Where are you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

I live in Tokyo, Japan. I have lived here almost for 20 years and if I were to describe this city in one phrase, it would be “chaotic order.” Tokyo is a place which is very organized and out of control. It is a energetic and interesting place to be.

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Tell us a bit about this mix — what do you imagine people doing while listening to it?

All the songs in my mix is written and programmed by artists from Japan. We have a lunch box called “Makunouchi Bento,” which consists of a wide of variety of food. It is a very eclectic mix consisting of techno, electro, hip-hop, house, drum and bass, dubstep, and so on. Although I included a lot of loud music, I made it for people to listen to at home or when they're driving.

What's your earliest musical memory?

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My mom teaching me all the traditional Japanese nursery songs. I always loved singing. Though I ended up making music instead.

How has the electronic music scene in Japan evolved since you first found success with M-Flo in the ‘90s?

Although M-Flo released music from major labels and had a No.1 in the national chart, we were — and still are — considered niche in Japan. We were hoping that we would give some impact to the scene and change the game in the Japanese music industry. Japan was ready for all the new ideas in music in the '90s, but gradually started to shift to a more conservative mindset in the 2000s. I am now very excited that there are so many talents in the underground scene, and Japan is shifting back to the more progressive side.

As a producer and DJ, what are you looking for when you listen to new music, and who is exciting and inspiring you at the moment?

Today anyone can make descent music if you have a computer. All the sample packs are very well made and instruments are much more affordable thanks to evolving technology. But at the same time, that means a lot of music can sound very similar — it's harder for producers to create something “original.” I tend to react better to something different from the general trend; something that's not perfect. Yes, I do love typical-sounding techno, drum and bass, and house music that is functional for the dance floor. But I get more turned on by something that's not mainstream. I prefer something glitchy that uses lots of sampling. All the music in my mix is by artists I am inspired by.

Please tell me a bit about Block.fm — what is it and why did you start it?

Block.fm is a web-based radio and news site that emphasizes electronic music. We have a lot of great shows by artists from Japan and around the world. I started this project 7 years ago as a pirate radio show because electronic music was evolving strongly but there was no radio show that focused on this exciting movement. At the same time there were so many great talents from Japan and they were not getting introduced in the Japanese music industry. I asked several radio stations but nobody wanted to do it because Japan's economy was not doing well and they could not get sponsors for the show. That is when I decided to do it by myself. We kept on making the show and because other big DJs in Japan understood where my passion and heart is, we got a lot of support. That is when I decided to make it official radio station. Although we are a underground station, we have strong support from the true music lovers and the exciting thing is that it is organically getting bigger.

What projects do you have coming up in 2017?

I made a remix for an artist named VOIA from the Attack the Music label. He is based in New York and has a great talent. I am currently working on new M-Flo tune.

And what lessons from 2016 will you be taking into this new year?

I learned that I should not judge myself and let other people decide. By judging who I am, it restricts my possibilities. I never liked listening to my old works because I was afraid to find flaws. But nowadays, I feel my flaws could be the voice of what I make. Of course, I still believe it is important for me to improve my ability to create music, but at the same time I've started to let go of my feelings and loosen up and enjoy creating music.

What's the last book you read that had a big impact on you? And why?

Frankly speaking, I haven’t read books in ages and don’t even remember what I read last. Aside from music, my favorite past-time is watching U.S. dramas. My favorites are Game of Thrones, The Man In the High Castle, Westworld, Mr. Robot, and Stranger Things. I have long been a big fan of U.S. dramas, but last year was a great year. It may sound dumb, but for me watching TV dramas is like reading novels because TV dramas these days are so detailed and very well made.

What's your favorite dish to cook and how do you make it?

That is another tough question. LOL. I love eating and cooking. If I were to choose just one dish, it would be my crab pasta with garlic tomato sauce with extra cheese. Cooking is very similar to making music — you may have a recipe, but you can always rearrange it and create different styles which makes you unique.