BAKU x D-Styles It's a Jazz Thing
BAKU x D-Styles, a split mix by two producers/DJs/turntablists who are both active in the hip-hop scenes in Japan and the US. This is a wonderful mix that explodes with the unique worldview of BAKU and D-Styles, who freely play turntables as instruments with the theme of "jazz" as a musical expression.
Released in two formats: CD and TAPE (with DL card).
BAKU, who started his career as a DJ in his mid-teens based in Tokyo, is currently releasing various works and working as an artist based on his own label, KAIKOO, and last year (2023) released his latest album, MO' BETTER TRUTH, which features more than 30 rappers and musicians. Meanwhile, D-Styles is known for being a member of two of America's leading turntablist groups, Invisibl Skratch Piklz and The Beat Junkies, and for serving as a resident DJ at LA's legendary event, Low End Theory, as one of the core members.
As members of The Turntable Symphonograph Orchestra, an orchestra formed by 20 DJs/turntablists from Japan and the United States, the two performed together in a concert at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi in 2018. While based in different scenes in Tokyo and the West Coast of the United States, respectively, the two have built their own unique styles not only as producers but also as DJs/turntablists.
This mix, "It's a Jazz Thing," is the first collaboration between BAKU and D-Styles for a release, and it is a work that displays the strong personalities of the two artists. As the title "It's a Jazz Thing" suggests, the theme of the work is "jazz." However, it is not just "jazz" as a musical genre, but "jazz" as an interpretation and concept of musical expression, and the mix, which uses the "improvisation" (= improvisational performance) unique to turntablists, such as scratching and juggling, is an important key to this work.
The BAKU side is composed of three parts, "AWAKE", "FUNCTION", and "RETURN TRIP", while the D-Styles side is composed of four parts, "TAKE OFF", "CLIMB", "CRUISE", and "DESCENT". Each part tells a story through a variety of songs across genres, including hip hop, which is the common thread between the two, as well as jazz, soul/R&B, reggae, and bass music. This is a wonderful mix that explodes with the unique worldview of BAKU and D-Styles, who freely play turntables (record players) as instruments.
*The title logo tag is an original drawing by "TABOO1".
■ BAKU Profile:
Based in Tokyo, he started his career as a DJ in his mid-teens, and currently releases various works and works as an artist based on his own label "KAIKOO". Last year (2023), he released his latest album "MO' BETTER TRUTH", which features a total of more than 30 rappers and musicians.
■ D-Styles Profile:
D-Styles is known for being a member of two of America's leading turntablist groups, "Invisibl Skratch Piklz" and "The Beat Junkies," and also for being a resident DJ at the legendary LA event, "Low End Theory," and is widely known as the man who elevated the turntable to the level of being called a musical instrument.
Release date: Friday, September 27, 2024
>> [TAPE+DL card] ¥2,200
>> [MIX CD] ¥1,870
>> [TAPE+MIX CD+DL code] ¥3,740
>> [MIX CD + T-shirt] ¥7,920 *Pre-order only
>> [TAPE + DL code + T-shirt] ¥8,250 * Advance reservations only
>> [TAPE+MIXCD+DL code+T-shirt] ¥9,790 * Advance reservations only
