The first time Shinichi Osawa visited Taipei was in 2009 after the American release of his album The One on Dim Mak Records.
At the time, people were so high on Dim Mak that word spread quick that Osawa, a Dim Mak affiliated DJ from Japan, was playing in Taipei.
As Osawa prepares to play in Taipei again tonight, the relationship between his music and Dim Mak is about as far off as the moon, thank god. Instead, he is a recluse in his approach to the music industry, minding his own business and making music. In fact, he seems relatively unfazed at the scene that thrives around him.
Photo courtesy of Shinichi Osawa
“I don’t really know about Japan’s current underground music scene or Taiwan’s EDM boom either. Where there are fans, there is a scene,” he told the Taipei Times.
He wasn’t your typical dance music DJ from the get-go. In 1991, he led the band Mondo Grosso, for whom he played bass. The band was active in Kyoto and when it disbanded four years later, his transition to house music began. It was, at the time, heavily influenced by R&B and acid jazz.
Shortly after, the golden era of electro peaked and Osawa’s sound evolved with it. He even played Electric Daisy Carnival in 2008. For a Japanese DJ, breaking out is a dream come true but something still wasn’t right for Osawa. His music suit the culture but the culture didn’t suit him.
Osawa released another groundbreaking album in 2010 called SO2, but things have significantly quieted down since then when compared to his earlier activity. He’s collaborated with a few Japanese pop stars and done some production work, but as far as the dance music industry goes, he’s been mostly putting out remixes and less original work.
“They are the same in terms of creation,” Osawa says, “but I prefer remixes because there is a given theme and it’s easier that way.”
It seems that instead of the industry standard of full immersion, Osawa has chosen a path free of disturbances and only surfaces to the world when he needs to — like when he released the Breaking Through the Night on the French label Kitsune last year.
It’s quite possible that we will see some original live music from Osawa before we see him put out another studio album.
“I’m definitely interested in it. Maybe again someday because I’m actually thinking of making another band now.”
Osawa’s DJ game is still strong. He’s been playing regularly around Japan while pumping out podcasts and radio shows at the same time. The veteran DJ is regarded as an idol to other artists in the region, although he humbly brushed off the label.
Osawa’s performance tonight should take party goers on a journey through his disparate approach to dance music rather than the sound he was once known to make.
■ Shinichi Osawa plays tonight from 10pm to 4am at Myst, 9F, 12, Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路12號9樓). Admission is NT$800 in advance and NT$1,000 at the door, inclusive of two drinks.
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