MONTHLY CCC SESSION] VOL.4 Ryo Nakahara (RANA-MUSICA RECORD STORE) "Cross-Industrial Communication Mediated by House Music

City Country City" is an anonymous brand that does not disclose its designer, but has been steadily increasing its presence. In this Series, we interview creators who have been close friends with the brand since its inception to find out what the brand is really like. We will be looking into the contents of this mysterious brand from all angles.

Ryo Nakahara of the Shimokitazawa store RANA-MUSICA RECORD STORE, which just released a triple-collaboration T-shirt with "City Country City" and "ISNESS MUSIC," joins us this time. We asked him to talk about the non-fashion aspect of this brand, which has a close relationship with music.

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The common language is house music.

What is your connection to "City Country City"?

Nakahara:We used to play together once upon a time. We were so-called club mates. At the time, I was working at the Shinjuku branch of a record store called "Cisco," and I was good friends with Kishita-san, who now runs the "IZNESS" brand. Through that connection, I became friends with the person who now runs City Country City. He often came to Cisco to buy records.

So you were playing together with Kishta-san.

Nakahara:Kishita-san was working at a store called "PERV" in Harajuku at the time. It was owned by a man named MARBO, who was friends with DJ HARVEY, and it sold not only clothes but also records. So I would go to PERV and Kishita would come to Cisco to buy records.

How many years exactly are we talking about?

Nakahara:From the end of the 90's to the 2000's. I used to hang out at Yellow in Nishiazabu. I used to hang out at Yellow in Nishiazabu.

I guess the common language of all of you was house music?

Nakahara:That's right. I was in charge of house music at "Cisco" myself, and I listened to a lot of house music.

Also, I used to go to see DJ Harvey when he played at Yellow. Nowadays, when he comes to Japan, the box is packed to capacity, but back then, there were not many people. But he still had a cult following, and some enthusiastic fans came to dance. It was called "NU HOUSE" at the time, and I think it was largely due to Harvey that Idjut Boys and other DJs from that area came to be featured.

What was the atmosphere like at parties back then?

Nakahara:It was a continuation of the 80's trend, and it was still bubbly (laughs). The HARVEY party was a bit different.

WAR's "City Country City.

So you spent your impressionable years in such a place. Did you interact with them after that?

Nakahara:I was in New York from 2001 to 2006. I was in New York from 2001 to 2006 when I moved to the U.S. I didn't see him again until I started City Country City. It wasn't until I started City Country City that I saw them again. I saw Kishita and DJ NORI wearing the brand on Instagram, and I was curious about it. Then I found out that it was a brand run by a friend I used to hang out with.

So you were interested in the brand name "City Country City"?

Nakahara:Yes, it is. From the design and the name of the brand. I immediately recognized that the brand was based on the culture of music.

The song "CITY COUNTRY CITY" by WAR is also known as LOFT CLASSIC and was played by that David Mancuso.

Nakahara:David Mancuso is an important figure in party culture. The Loft" was a private party that he used to hold in New York City, and I went there in the 1990s. At the time, there was a magazine called "remix" that published a monthly "Loft Chart" that introduced the songs played at "The Loft. All of us record buyers paid attention to the chart and reflected it in our purchases.

His picture is also displayed in this store.

Nakahara:When I was in New York, I used to help out with "The Loft" a little bit. In the past, the parties were really held at David's house, but when I was there, they rented a space on the second floor of a Ukrainian restaurant in the East Village. I was helping to carry the equipment there.

That's great, isn't it?

Nakahara:David's house at the time I was there was not large, but he had top-of-the-line speakers from the same manufacturer as the ones in this room, and we listened to the radio with them all the time. Most of the other equipment was in storage, and we moved it in.

There is something else that I really regret now. I interviewed David once. I don't think there are many people who would do such an interview, but I didn't have a recorder at the time, so I wrote down everything I heard. My English was not very good, so I managed to write an article with excerpts from his words. So I really regret that I should have recorded the audio. It would have been quite valuable if David's physical voice had survived.

What was David Mancuso like from your point of view?

Nakhara:I felt he was a very flexible person, listening to classics like WAR's "City Country City," but on the other hand, he kept introducing new songs. People close to him would bring him new records and ask him, "What do you think of this song? and he would play it for them. Then that song would be played at the next party. I watched him and admired his flexibility.

Was David Mancuso pursuing music or partying?

Nakahara:This is my personal interpretation, but I don't think he was pursuing anything. Parties were important to him and a part of his life, but I don't think he paid much attention to how much he could improve the quality of the parties.

I think he was more concerned with the "sound" itself. David had an engineer named Alex Rosner whom he trusted, and Alex would visit him whenever he needed advice. David Mancuso was a DJ, or a music selector, but not an engineer. But he was very good at that kind of intuition, and I think that's one of the great things about him.

This DNA has been firmly transmitted to the current Japanese club scene, and there are more and more clubs in Japan that are trying to improve their sound. Perhaps it was the same in the past, but I have more opportunities to feel this attitude more strongly than in the past. Precious Hall in Sapporo, Shelter in Hachioji, Aoyama Zero, and Bonobo in Jingumae have really good sound, and many other venues are making efforts to improve their sound. I believe that David's influence is strong.

The number of accounts that can bring the two brands together is limited.

City Country City", what was your impression of the brand when you first saw it?

Nakahara:I simply thought, "Oh, that's cool" (laughs). I didn't know that a friend I used to hang out with was doing it, so I was looking at the Instagram screen and thinking, "Kishta-san and NORI-san are wearing it, but I want one too" (laughs). I had no idea where to go to buy it, because it's a wonderfully mysterious brand.

I guess that means you could feel the sound.

Nakahara:I could tell immediately from the brand name and the people uploading it that it was a music-related brand. I'm not much of a fashion person, so if it had been a general fashion brand, I wouldn't have been able to recognize it. These days I really only wear "City Country City" and "IZNESS" (laughs).

This month marks the second anniversary of the opening of the RANA-MUSICA RECORD STORE, and you have released a triple-collaboration T-shirt featuring "City Country City" and "Isness Music. How did this item come about?

Nakahara:I just wanted to do it (laughs), but I'm not a fashion person, so I started by asking myself, "Is that even possible? I'm not a fashion person, so I was like, "Is that even possible? But when I asked them about it, they both agreed to do it.

How did you decide on the design?

Nakahara:I'm just going to throw it all in (laughs). I thought it would be better to just tell them that it was our second anniversary and not say anything else. I thought it would be better to leave that to the professionals and sell the finished product.

RANA-MUSICA RECORD STORE x CITY COUNTRY CITY x ISNESS MUSIC 2nd Anniversary T-Shirt ￥6,800+TAX

The body is made of "ISNES's" inside-out version, and the iconic logos of both brands are printed on it. The appeal of each is mixed in a good balance, isn't it?

Nakahara:I'm glad you were able to make a good one. I think the charms of both brands have been balanced really well. I think both City Country City and ISNES have collaborated with other brands, but I think there are only a few accounts that can bring these two brands together. I am glad that we were able to make this happen this time.

How is the response from the audience?

Nakahara:It's very good. I am so happy to hear so many people asking for it. The packaging is also very attractive, and many people respond to this kind of design that looks like a record strip.

I heard that there will be a party to celebrate the second anniversary.

Nakahara:This actual store opened on July 31, 2021, and to celebrate, we decided to have a party here on Saturday, July 29. I have invited DJ NORI, who has been a great help to me both publicly and privately, and a young DJ named Viceman, whom I have listened to since he used to play at Gold in Shibaura, and whose house was close to mine when I was working at Cisco. I used to bring promo records to his house. We have been friends ever since, and he often comes to this store. When he comes here, he often wears "City Country City" clothes (laughs).

What kind of DJ is the other Viceman?

Nakahara:She is a female DJ who likes stronger sounds such as reggae and bass music, etc. NORI-san regularly holds parties at a box called Bridge in Shibuya, and Viceman has a connection with a DJ who has performed there. I have introduced her to NORI-san along with those stories, and since NORI-san himself seems to have a desire to actively book young girls, I thought it would be a good idea to do it here as an opportunity for him to do so.

I hope it will be a lot of fun.

Nakahara:Yes, we are. We hope you enjoy the party along with the great T-shirts we have made.

Ryo Nakahara
He started his career as a record buyer at the Shinjuku Alta branch of the record store "Cisco". He then went to the U.S. and worked at "N.Y.C." and "A-1 Records" before returning to Japan. In 2021, he opened his own store, "Rana-MUSICA RECORD SHOP" in Shimokitazawa, which will celebrate its second anniversary in July this year.
Instagram:@ryu_horike