Interview Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive)

Assodato il fatto che il 1996 è stato un grande anno per la musica (abbiamo già celebrato i dieci anni di un po' di realtà importanti per la musica contemporanea... compreso il nostro, per il quale contiamo di organizzare presto qualcosa assieme ai numerosi lettori), abbiamo fatto due chiacchiere con il rappresentante di uno dei progetti che celebra i tanto agognati 10 anni (che nell'ambito della musica è già un bel traguardo, vista la massiccia offerta discografica degli ultimi tempi e il correlato rischio di scomparire dalle scena nel giro di un periodo molto più breve...). Shuya Okino è infatti una gamba del glorioso e apprezzato progetto Kyoto Jazz Massive, che ha avuto il merito di sospingere fino alle pendici del Fuji il nu jazz e di far apprezzare in Europa l'estro di alcuni musicisti dagli occhi a mandorla. Per l'occasione, la solita Compost dà alle stampe un gustosissimo doppio cd celebrativo, su cui avremo modo di tornare a parlarne... Frattanto godetevi questa simpatica chiacchierata con Shuya e... buon compleanno Kyoto Jazz Massive! KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE 10th Anniversary (Compost Records) CD1 01.KJM The Brightness Of These Days (Quantic remix) 02.Incognito Where Love Shines (KJM remix) 03.KJM Endless Flight 04.Restless Soul Time To Fly (feat.Rasiyah) 05.KJM Mind Expansions (Blaze Shelter Sundae mix) 06.KJM Shine (feat.Chris Franck & Guida De Palma - Kenny Dope remix) 07.Domu Taking Flight 08.Afronaught Now Or Never (feat.Alison David) 09.Dego & Kaidi Tatham Come With Me 10.Reel People Tomorrow Never Comes (feat.Vanessa Freeman) CD2 01.Da Lata Ronco Da Cuica 02.Jazztronik Shine 03.Louie Vega & The EOL Band Aphrodite 04.Monday Michiru A Calmaia (Aailing Into The Unknown version) 05.DJ Mitsu The Beat Spireedom 2004 06.Sleep Walker Eclipse 07.Toshio Matsuura Group Behind The Shadow 08.Electric Sheep The Brightness Of These Days (feat UA) 09.Aurora Nacel Do Sol

Hi there! How are you? *I'm great!Thank you.

What's weather like on the other side of the world? *It is really hot like sauna as Europe.

We are both 10! It seems 1996 was a turning pont for music world. A lot of 10versary this year: our glorious zine (any reason to be modest? :) ), Drum&BassArena, Dj Kicks, Hefty Records... and Kyoto Jazz MAssive! Could you introduce your way of celebrating? *We had a big party ''KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE LIVE'' in Tokyo, Osaka & Fukuoka. It was our new challenge for us. We played music as members of the band not DJ.

1996. A great year for music, but -let's talk about history- in your opinion who was the creator of the so-called nu jazz? *Maybe, Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge. They started play every kind of jazzy music as nu-jazz since late 80's.

I've just listened your last issue on Compost. Very good! What about future projects? *We will release new compilation series called KYOTO JAZZ CLASSICS. It is a collection of 70's jazz and fusion which we like. But only in Japan, sorry.

A propos of future, as you are inhabitants of a spicy musical future, what's your idea on the future of music? *Mixture between electoronic materials and soulful vibes.

While listening your remix of Where Love Shines, I asked to myself if the mistery the lyrics speak about still stay a mistery for you... *Mystery is mystery. Mystery is the source of imagination. Mystery is the spice of love. Mystery is... Ha, ha, ha.

Any possibility to see you performing in Italy? *Someday...

Tomorrow never comes... do you really agree??? :) *Today is today. Tomorrow is tomorrow. But we should have to keep our hope for tomorrow, of course.

Your favourite jazz masters? *Terumasa Hino, Teruo Nakamura, Harbie Hancock and Azimuth.

Maybe you received a lot of bithday cards... which were the nicest? *From our mother!

You use electronics as some glorious jazzmen used trumpets, clarinets or "real" instruments. When did you give birth to the possibilities offered by electronic tools to shape your musical ideas? *After our first 12inch ''Eclipse'' from Compost, Yoshi bought MPC 3000. It was the beginning. Before Yoshi got it. We just ''PRODUCERS''. He started to make track by computer. It made us easier to show our idea clearly. We are not musician. But computer is helpful for our musical expression.

Your favourite cake? *Tofu cake.