Tokyo-based streetwear company that continues to produce high purity streetwear.HELLRAZORand also born and raised in Tokyo.ISSUGI, ,Mr. PUG, ,cactus＝HIP HOP label by three rappers from MONJU.Dogear Records". Both of them resonated with each other and completed a full album "iNNER FLAMES" to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "Hellraiser" and the record will be released this month. on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at Shibuya's "Club AsiaThe event was held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hellraiser and the 17th anniversary of Dogear Records, where the first live performance of the "iNNER FLAMES" set was also held.
Here are some photos of the live performance and rehearsal, as well as a video of "Hellraiser".TSUMIand ISSUGI, who served as executive producer of "iNNER FLAMES" andDJ SCRATCH NICEWe present a trilogy discussion by Here is the latest point of Tokyo streetwear and HIP HOP.
Photo_CAYO IMAEDA
Text & Edit_Yusuke Suzuki
ISSUGI
Rapper and beatmaker from Nerima-ku, Tokyo. When he is a beatmaker and DJ, he works under the name 16flip. He works as a solo artist as well as a SICK TEAM with MONJU, 5lack and Budamunk, and his latest album is "366247" released in July 2022.
Instagram:@dogear_gram
DJ SCRATCH NICE
DJ, beat maker and producer. He is active mainly in Osaka and Tokyo, and has provided beats for many rappers. Twice is nice" under the name of Gradis nice & DJ Scratch nice, featuring many of his fellow rappers, was released on Dogear Records.
Instagram:@scratchnice
TSUMI
Director and skater of Hellraiser, Inc. He was one of the first to link up with international skaters such as Sean Powers, and has been a member of the "Hellraiser" team.Rough CriminalThe first album, "iNNER FLAMES," was released in 2006. As "iNNER FLAMES" shows, the company has a deep friendship with the HIP HOP scene, especially in Tokyo.
Instagram:@tsumi
Celebrating its 10th anniversary,
One of the culmination at this point.
-I read in the official release that the project for this album started when TSUMI offered it to ISSUGI about a year and a half ago. Could you tell us the detailed situation at that time?
TSUMI: I think we first talked about it at our office.
ISSUGI: Probably a hamburger shop (laughs).
TSUMI:Yes, I think we were eating hamburgers or something at the office after skating.... No, we talked at a hamburger shop....
ISSUGI: I don't remember it clearly at all either (laughs).
TSUMI：At first, I just talked to ISSUGI about it in a dreamy way, like it would be really great if I could do something like this (release a sound source as a brand). It was not a concrete plan at all.
-When did you first want to release a sound source with "Hellraiser"?
TSUMI：I have been interested in this since I was about 22 years old, before I started my brand (*2013). When I started "Hellraiser," I saw that some of my fellow bands in the Urahara area and brands in New York were releasing sound files. That may have been one of the reasons for my interest.
-When you first consulted with ISSUGI, did you decide to offer DJ SCRATCH NICE as well?
TSUMI：No, not at all. When I consulted with ISSUGI, Tetsu (*DJ SCRATCH NICE) had just returned from New York at that time.
ISSUGI: I knew that TSUMI-kun and Tecchan (*DJ SCRATCH NICE) were good friends, and when TSUMI-kun asked me about this project, I had the image that I could do better with Tecchan than with myself alone.
-How did you get to know each other first?
TSUMI:I think I and Tetsu-kun preceded ISSUGI-kun. Tetsu-kun and I met in New York on Thursday, wasn't it? Tuesday?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: It's Thursday.
TSUMI：Tetsu-kun had an event where he DJ'd every Thursday, and that is how we met.TOYA (HORIUCHI)I went to visit with the "Mere Old Man" and he introduced me to the company.
-How long ago was that?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: It was quite a while ago, maybe 2017?
TSUMI: No, no, it was earlier, like 2014?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: That's a possibility (laughs).
TSUMI:Sean Powers.was at Ore's house for two weeks in 2015. I think it was 2013 or 2014 before that.
ISSUGI: Wow, so it must have been around the time you started your brand.
TSUMI: Yes, that's right. I bring the clothes (to New York) and have Tetsu put them on and take pictures.
-So when did TSUMI and ISSUGI start?
ISSUGI: First of all, before we get to know each other,CRAMI knew that there were people who were really pushing the I thought that was really hot.
TSUMI: Probably in 2017 or 2018, I'm putting out a set of CRAM, tape, and T-shirt. So I think it will be after that time that I will link with ISSUGI.
So when we had the "Hellraiser" pop-up at "Barneys New York" in Shinjuku, we asked ISSUGI-kun to appear. But I have been listening to ISSUGI-kun since before I got to know him, all of our riders.
-While you have had the dream of releasing a sound source for 10 years, when did you decide to offer it to ISSUGI?
TSUMI：I had an idea for an album for a long time, but I don't know when.... But I didn't have a specific person in mind, except for ISSUGI. I think it was ISSUGI who said to me, "Let's put together a full album. We chose all the beats for the full album and started from scratch.
-When you first heard about the project, did you immediately think about making a full-length album from scratch?
ISSUGI: I don't remember exactly...but it was something like that.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Fluffy (laughs).
ISSUGI: It's all very loose (laughs). (laughs) But then I realized that the three of us were going to make the album together.
The project started with
From choosing a beat maker.
-As usual, do you start by selecting the beats?
ISSUGI: Yes, that's right. I would say that the first step is for me and Tecchan to choose a beat maker.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Yes, yes.
ISSUGI: We decided on a beat maker, got beats from them, and chose a song from them. At that time, we were on a live tour together (an 8-city tour in Japan to celebrate the release of ISSUGI's 9th album "366247" in 2022), so we talked with each other at key points during the tour.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Yes, we had time to meet and talk on tour, and that was great.
-Did the title "iNNER FLAMES" come first? Or after?
TSUMI: The title came later.
-With no title, what did you do with the concept and the theme of the beat collection?
ISSUGI: "Hellraiser" is a skate brand, and "Tecchan" is also a skate brand.ZOO YORKI know the feeling of the mixes that ROC RAIDA does, so it's not the kind of music that can be recorded with 808 drums at twice the BPM, but something a little more....... It's more like a rough feel....
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Yes, yes, I know.
ISSUGI: We had an image of wanting to put together a rough HIP HOP that was shared by the three of us.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: We have the same feeling that even if we don't say it, we say, "This is what it's like, right?" I have the same feeling of "this is how it should be".
-I think it's not a matter of giving each other references, but more like a feeling or a small conversation.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: We have a vague reference in our mind. We have some references for textures and melodies.
ISSUGI: I think this kind of beat would be something that would fit in HIP HOP for skating. That's the kind of beat that has atmosphere and that kind of vibe.
-As for the beat makers, do you want beats with themes such as skateboarding or "Hellraiser"?
ISSUGI: I think we talked about how we wanted to make an album with "Hellraiser" and Dogear (Records). We chose the ones that we felt were the right ones.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: First, the two of us would select and narrow down the beats that were sent to us.
TSUMI:I would listen to about two of the songs.
-I was very personally concerned about the lack of a 16flip beat.
ISSUGI: Oh, that's right (laughs). (laughs) Of course it would have been fine if it had been included, but as I was working on it, I really felt that it was already complete (without the 16flip beat). Of course I had planned to include it, but I felt it was perfect without it this time.
-How did you decide which rappers to offer?
ISSUGI: I chose almost all of the artists from Dogear (Records), or people I have known. I thought it would be interesting to hear them (rap) on this beat, or I wanted to hear a pattern that has not been done before.
-When it comes to the full album of "Hellraiser," did you have lyrics drawn about skating and brands, or did you decide to use only rappers that you and TSUMI know?
ISSUGI: I think I wanted to select rappers who were comfortable for me and Tecchan, rather than just because they were from Hellraiser. It was TSUMI's idea,Doofin TokyoEyedressThe "A" and "B" are in the "A" and "B", which makes the whole thing even more interesting and cohesive.
-As a result, many of the rappers and beatmakers involved in this project are acquaintances of TSUMI's, aren't they?
TSUMI：I don't think ISSUGI probably cares that much about it, but I think it just flowed that way. When I ask him, "What do you think of this?" I think it is easier to trust and feel safe when the name that comes up when you ask "What do you think of this?
ISSUGI: This time, we presented the theme of "Hellraiser" and "Dogear (Records)" as if it were a theme in the first place, and we did not specifically ask them to make something like this for the content of the song.
-Did you consult with Mr. PUG and Hideo (*rapper Senninsho) during the production process, or did you have them listen to the album?
ISSUGI: At first, SCRATCH NICE and TSUMI-kun and I talked about how we were going to make it, and since they trust me, we didn't exchange details until the completion of this project.
-I see. And the mixing and mastering.Aru-2Three.
ISSUGI: I thought Aru-2 would be perfect for this project. That's the only simple reason.
Neither distribution nor CD,
First in the format of records.
- "iNNER FLAMES" is not distributed or released on CD, but first and foremost on vinyl. Was this also decided from the beginning?
TSUMI：I used to be a DJ a long time ago, and I like vinyl records, and recently I often think that vinyl records are good again. I like the sound, the size, the weight, and so on. I wanted to make something solid as a product, and that's why I decided to release records first.
We will distribute the record later, but the concept was to have people listen to the good sound of the record first. I am also interested in how people will react when the record is released first. I am also interested in what kind of reaction people would have if I just released the record first.
-How did you go about cutting the record, etc.?
TSUMI: The factory we requested this time isFitz Ambro$eI went to a meeting to meet and greet them. I went to the meeting first to say hello.
ISSUGI: I went with them on the day of mastering. I found out that after the data was created, they would do further mixing when they made the record (at the factory). They make various adjustments to each song on the spot.
TSUMI：Yes, I ended up having them do all the songs.
ISSUGI: It is quite unusual, or rather, I have never had such an experience before.
So this was the first time for you too, isn't it -ISSUGI?
ISSUGI: I had never heard of a place where you can press records and adjust each song. It was amazing.
TSUMI：That master cutter guy (who pressed the record) was up there. I started out by listening to all the songs on the spot, and then asked him if I could only do that much, not get used to the whole thing.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: They ended up letting me play each song. That's great.
-I guess it depends on one's sense or degree of sensitivity, doesn't it?
ISSUGI: I also brought reference records and told them what I thought "1LP would sound like," and they listened to and respected my opinions, saying, "But I want more bass on this song. He would listen to and respect our opinions. He was the kind of person who would do that kind of thing.
TSUMI: You told me that the cutting machine there was one of only a few in Japan. I think it was a very valuable experience.
-The jacket of "iNNER FLAMES", who took this photo?
TSUMI: This is a photo I took on film myself in New York. Sean Powers is the man behindPalace (Skate Bose)He is a rider who is a very good photographer, but he never gets in the right picture. When he came to Japan and stayed with us, he would take a picture of me and there would be a white blur (laughs).
DJ SCRATCH NICE: What do you mean? I'm like, "I don't know" (laughs).
ISSUGI: You mean people who are not captured in person, not because they are moving?
TSUMI：There are times when it is perfect. But even indoors, things happen that are not captured, and it's a mystery. The photo on the jacket is supposed to have Sean on the back. I like this photo, and I think it fits the title "INNER FLAMES".
-When did the term "iNNER FLAMES" come up?
TSUMI：There are several things that I have always wanted to do but never did, and one of them was to make a record. One of them was to make a record. By completing this record, one of my dreams came true. I have been thinking of "INNER FLAMES" as a thing or a concept. If I look at it as a concept, there are about three more things that I would like to achieve.
-How did you decide on the order of the songs?
ISSUGI: Did we come up with the song order by ourselves?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Yeah, I guess so.
TSUMI：Tetsu-kun said from the beginning, "It is definitely better to have ISSUGI-kun do the album's (song) lineup! Tetsu said from the beginning.
-Why is that?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: I have executive abilities, prominently, in a Puff Daddy kind of way (laughs).
-I think producers are very important in music, not to mention HIP HOP. If you were asked to name your three favorite producers, who would you name?
ISSUGI: It's difficult... (after thinking for a while)HIT-BOYBACH LOGIC,DJ PREMIERRight. I have the image that beat makers are better at putting things together than rappers.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: That question is a tough one (laughs). like DJ CRU.WHOO KIDI don't mean that I make things, but I do mean that I am an executive (producer). I don't make things, but I am an executive (producer).
-DJ SCRATCH NICE, when you come back to Japan, is there anyone you would like to produce this rapper?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Of course there are some. I can't mention names here now, but I hope to make it happen someday.
TSUMI：There is only one record in the world that has "ISSUGI & DJ SCRATCH NICE" on the back of it as an executive producer. I think this is a very bad thing.
HELLRAZOR ALBUM
iNNER FLAMES".
Executive produced by ISSUGI & DJ SCRATCH NICE
Directed by Dogear Records
-TRACK LIST-.
1.Reachin prod Fitz Ambro$e
2. MAZE / fluorcat building prod Cedar Law$ Mixed by TAPPO GREENHILL Recorded at CAVLUV2
3.TrifeCitizen / Doof prod Ill Sugi
4. once upon a time / Eyedress prod Eyedress
5. once again / Shinobi & Epic prod CRAM Recorded at J.Studio(TYO)
6. street is watching / BES & ISSUGI prod Scratch Nice Recorded at J.Studio(TYO)
7. project 21 prod Gradis Nice
Hellcat / kojoe prod Gradis Nice & Scratch Nice Recorded at J.Studio(Okinawa)
9. born and Raised / MONJU prod Budamunk Scratch by DJ SCRATCH NICE Recorded at J.Studio(TYO)
10. stress get major / DoubleDouble prod CRAM Recorded at J.Studio(TYO)
11. top chase / Mamoru Komiya,Seninsho prod Ill Sugi Mixed by Ill Sugi Recorded at stifffinger studio
12. time keeps on slippin prod Scratch Nice
All songs Mixed & Mastered by Aru-2
Art work by Tomoharu Atsumi
12 songs ( including 2 instrumental songs ) playing time 28:58 min.
Scheduled release date_Late January 2024
Price_¥4,950
LTD_500pc
DJ SCRATCH NICE: In Japanese albums, executive producers are rarely mentioned. In the U.S., it is written a lot.
-When it comes to distribution, it's not often that even the producer's name is listed. There may or may not even be a beat maker.
TSUMI：This time we even wrote the studio (laughs).
ISSUGI: I definitely want beat makers to be listed in the distribution as well. If I don't see a beat maker listed in the credits, I will definitely look him up on Google and listen to his other songs.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: That's right. I would definitely do that.
TSUMI：I think it's cool to have everything on the list, so this time I included everything I could.
-Will the record be released this month and when is the distribution scheduled?
TSUMI: Delivery is a year later.
-That's quite a period of time.
TSUMI：So I'm planning to make something else at that time, and I have a lot of plans. The record is limited to 500 copies, so I am looking forward to seeing how it will penetrate the market. Also, for example...Supreme〉〉〉J. ROCCIn the meantime, I would like to be able to prepare musical content for Hellraiser, just as I have been making mix CDs for "Hellraiser" for a long time.
-Before the event at "Club Asia," we had a record listening tour in Osaka and Fukuoka, and on the 2nd floor of "Club Asia," you could not only check out the collaborative wear with Dogear Records, but also the record listening mechanism! It was interesting.
TSUMI：Maybe I just don't know, but this is the first time I've seen a record listening session at a club. The listening tour was really interesting, too.
The album is an album of three people's common consciousness that is contained in all 12 songs.
-Finally, I would like to ask you a few questions about each song. The first song is an instrumental by Fitz Ambro$e, and the second song is by Fluorineko Building, and the beat is byCedar Law$Three.
ISSUGI:I listened to quite a few beats in Cedar Law$ and chose the fluorine cat building as a good choice.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: I chose all the beats based on the best fit for this project, rather than the best among the beats sent in.
ISSUGI: Yes, it was. It was an unbelievable amount (laughs).
DJ SCRATCH NICE: We both decided that this was a good idea.
ISSUGI: Something too mellow might be good, but I didn't put it in this time. It's more like an image of wanting to make it a little harder.
-The third song is by Doof.Ill SugiThe combination of the three.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Doof is a friend of mine that I used to hang out with when I was in NY. He knew Ill Sugi and Budamunk and wanted to work with them.
Doof's rap music is a bit more nerdy, in a good way, rather than hard rap. So I thought Ill Sugi's beat would be the best fit.
-The fourth song was a big change of pace, or so I thought.
ISSUGI: I thought it was good when I first heard it, and Eyedress was our choice between this song and the final two songs you sent us.
-I see. I had the impression that the songs that were easy to understand and unexpected came early in the album.
ISSUGI: This (song) is actually very big, and I think it determines the flow of the album.
-The fifth song is.Shinobidaughter (of a good family)EpicMr., the beat is CRAM.
ISSUGI: I don't remember any RAP songs by Shinobi & Epic with CRAM beats, so I wanted to have them do it myself.
-ISSUGI, you have been hooking up for a very long time, writing on your blog and appearing on CRAM's podcast, for that matter.
ISSUGI：Yes, I simply think he is a beat maker with good taste. And even before I got acquainted with TSUMI-kun, I knew that the brand "Hellraiser" was pushing CRAM, so I think CRAM is an artist who releases something that I and "Hellraiser" like in common.
It was a time when I was not well known at all, but people other than myself were going all out to promote artists I liked. Shinobi and Epic know how bad CRAM can be, so I think they came up with a great song.
-The sixth song is.BESThe lyrics that BES used to describe skateboarding were so easy to understand that the description came to my mind immediately.
ISSUGI: Yes, I really thought so too (laughs). I like this lyric.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: Yes, it's really good (laughs).
ISSUGI: It's amazing how the words "Well, he's just a little boy" pop into your head. It's amazing how easily it makes you imagine such a scene.
-The seventh song is.Gradis Nices instrumental, and the eighth song was by Kojoe with Gradis Nice and Scratch Nice.
TSUMI: Before with ISSUGI-kun and BES on the CRAM song.KojoeI had a song that Mr. Kojoe was rapping, and we shot a music video for it in the "WAVEY STORE". I met Kojoe-san at that time.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: This is the only song that myself and Gradis Nice work on together.
-9th song to MONJUBudamunk.and Scratch is DJ SCRATCH NICE.
ISSUGI: Recently, I meet Buda at events, but we don't often visit his house these days. We don't often visit Buda-kun's house, but we have been playing the song "Slow Down" in his old mixes.Jazzy Sport (*Jazzy Sport)We also went into the studio of "Five Elements feat. We also did the same with "Five Elements feat.
-The 10th song is DoubleDouble and the beat is by CRAM.
ISSUGI: DoubleDouble is good friends with TSUMI-kun, and they were at the anniversary event of "Hellraiser," so I thought it would be a good idea to have them join us.
TSUMI:Kevin (*OYG of DoubleDouble)I used to live in Sancha (laughs).
-The 11th song is by Mamoru Komiya and Senninsho, and the beat and mix are by Ill Sugi. Only this song was mixed by Ill Sugi, right? For example, in "Atomosphere '22" released under the name of ISSUGI's 16FLIP, one song was mixed by Aru-2, etc. Why do you ask a different person to mix only one song in an album?
ISSUGI: I think the song with Fluorcat Building and Cedar Law$ this time is even mixed by Fluorcat Building's friends.
-Oh, it's true. The "MAZE" is a mixing system.TAPPO GREENHILLYes.
ISSUGI: Like beat makers and rappers, there are two types of people: those who want to do the mixing and send it in themselves, and those who want to leave the mixing to us.
Ill Sugi, who also does rap, came to me and said, "It would be better if you mix the music and send it to me. That's how the Fluorineko Tatemono is.
-I see. The 12th and final track is an instrumental by Scatch Nice.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: No, I sent ISSUGI about 15 or 6 songs out of the ones I had originally made, and he immediately said, "Let's go with this. When we set it up, it was clear that it was an "Outro" track.
-By the way, do the beat makers and rappers you approached this time keep in touch with each other on a fairly constant basis?
DJ SCRATCH NICE: That's one thing too. That's why I keep in touch with Cedar Law$ and others so much. And Doof, and of course Gradis Nice.
ISSUGI: Yes, that's right. I think that one of us is the one who usually keeps in touch with the other. We also meet at clubs and so on.
-How do you feel about "iNNER FALMES" now that it's actually completed, made into a record, and performed live?
ISSUGI: I and Tecchan have made an album together before, but we had never directed a single project together, and it was interesting to have TSUMI there as well.
DJ SCRATCH NICE: I really felt the fun of it, and although I have given my own beats to someone else or produced them, I have not had the chance to combine other people's beats. So, when I finished it, I thought it was a very good one.
-How did you feel when your dream came true?
TSUMI：I'm really moved by it. The old man who mixed the record said, "This is good, isn't it?" He said, "This is good!" (laughs)
ISSUGI: I might have said that (laughs).
-That's very nice. That's probably what makes me the happiest.
TSUMI："iNNER FLAMES" contains various elements. I hope that people will find that feeling new.
The release party will be held on Saturday, January 27.Manhattan Records®.The party was held at the "KARAKUSAI" in Tokyo, where ISSUGI and Tetsu DJ'd. The after party was held on the same night. The after party was held on the same night.Sleepless Play LionPlease come and visit us at the "live" show and other events.
The outerwear worn by ISSUGI and DJ SCRATCH NICE is one of the collaboration items by "Hellraiser" and Dogear Records. Other items to be released include notebooks as well as apparel.
