VIVID is probably one of the top DJs in Japan in terms of accomplishment. Not only does he produce tracks but he does a lot for the dance music community by organizing his own unique events under his company, TURNED ON. He even has had his music recognized and supported by Tiësto and Martin Garrix. And since his latest tracks center around his signature VIVID future house sound, being approved by artists in the Netherlands where Future House music resonates so much, means a lot.
He recently shared his brand new collab with BABY-T who opened up Avicii's Tokyo show the other week.
To further know what VIVID actually does and to get into the roots, iFLYER had the chance to ask him some questions so cast eyes below to see the real journey VIVID has come along being a foreign artist in Japan. It's all about challenging and being out of your comfort zone and he's put it this into his own words 'Future House Hustle'.
1) You’ve done so much not only as an artist but an event organizer. Give us a recap on your career life here in Japan up till now!
10 years back I was DJing in Tokyo for other promoters, and I grew frustrated with never being able to perform on the main stage despite bringing in the largest crowd. So I started doing small events called TURNED ON around Tokyo starting at La Fabrique, then later expanding to Club Asia, Warehouse (now ELE Tokyo), and Velours.
I became bored with the typical club events, so I began to create unique party themes at ageHa. The most popular of these is called “LUMBERJACK", which requires guests to dress in flannel. We provide free custom inflatable axes to guests, and our go-go dancers are accompanied by a several forest creatures including big foot and a few werewolves. It’s pretty wild!
2) How did you start as a DJ in the Japanese music scene and how do you think you yourself have evolved as an artist with the scene here?
I originally moved to Japan after I had a track of mine released on a Japanese CD compilation. I believed I was some kind of "Trance super star", so I was stunned when the album release party was completely dead.
Some of my earliest gigs were out in these small bars in Chiba. The venues were small, and the DJ gear rarely functioned properly, but the parties were reckless!
During this time I perfected my music production skills, especially with mixing and how to process samples.
3) Your mix has a well-rounded selection of different hits and it seems like it’s breaking the boundaries of genres. How did you select all these tracks from a genre that is so single-driven and always creating new music daily?
From the planning stages of the “Future House Hustle” mix CD, I was thinking of what the theme would be. I knew that the VIVID brand is associated with the Future House sound, so I chose tracks that I actually play out weekly in the clubs. I also wanted to make sure that there would be some big EDM names in there to catch the attention of casual EDM fans.
Lastly, I wanted to illustrate the “Hustle” that is required to make it as an artist.
So, what are you waiting for? Make sure to check out VIVID's Future House Mix currently on Farm Records!
He recently shared his brand new collab with BABY-T who opened up Avicii's Tokyo show the other week.
To further know what VIVID actually does and to get into the roots, iFLYER had the chance to ask him some questions so cast eyes below to see the real journey VIVID has come along being a foreign artist in Japan. It's all about challenging and being out of your comfort zone and he's put it this into his own words 'Future House Hustle'.
1) You’ve done so much not only as an artist but an event organizer. Give us a recap on your career life here in Japan up till now!
10 years back I was DJing in Tokyo for other promoters, and I grew frustrated with never being able to perform on the main stage despite bringing in the largest crowd. So I started doing small events called TURNED ON around Tokyo starting at La Fabrique, then later expanding to Club Asia, Warehouse (now ELE Tokyo), and Velours.
I became bored with the typical club events, so I began to create unique party themes at ageHa. The most popular of these is called “LUMBERJACK", which requires guests to dress in flannel. We provide free custom inflatable axes to guests, and our go-go dancers are accompanied by a several forest creatures including big foot and a few werewolves. It’s pretty wild!
2) How did you start as a DJ in the Japanese music scene and how do you think you yourself have evolved as an artist with the scene here?
I originally moved to Japan after I had a track of mine released on a Japanese CD compilation. I believed I was some kind of "Trance super star", so I was stunned when the album release party was completely dead.
It was a sobering experience for me, a wake up call to work my way out of the DJ trenches and into respected Tokyo clubs.
Some of my earliest gigs were out in these small bars in Chiba. The venues were small, and the DJ gear rarely functioned properly, but the parties were reckless!
During this time I perfected my music production skills, especially with mixing and how to process samples.
But it wasn’t till the last year or so did I really find my signature sound in the Future House / Bass House genre. My releases in this genre have connected me with some great labels, producers and top DJs that have been showing me some incredible support.
3) Your mix has a well-rounded selection of different hits and it seems like it’s breaking the boundaries of genres. How did you select all these tracks from a genre that is so single-driven and always creating new music daily?
From the planning stages of the “Future House Hustle” mix CD, I was thinking of what the theme would be. I knew that the VIVID brand is associated with the Future House sound, so I chose tracks that I actually play out weekly in the clubs. I also wanted to make sure that there would be some big EDM names in there to catch the attention of casual EDM fans.
Lastly, I wanted to illustrate the “Hustle” that is required to make it as an artist.
The tracks are in some way, a representation of the challenges I’ve had to overcome to make a career out of my art in a foreign country.
So, what are you waiting for? Make sure to check out VIVID's Future House Mix currently on Farm Records!
