A native of Sendai in the north-eastern
Tohoku region of Japan, DJ Mitsu The Beats cut his teeth as a
hip-hop battle DJ, perfecting his technique with countless hours
of practice before eventually hooking up with his home town homeboy
DJ Kentaro (2002 DMC World Champion).
At the turn of the millennium Mitsu formed the hip-hop group
GAGLE with his younger brother MC Hunger and DJ Mu-R, taking
beat production duties and serving as "side MC". The
group burst onto the Japanese hip-hop scene with their debut
EP Bust The Facts on Next Level Recording and have since
recorded four full length albums, the latter three 2005's
Big Bang Theory, 2007's 3 Peat and 2009's Slow
But Steady for major label Columbia Music Entertainment.
Having turned heads internationally with his world class productions
for GAGLE, Mitsu teamed up with Tokyo-based Jazzy Sport Productions
to conceive a debut solo album featuring collaborations with
likeminded artists from across the globe and the musical spectrum,
including American rappers Phonte and Big Pooh from Little Brother,
neo soul artists Dwele from Detroit and Lady Alma from Philadelphia,
and New Zealand's own globetrotting keyboard king Mark de Clive-Lowe.
The resulting record, New Awakening, released by PlanetGroove
in 2003, explored hip-hop, soul and uptempo club sounds, earning
the respect of Mitsu's hip-hop heroes Pete Rock and DJ Spinna
and airplay from tastemaking DJs including the BBC's Gilles Peterson
and Benji B. Two volumes of remixes were commissioned from artists
as diverse as Waajeed from Platinum Pied Pipers, Sa-Ra Creative
Partners, Rich Medina and Phil Asher, and fellow rising Japanese
stars Grooveman Spot and Breakthrough.
The success of his debut album opened further doors offshore
for DJ Mitsu The Beats, with remix and production work flooding
in and invitations to perform overseas at events like Gilles
Peterson's Worldwide Festival in Sète, France. One of
only a handful of Japanese DJs making waves outside their homeland,
Mitsu's supreme DJ skills have been flexed in clubs worldwide
and on mix CDs for Blue Note Records, BBE and the excellent Extra
Feeding and Sound Maneuvers series out of Japan (the
latter alongside his GAGLE DJ partner Mu-R).
In 2009, DJ Mitsu The Beats returned with his second solo album
A Word To The Wise, another international affair boasting
guest spots by Elzhi from Slum Village, Black Spade, Stones Throw
artists Wildchild & Georgia Ann Muldrow, and Gilles Peterson's
Brownswood Recordings jazz signing Jose James. Korean MCs Dynamic
Duo also featured, as did a repeat appearance from Mark de Clive-Lowe,
a frequent visitor to Japan.
Just a year after releasing of A Word To The Wise, Mitsu
released his third solo album Universal Force in August
2010, this time targeted firmly at a domestic Japanese market
and featuring only Japanese MCs and singers including Hunger
from GAGLE and female rapper-cum-r&b-singer Coma-Chi. This
has been another busy year for DJ Mitsu The Beats, who always
reps hard for Japan at home and abroad.
Originally conceived as a record
store in Morioka City, Jazzy Sport has become a Japanese hub
for hip underground beats since opening its flagship store in
the central city Tokyo shopping district of Shibuya in 2003.
Recently relocated to nearby Gohongi, the world-renowned beat
boutique is sought out by visitors from around the globe and
doubles as a headquarters for the Jazzy Sport production house
and record label's ever-growing roster of DJs, MCs, producers
and designers. In addition to breaking homegrown artists like
Grooveman Spot, Breakthrough, Cro-magnon and TettoryBad, Jazzy
Sport have released a steady stream of collectible records by
cult international artists including Count Bass D, Sa-Ra Creative
Partners, Steve Spacek and IG Culture's New Sector Movements.
Lovers of music and sport, the close-knit Jazzy Sport crew come
together to play futsal as UFC Jazzy Sport and climb and ski
as Jazzy Sport Expeditions.
Co-founder of the Jazzy Sport
empire of Jazzy Sport Music Shop, Jazzy Sport Productions, Jazzy
Sport Records and Jazzy Sport Distribution alongside musician
Masaya Fantasista (a former co-worker at leading Japanese independent
label File Records), Taro "Wassupski" Kesen holds the
official title of Executive Producer but holds down responsibilities
ranging from A&R to artist, tour, production and project
management, foreign affairs, radio and club DJ and more. A keen
futsal player and backcountry skier, Taro comes to Aotearoa on
the lookout for fresh and unique musical talent and to showcase
his vision for Jazzy Sport - to "Make world united with
music & sports. We are all one."
Cian (www.myspace.com/turnarounddjs & www.conch.co.nz)
Cian O'Donnell has long been recognized as one of Aotearoa's
leading purveyors of soulful and funky music, be it behind the
decks (for the past eight years alongside Manuel Bundy and Submariner
as part of The Turnaround crew) or behind the counter of his
revered Ponsonby Road record store Conch. An old school Jewel
School DJ and Fonky Monk (alongside DJs Mu, Matt and Leon), Cian's
return visits to Wellington are highly anticipated and appreciated
by his many loyal followers. A longtime afficionado of underground
Japanese music, Cian has previously organized tours for DJ Kentaro
and Grooveman Spot, and pimped the best of the East in his store
and on a regular radio show for George FM.
For over 15 years The Jewel School
radio show has been a weekly fixture for discerning fans of classic
grooves and cutting edge beats from around the globe. The Jewel
School crew consists of five soul brothers who bring experience
and eclecticism to their weekly broadcasts and regular forays
into Wellington's finest nightspots. Known for showcasing original,
underground music, their annual New Zealand Music Special has
become a springboard for emerging local producers, and the exclusive
audio content produced for their website has been enjoyed by
thousands worldwide. Through their extensive international contacts
The Jewel School have hooked up several local artists for release
in Japan, including Joe Dukie & DJ Fitchie (Especial Records),
Electric Wire Hustle, Julien Dyne and Frank Booker (Wonderful
Noise) and shadowy Jewel School figure Dan Aikido (Black Belt).
