Baton to the younger generation.
Nowadays, the younger generation also enjoys vinyl records, and the culture of the 90s is reviving again, isn't it?
MURO:It's a good thing, isn't it? A while ago, "Recofun" in Shibuya closed and was having a sale, and to my surprise, I saw many young girls coming alone. I was surprised to see so many young girls coming to the store alone. I was a little surprised to see that more and more people are coming to the store with the intention of buying records.
What do you think is the appeal of vinyl records in this age of subscriptions and distribution?
MURO:I think records are interesting as objects and are the most attractive form. When I was a child, my first encounter with vinyl records was listening to cartoon theme songs on a sonosheet, and I couldn't help but wonder why sound came out when I dropped the needle. Besides, I also enjoyed the artwork on the jackets and could read the historical background from them. And then there is the drama of the A/B side, which I think is a condensed version of the album's many charms.
I wonder if those memories have influenced your insistence on 7-inch music.
MURO:I think there might be. The sonosheet was my gateway to records. I also like the size. My parents lived in a gas station, and they had a circular fixture that fit 7-inch vinyl slips perfectly. I would fill it up with all the 7-inch records I had, spin it around, and play a record I picked up in a jiffy. For me, it was the shape of what I thought of when I thought of records.
It looks catchy, and it's light enough to be played with in that way. Weren't you surprised at first?
MURO:I was happy that everyone's equipment was lighter with PCs, but I thought this one was lighter than that one (laughs). The first time I DJ'd with only 7" was at the now defunct "Cave. I bought new 7-inch machines overseas, such as JACKSON 5 and James Brown, and started to see if I could do it with just 7-inch machines. I still vividly remember how happy everyone was when I did that.
7-inch music has been gaining more and more popularity lately, perhaps due to MURO's influence.
MURO:Since I started CAPTAIN VINYL with Nori (DJ NORI), I have been buying more and more 7-inch records. In the past, 7-inch music had a strong reggae image, but nowadays they are released in all genres. I never thought this would happen.
Today you brought your own records.
MURO:This is a test pressing of the DIGGIN' BOX SET from DIGGIN' ICE 2020 selected by MURO, released on March 25. Six songs are selected from "Diggin' Ice 2020" released last year. I hope that many people will enjoy the songs, which are being released on 7" for the first time, regardless of their age. Also, I did a tour called "TOGETHER HOODS TOUR" with Olive Oil (OLIVEOIL), and we talked about making a work somewhere between dub and hip-hop at that time. That work is scheduled to be released around Golden Week on Manhattan Records.
You have been very active with the brand "RECOGNIZE," which was launched last year.
MURO:You have made triple collaboration shoes for Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO and BOW WOW at RECOGNIZE, and overalls with READYMADE.
I feel that you sublimate the culture you have experienced and present it to a wide range of generations.
MURO:In a positive sense, I would like to pass on the culture of that time to the younger generation by transforming it into the present. If we can convey the fun in a way that is easy to understand, I think the children who will lead the next generation will be happy to take an interest. As with records and turntables, the current period is in perfect harmony with the times, and I am able to transmit various information in a pleasant and enjoyable way. I hope that people who are getting turntables for the first time will also try the SL-1200MK7 as their first turntable, without fear.
