃなくて仕事だから、ママも許してくれて。私は未成年だったからノンアルコール・バーの担当で、レイヴに来る人たちのためにスムージーを作っていたんだよ（笑）」


PUNKADELIX「おもしろい（笑）」


KIM「そこにサンフランシスコのDJがたくさん来ていんただけど、彼らに向こうのシーンはすごくいいと聞いてたから、レイヴのためにサンフランシスコの美大に進学したの（笑）。その頃にレコードを買い始めて、レコードショップに行ったり、DJをフォローしたりして……。NYに引っ越した時にはハウスやテクノのシーンが全くなかったんだけど、レコードショッピングには最適だったな（笑）。当時The Thingという店があって、まったく分類されていない状態で全部２ドルで売ってたから、何時間も居座って、お宝が詰まったクレートを発見して興奮してた。私が引っ越した年はちょうどエレクトロクラッシュの終わりでダンスロックが流行っていたから、誰もそんなレコードに注目してなかったんだよね」


PUNKADELIX「KIMみたいに、アンダーグラウンドなテクノやハウスのシーンで、自分のアイデンティティを表現する作品を作り続けているのは素晴らしいよね。新しいものとルーツをミックスしているけど、特にこのシーンの中でそれをフレッシュに見せていくのはすごく難しいことだと思う」


KIM「ありがとう。そうだね、難しいことだよ。音楽シーンでは、多くの人が人気のあるものや新しいものに飛びつくけど、リリースする頃にはトレンドをフォローしているだけになってしまう。私は古いものにインスパイアされていて、トレンドは無視してきた。だから、ハウスやテクノがNYでイケていないとされていた時でも気にしなかったんだ（笑）。自分の大好きなものを手放さずにいたら、最終的にどこかに辿り着ける。妥協していれば経済的にはもっと稼げていたはずだけど、そうはできなかった。そんなことをしていたら、きっと今頃すごくアンハッピーだったと思う（笑）」


PUNKADELIX「NYといえば先日の大統領選は衝撃的だったけど、これからどうなっていくと思う？」


KIM「NYだけを見ると、新しい大統領は支持されていない。支持している人もいるけど、すごく奇妙な状況なんだよね。人生で初めて人々が分裂しているように感じている。『ああ、あなたは彼ら側なのね』という感じで、激しい分断が起きている」


PUNKADELIX「世界的にナショナリズム化しているよね。そういった状況が今後カルチャーにどんな影響をもたらしていくのか、すごく気になる」


KIM「このまま分裂した状態が続くか、それとも最終的にもっとオープンになるのかわからないけど怖いよね。でもこれによって人々が目を覚ますようなトレンドが生まれたらいいなと願っている。多くのアーティストには、偏った考え方を変えられる影響力があると思うから」


PUNKADELIX「歴史を振り返ってみても、悪い状況の時ほどアーティストたちが頑張っていたりする。まだ日本では音楽と政治の話はタブー視されているけど、それはむしろ逆だと思うし、これからはそうは言っていられなくなると思うよ。アメリカやイギリスの状況を見ても、アーティストたちが積極的に社会に対してメッセージを発信していたことが、とても印象的だった」


KIM「声を出して意見を言う時は、たくさんの憎しみを受ける心の準備が必要だよ。たとえば私が自分のページに何かの署名を求める投稿をすると、驚くほどのクレイジーなコメントが届くし、いわゆる“荒らし”みたいなことが起きる。それらを無視して、なんでもないような態度でいる必要があるんだよ。私は政治家でもなければ、必ずしも改革を起こそうとしているわけではないから、他の人がどう思おうがシェアしたい意見があればするようにしている。それによってフォロワーが減っても全く構わない。ただ自分の人生が生きたいだけ。自分自身や自分が良いと思うことに正直になることを恐れずにいられたらいいな」


PUNKADELIX「私はアーティストはそうあるべきだと思うし、そういう強さは作品に影響すると思う」


KIM「間違いないよね。それにインスパイアされて、リアルでピュアなアートを自分でも作ろうと思う人が出てくるかもしれない。ポップカルチャーは作られたものだから、もっとリアルなものがトレンドになるかもしれないし。今って昔に比べてセクシュアリティやジェンダーにも遊びがなくてすごく閉鎖的だよね。すべてが完璧過ぎてリアルじゃない偶像。それがマスで、完璧かつキャッチーなフックのための方程式なんだよ。私は完璧じゃなくていいから、リアルなものが好き。その人のルーツが感じられるものがいいなと思う」









―こうでなくてはいけないという偶像ではく、違う部分や個性を認め合うというのは必要ですよね。現状へのストレスか、差別を扱う作品が増えてきているのも、カルチャーがオープンマインドでいる大切さを叫んでいるように思えて。


PUNKADELIX「ニュースや教育の現場で学べないことを、私は多くの文学や映画、音楽から教わってきた。例えば差別に関しても扱うところが減っているからこそアーティストがもっと大きな声で伝えていかなければいけない時代になってきているよね」


KIM「特に女性への影響はとても重要だと思う。私がDJを始めたころ、女性はツアーをすることもなければ、良い時間に回させてもらえることもなかった。他のDJと同じサイズで名前をプリントしてもらうために、男性以上に頑張る必要があった。でも、今は女性が自信を得て、女性の地位向上をしようという風潮がある。競争ではなく、女性たちがお互いを高め合って、みんなでやろうって感じ。女の子だってやりたいことをやるべきだよね」


PUNKADELIX「この間ビョークがDJに関してコメントしていたのは少し驚いたの。他のDJと同じようにプレイしたのに、彼女がパフォーマンスしなかったことをメディアが批判したから、男性だと問題にならないのに、女性だから叩かれたのではないかと言っていて」


KIM「人は人を型にはめたがるんだよね。私もHercules and Love Affairを辞めた後は大変だったよ。DJしていると、『どうしてあの音楽をプレイしないの？』と言われて。私は2度と型にはめられたくない。それに、『こういう種類の音楽を作らなければいけない』というようなルールにも従いたくない。もっと幅広いオーディエンス向けの別プロジェクトをやっているのも型にはめられたくないから。ビョークみたいにビッグじゃなくてもそういうことが起こるんだから、彼女がどんな気分だったかは想像できるよ。音楽はオーディエンスに私的な体験を与えるから、反応もパワフル。彼らは心を動かされて、人生の何かと結びつけて意味を見出すから、その人にとっての意味を与えなかったり、何か違うことをやると、個人的に拒絶されたように受け取られてしまう。でもみんなはアーティストも変わるんだということを忘れないでほしいな。あと個人的意見としては、女性であることも確かに影響していると思う。男性アーティストはある程度有名になってしまえば、オナラをしても受け入れられるでしょ？（笑）　がんばる必要がなくなる。でも女性は常に『どうしてあんなことをするんだ？』と分析されてしまう」


―マドンナも以前、性に関するスピーチをしていましたね。女性アーティストが歳をとることやセクシーさについて。


KIM「女性の年齢に対して言われると、本当に頭にくる。男性は年齢を重ねていいのに、女性はダメなのかって。自分の終わりは自分で決めるし、セクシーの定義だって私たち自身で決めるべきだよ。マドンナのような世代の声も大切だし、私たちの世代で言うとThe Black Madonnaのような人はすごく重要だと思う。彼女は素晴らしいDJだし、思ったことをはっきりと口にする。みんな彼女の意見を常に気に入るわけではないけれど、私たちには彼女みたいにリアルでいることを恐れない人が必要。彼女みたいな人がシーンで持ち上げられているのは、本当にクールだと思う。彼女は優秀なライターでもあって、自分の主張をとてもうまく伝えることができる人だよね」


PUNKADELIX「この間、彼女が『Dazed & Confused 』のWEBにジェンダーや政治的な部分に言及した文章を書いていてとても素晴らしくて感動していたところ！キムはMaya Jane Colesともコラボレーションしているよね？彼女もすごく魅力的なアーティストだと思う」


KIM「うん、彼女はすごくラブリーだよ。本当に良い人なの。多くのアーティストはエゴが強くて、自分のポジションを気にして、他の人より高い位置にいたいと考えているけど、彼女は他の人を高めたいと思うアーティスト。それってすごくクールだし、みんなそうあるべきだと思う」


PUNKADELIX「日本も以前に比べて女性のアーティストがたくさん出てきて活躍しているのは海外のアーティストのそういった動きも凄く影響していると思う」


KIM「良いトレンドだし、もっと広がるといいね。すべての分野において、もっと女性のエナジーが必要だよ」


―受け入れて生むというね。


KIM「このハードな状況で逆に何か新しい考え方が生まれて、将来的に人々がもっとオープンに考えるきっかけになってくれたらいい。私自身も、こんな状況だからこそ、逆に他者に対してより思いやりを持とうと心がけている。それが連鎖してみんなが思いやりを持ち始め、オープンな考え方になれば、閉鎖的なままだと嫌なヤツに見えるだろうしね。『ゲッ、まだそんなこと言ってんの？』って（笑）」


PUNKADELIX 「そうだね。それぞれのアイデンティティを保持しつつオープンなマインドでいることがDJはもちろんダンスミュージックやクラブシーンにとって一番大事なことだと思う」


photo Satomi Yamauchi
interview&edit Ryoko Kuwahara
Special Thanks:TECHNIQUE　東京都渋谷区宇田川町33-14　久保ビル 2F
TEL [phone]（SHOP）/ 03-6416-3444（テクニーク・オンライン）
営業時間 月曜 休, 火曜-土曜 14:00~22:00, 日曜 14:00~21:00
http://www.technique.co.jp


Kim Ann Foxman
ハワイ生まれのアーティスト/DJとして、キャリアを積み重ね、NYでNu Discosシーンの先駆けとなった伝説のグループHercules and Love Affairのヴォーカリストとして一躍世界的にその名を知られることになった。現在はNYのもっとも重要なDJとして、ハウスのプロデューサーとして、さらには最近ローンチした自身のレーベルFirehouse Recordingsのボスとして円熟した活動を続けている。 そのソウルフルで官能的なディープハウス、クラシックなシカゴ・ハウスに忠実な、ジャッキンでヘヴィーでいて滑らかなベースサウンドは彼女のトレードマークともいえ、そしてときには自身のヴォーカルをDJブースからライヴする。努力を弛まぬトレンドセッターとしての活動はGucci、Dior Homme、Prada、Addidasなどとの数々のコラボレーションを生んだ。 Kim Ann Foxmanがブースに立つときはいつでも、その献身的な音楽に対するアプローチと彼女のポジティブなオーラでダンスフロアを包み込んでいくのである。
https://soundcloud.com/kimannfoxman


PUNKADELIX
国内外に於いて活動しているアートディレクター・グラフィックデザイナー、近藤麻由によるソロプロジェクト。学生時代より東京そして滞在していたニューヨークでレコードを買い集めるようになりDJとしてのキャリアをスタート。TECHNO・HOUSEをベースに幅広い選曲で独自の”DARK＆POP”サウンドを展開。日本各地、海外のクラブからファッション、アート等のカルチャーシーンまでオファーが絶えず、幅広い分野において活動している。'12年オフィシャル・ミックス「ELECTRONIK BEAT PUNK」をリリース。世界各国のアンダーグラウンドミュージックの他、PUNKADELIXオリジナルトラックを収録。現代におけるダンス・ミュージックのあらゆる要素を縦横無尽に、ハードかつエレガントに展開し、女性ならではのグルーヴ感とストーリー性を表現している。'13年よりGalaxy銀河系にて、電子音楽夜会"QBLIqUE"（キューブリック）をスタート。現在毎月2回更新でファッションブランド"SLY"の全国店舗用DJ MIXを手がけている。また、新たなプロジェクト"MAYUDEPTH"名義での楽曲制作を始動し、DJ SHUFFLEMASTER主宰のレーベル"四季協会"より作品をリリース。
https://www.facebook.com/Punkadelix
https://soundcloud.com/punkadelix23
http://www.shikikyokai.jp



-- I think it's been about 6 years since Kim was in Japan last time.


PUNKADELIX: I haven't been to New York for 3, 4 years. What is the music scene like now? Are there any good clubs?


KIM: It's changed a lot. It was very hard to fill venues for a while. There was a ton of amazing DJs, but people were not so into dance music for a long time, you know? And now, it's exploded and all the clubs are filled. And there is a lot of illegal warehouse parties. It's going crazy. i'm honestly never there on the weekends. I'm not there enough to know what's really going on, but when I am there, I'm like "wow, there is so much to choose from now, every night."


PUNKADELIX: Really.


KIM: Yeah, It's really good. I have a residency at a placed called Good Room in Brooklyn. It's one of the better places I think in New York. It's more local scene. The other places can be… it's hard to get a good vibe because it's just all kinds of people who want to go to clubs. But Good Room is a good place. All the local people would go there, and other DJs would go there. It's not trying to be fancy or anything, and you can get away with having a lot of fun in there. It's just fun and relaxed. It's nice because people can get on the same level and it's very comfortable in there.


PUNKADELIX: It’s important that you are able to share the same vibe at a club. It’s same in Tokyo, but when the city attracts tourists, there may be all kinds of people and some people don’t pay attention to the music, so you can’t really share the same vibe. In Tokyo, there are small clubs where people who love music would come as well, so I guess it’s the universal thing[laughs] I’m relieved to hear that the scene in New York is good now.


KIM: Me too. Because now I can start playing in my home city. Now the market there has grown so much that I can actually stay at home and work. I love to stay home, I love New York, you know? So it's nice because it was a bit frustrating and depressing to try to get people to come out, and people weren't ready for it. It's just that New York is a very pop culture, it's like very top 40 city. And indie as well. But dance music came much later. Rock and pop was very popular. House music, more so, there was a small scene that sort of stayed but it was much more of body and soul scene, like David Mancuso at the Loft. But now there is a techno scene in New York. That's something that's very strong there now, and for me, that is a new thing for New York.


PUNKADELIX: I've been noticing some fresh techno labels from New York.


KIM: Yeah, There's a strong underground techno scene there.


PUNKADELIX: Techno is getting a bit more popular in Tokyo as well.


KIM: Because a lot of people in the techno scene are a lot younger, the thing I do notice is that it should be a lot more open than it is. New kinds coming into techno are like, they have this sort of attitude like, "now it's all bout techno and not about house!" And for me, I've always played everything. I loved techno, I love house. And it's like that has to change because they are too stuck in their small scene. They have to be more open. I always love DJ sets that are more than just one music. It's a great thing but I do notice that it doesn't have to take itself so seriously. That attitude should be more open, for me. But it may be because I'm just old and I got over being that way [laughs].


PUNKADELIX: I started listening to dance music when techno and house weren’t that separated. So I like New York house like Mancuso, but at the same time, I like more avant-garde techno from Europe or electronica as well. I didn’t separate genres within the dance music I hear in the club.


KIM: Yeah. My getting into dance music in San Francisco was also good for me because when I used to go out in San Francisco, they had a really good scene. And the DJs I was really into and following like all different genres, so my ear has always been into taking different turns, you know? I get really bored with some of the DJs that only plays deep house. It's not that it's not good but it's just not inspiring to me sometimes.


PUNKADELIX: It might be the same in Tokyo. It's a bit biased. Dance music scene is underground and small to begin with, so when the genres are so separated, it gets even smaller.


KIM: It's true. But the other thing that I noticed is that the way it's changed is really interesting. Bigger DJs in general, their attitude is so different from when I used to go out. Now for them, it's about playing songs that they know and they want to hear, whereas when I was going out, it was all about playing songs that you don't know. So that's the real journey, like playing a lot of obscure things. But now I feel like a lot of DJs play popular songs that everyone wants to hear, and I just can’t do that [laughs]


PUNKADELIX: There are many good DJs in Tokyo, and a lot of them including younger guys like both techno and house. But there are also some DJs who are only into a certain genre.


KIM: That's ok. It's just something that I noticed. I used to be the same way. It's a young thing. I was more open musically, but I remember going through a phase where I was like "I don't like songs with words, I just like rave music" [laughs].
But I was a teenager, you know? It's like you do that also when you are young. You're like "I'm goth! I'm only goth!" What I've noticed is going to places like London, the punk kids would also go to raves, and that's really cool. They are more open, I think.


PUNKADELIX: That's the most important thing for clubs now. There should be people from different cultures, different generations, and different sexualities, and you can still enjoy underground music, that might be the most ideal way clubs could be.


KIM: For me, I really like it when the party is mixed. It's the most fun.


―Do you think how younger kids are listening to music digitally influence the way they enjoy music?


KIM: I do. Because when you grow up listening to anything having physical form like records, tapes, CDs even, when you buy it… It's like I used to save my lunch money to buy a record, so you appreciate it, you know? And then you have it, and you look at the artwork and open it and read inside and it's much more romantic in a way. And it has more longevity. The songs we grew up with, they lasted for so many years. And in the digital age, it's great because you can get everything you want. But the shelf life of the music is so short. And you don't really grow with the artist. It's like you pick one song, you don't know the whole album, you don't even care about the whole album. Music from before could last for 20 years, and now I feel like after 3 months it can be old for people. It's less romantic.


PUNKADELIX: That's so true.


KIM: There is also so much information now, and there is so much music, which is good and bad, Because you discover a lot of new things and more people have the chance to do that which is cool. But at the same time, you have to filter through a lot of mediocre or just… garbage [laughs].


PUNKADELIX: I feel like I waste more time listening to music digitally than going to a record store. Of course, I mainly buy music digitally now, but the reason that I still go to record stores is there are the records that the store selected and you can read whatever they wrote about them. And you can find stuff that you would never find just streaming songs. I feel like the records you find at record stores have more values.


KIM: Yeah, me too. I do buy less new things, I still buy more records that you can't find digitally. But if I love something, then I also want the vinyl. So I feel like the music is going to last for me.


PUNKADELIX: Do you buy classic old records?


KIM: I buy a lot of old records. I do buy new records but if I can buy it digitally and if it doesn't feel special for me, then I just have it digitally and that's fine. But when I get this awesome feeling where I'm jealous that I wish I made it, then I want to have the record.


PUNKADELIX: I feel the influences from classic records or Chicago house in your records.


KIM: Yeah, for sure..


PUNKADELIX: And that's what I love about your records.What were your roots?


KIM: When I was a kid, I was really into electronic music even before I knew about club music. It was like latin free style and breakdancing music and early electro. And those are all drum machine based electronic music. Growing up in the 80s, stuff like M/A/R/R/S' "Pump up the volume, " and Technotronic, sort of like more popular stuff led me to more underground stuff. And then somebody gave me this very cheesy techno compilation. It was super cheesy, and I loved it! Because in Hawaii, you don't hear stuff like that. So I was like "what the hell is this!?"


PUNKADELIX: [laughs] I see.


KIM: So I think probably Technotronic in around 89 going into, like by 1992 I got this techno compilation and then I was like, wow, there's a whole rave scene happening somewhere in London or whatever. So I became very curious and by 1994/1995, there was a small small scene in Hawaii, and I was working at the club.


PUNKADELIX: Was it rave?


KIM: Yeah. My mom was so strict about me staying out late, so I got the job at the club so I could stay out. So I was working, and my mom was like "oh, you are working!" I was working at the non-alcoholic bar because I was underage. I was making smoothies for the ravers [laughs]


PUNKADELIX: So cute! [laughs]


KIM: And at that time, a lot of the influence was coming from California, like a lot of DJs from San Francisco, because it's the closest place to Hawaii. Then, I moved to San Francisco. Because I heard that the scene there was really cool, so I went to an art college there so I could go to raves, basically [laughs]. That's when I really started buying records and I was going to record shops and following DJs… I think that time in San Francisco influenced me the most, even more than New York, because I got so much knowledge in San Francisco.


PUNKADELIX: Yeah, you mentioned that earlier.


KIM: When I moved to New York, there was no scene there. That was also good for me to go record shopping, because nobody was buying those records. There was a store called The Thing, everything is 2 dollars. Nothing is sorted. So I just sit there for hours and hours and I would find a whole crate of amazing records. It was like an old DJ's crate and everybody was ignoring those crates because they weren't into house music or techno music. The year that I moved there was the end of electroclash and it was like dance rock. And I wasn't into that, you know?


PUNKADELIX: What do you think would be next for New York? Not just music, but you just got the new president, right?


KIM: Ugh. New York specifically doesn't support our president. I mean some people do, but I think it's been really weird. For the first time in my whole life, I feel like it's very dividing of people, and it's very like "oh, you are one of them." It's very intense.


PUNKADELIX: It seems to be the trend worldwide. We see some of that happening in Japan, and there was Brexit this year.


KIM: Yeah it's so trending.


PUNKADELIX: I wonder how that kind of trend would influence different cultures in the future.


KIM: I think it really sucks, but at the same time I'm hoping that it pushes some sort of trend for people to wake up, or at least for this side that I'm included in [laughs]. I'm hoping some kind of movement to change that attitude.


PUNKADELIX: You're right. Maybe we can take that situation to make things happen.


KIM: Yeah, somehow. I think a lot of artists can influence other people to change that mind frame and hopefully… I don't know, it's either going to stay very separated, or maybe change eventually to be more open, I hope. It's scary.


PUNKADELIX: If we look back our history, sometimes artists worked harder in bad times. It's still kind of taboo for artists to talk about politics in Tokyo, but maybe we can't stay that way any longer.


KIM: It's intense though. You really have to be prepared for a lot of hate when you are vocal. Even when I posted something on my page that was encouraging people to sign this petition or whatever, and the amount of really crazy comments were so startling. You have to be really prepared for Internet trolls and a lot of hatred. But you just have to ignore and not to give a shit.


PUNKADELIX: Yeah, I think you have to be prepared too.


KIM: You have to be ready. But you know, for me it's like I'm not a politician, and I'm not necessarily going to go on a crusade for it, but I've never cared about playing it safe. Because I don't really care what anybody else thinks. So if I have an opinion and I feel like sharing it, I'm going to share it. Because if people want to unfollow you or whatever, I don't need those kind of people to be my fan base. That's not the kind of people that should even be supporting me. If you're going to be that way, fine, later [laughs].


PUNKADELIX: I think that's the way artists should be, and that kind of strength would influence their work.


KIM: Totally. And it would inspire people to make their own art that is also real and pure, maybe it would get pulled out of a place that's real. Because pop culture is so manufactured, maybe it will start a trend of things that are more real. Pop culture is so weird now. I miss real artists. It's less real. Everything is too perfect. It's mass actually. It's an equation for the perfect catchy hook. I just appreciate when things are real. When you can tell that there are some roots there that you can feel.


PUNKADELIX: I totally agree. It's wonderful that you keep creating things to express your identity in rather underground scene of techno and house, mixing new things and your roots. It's not an easy thing to do. Especially in this particular scene, it's very hard to keep things fresh.


KIM: Thank you. Yeah, it's hard. Because I guess with music, a lot of people just sort of jump on the train that's popular. Because it's new to them, by the time they put it out, it's just following a trend. Even though I'm not making the trend, I'm influenced by the old stuff, but I've also ignored all the trends. So when it wasn't cool in New York, I didn't care [laughs] And then I stuck with what I loved and eventually, it gets you somewhere. But you know, I could get a lot further money-wise, if I sacrificed what I like. But I could never do that. That would make me so unhappy [laughs]


- It's not just music but to be open and build your own style and to accept differences are what we really need today.


KIM: For sure! Totally. With Everything.


- People are frustrated and creating more art, so there are more movies about sexual minorities or discrimination. I feel like culture is crying.


PUNKADELIX; Especially now, it's the only chance for us to know those issues. For instance, they don't tell kids that it's bad to discriminate on news. We used to learn that at school, but the only chance our kids can learn now is from culture. So it might be the time where artist must be vocal.


KIM: Especially to influence girls. It's so important. But it is changing. When I first started, there weren't many girls DJs that had the opportunity. There were local ones but they didn't get to travel, they didn't get the prime time, I had to work so much harder to get my name the same size, to get the good hour, you know? And a lot of times, I would show up somewhere and the DJ after me is just some random guy who is so boring, so uninspiring, and you know, they are getting paid so much more. Girls have to work harder. But I think right now is the good time because a lot of women are gaining confidence and there is a good trend to push women up right now, and pulling each other up. It's not a competition, it's like "let's all do this." Because girls should do whatever they want to do.


PUNKADELIX: You collaborated with Maya Jane Coles, right?


KIM: Yeah, she's so lovely. She's a really good person. A lot of artists can have this ego where they are worried about their position and kind of have to keep themselves up. I felt that a lot with other artists in general. But she really is an artist who wants to lift people up, and I think it's really cool. People have to be like that.


PUNKADELIX: I've spoken to Maya before. We DJed at the same party. There are more girls DJing in Japan now, and they can play just like guys.


KIM: That's cool. I think everywhere it's gotten a lot better.


PUNKADELIX: But it's just recently that things started to change.


KIM: Yeah, I've noticed. But it's a good trend. People are letting them in now, which is really cool.


- I hope it won't just be a trend, but it stays.


KIM: Me too. I think it will, it has to just keep growing. It has to. We need more female energy out there, in every field [laughs].


PUNKADELIX: That is so true!


―We accept, and we give birth too.


KIM: Yeah! Exactly! I hope and I think especially with people in our generation, I think things are going to change. It might take a long time, but there's a lot more support for women in our age group. Because people are more open minded. So I think it's going to be easier for the younger ones, especially.


KIM: I think there is going to be a new way of thinking, I hope.


PUNKADELIX: Did you read Bjork talking about gender in DJs recently? It was quite long, and she was talking about how she's been discriminated before. She was DJing like every other DJ, and media criticized her for not performing. And she felt that it would have been no problem if she were a male artist doing the same thing. I don't know if it's true or not but.


KIM: It is true, but also people like to box people in. We like to compartmentalize things. So even for me, I've experienced like just in categories of your art. When I came from being involved in Hercules, I was a DJ before I was in Hercules and Love Affair, just a local DJ, but that's what I always was. I fell into Hercules and Love Affair, and it wasn't my project. It was really fun but people only knew me from that project. So when I left it, it was extra hard for me because when I played out, people were like "why aren't you playing that music?" That's what people expect from you. And that's what they want from you. People kind of selfishly want what they expect from you. That's why I don't like to ever be boxed in. And I don't like to conform necessarily to these rules like "I have to make this kind of music." I also have another project I've been working on, which is a bit different, broader audience. I do stuff like that because I don't like to be boxed in. For Bjork, of course she's going to have a hard time DJing, because people would expect her to sing. That's what happens to me as well, and I'm not nearly as big as Bjork, so I could imagine what she felt.
But being a woman also must be a factor in that. Because when a famous male artist reached a certain level, you could probably fart and people would embrace it, you know what I mean? They don't care [laughs] They don't have to try. But a woman always has to be kind of pulled apart like "Why do they do that?" It's just different.
With music especially, it's so powerful because you are giving people their own personal experience. And they are relating something in their life to this music because you are moving them somehow. And when you are not giving that to them any more, if you are doing something different, they take it personally. And they are like "why don't you give me that?" .


PUNKADELIX: Especially someone as big as Bjork, she is very influential.


KIM: She's amazing. No one can replicate being her.


PUNKADELIX: You don't see someone as big as she is make a statement towards media like that, so I was a bit surprised.


KIM: I mean it happens, you know? We just have to remember that artists have changed too. But if you are going to a gig and you know that she's going to be DJing, then what do you expect? [laughs]


- Madonna also was talking about how they stop playing your music on the radio once you get old, so women can't age. She said women has to accept sexual objectification, yet we are not allowed to talk about our sexual desire.


KIM: I get really mad when people show how aging they are especially towards women. Because men can grow old but women can't? You love Madonna then, and she looks amazing now, but a lot of people have the attitude like "oh she just stopped." I might not necessarily like her newest music, but I really respect her, and I think she's inspiring, a woman in her age is doing stuff like that.
It's so unfair. When you get old, you're just done with for men. And why do they get the power to say that we're done. You know what I mean? Like we're done when we're done [laughs] Why do they get to decide even what's sexy? We should be deciding for our selves.


- Definitely.


KIM: Someone like for example Black Madonna is really important. I think she's really an awesome person. People talk about her being too vocal, but I think it's good, we need someone like her that isn't afraid to be real. I think it's really cool that someone like her has been lifted up in the industry because she's a great DJ, and she says what's on her mind. People don't always like it, but good for them.


PUNKADELIX: I've read her article in Dazed &Confused Magazine the other day, and I could relate to a lot of what she wrote about including her political opinions.


KIM: She's a really good writer as well. She gets her points across really well. She's real. But I think a lot of people are hopefully going to wake up. And maybe all the stuff that's happening cause people to think more openly, hopefully in the future. Because if people are pushing to be more open minded, you are just going to look like a dick, if you're staying closed. You're just going to be like, "ew, you're like that?"


PUNKADELIX: [laughs]


KIM: [laughs] yeah, not cool. I'm an honest artist, I'm going to say what I want when I feel it. But I'm not on a crusade to… you know, I just want to live my life and whatever. It's not everyone's job to do it, but it's good to do it when you feel like it and not be afraid to be honest about who you are and what you think is good. You don't have to feel guilty because you're not that person. I'm not really that person. I'll talk when I feel like it, but I don't need to do it all the time, because I'm just not like that. For the people who are shy, it's good if they can inject it into their art and sort of express it in another way.



- Not everyone has to be vocal, but I just want everyone to think.


KIM: Everyone should be aware. Everyone should at least have confidence within themselves… because a lot of women just accept their place that society has put them in. And we just have to be aware within ourselves that we don't have to follow those rules.


- Not just gender issues, but there might come the day when we are in war without realizing it was coming, so we should all be aware of what is going on around us.


KIM: For sure. We are at a weird strong edge right now. It's very scary in the world. It just makes me feel more compassionate towards other people. Because when you hear about something somewhere else, it's sort of like a story. It's not happening to you, so you don't feel it as much. But then when you start to fear for your future and what's happening in the world that could be affecting you, it makes you find compassion for other people more so, and hopefully that will change what's happening.


PUNKADELIX: Yeah, hopefully, there would be more people who feel that way. Not just the people who only care for themselves, but I hope there would be more people who can be compassionate towards other people.

関連記事のまとめはこちら

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