What is the first thing that comes to your mind when referring to Japan?
Is it the Samurai warriors? The astonishing pink of the cherry
blossom or is it the futuristic Shinkansen? the temples, the
sake, the manga culture, conservative society, traditional kimono,
sushi, Fuji mountain and we can go on But one thing is for
sure; Techno is not a word that will come to your mind.
Tokyo is famous for it’s unbelievable nightlife and clubs like Womb
and producers like Ken Ishii are engraved in stone at the base of the
global scene. The Japanese techno has never had an ambassador till Hito came along.
Even though Growing up in the west side of Japan it was the move to
Berlin in 1999 that Lit the techno flame in Hito’s heart. Its where she
developed her passion for minimal and emotional music pressed on
vinyl.
She connected with Richie Hawtin and in 2012 became an integral part
of the Enter. experience as a resident DJ at the ENTER. Sake Bar.
As a vinyl-only DJ her skills, amazing selection & charisma made her
loved by the crowd and in no time, she was transmitted from a secret
weapon to a DJ whom clubbers all over the world are anticipating to
hear & see.
The kimono-wearing cute and energetic Hito makes the dance floors go
for hours, mixing deep, sensual, but bassy techno. Her flow and the
special touch make the musical world follow her.
Just a couple of days prior the first eve minus showcase in Tel Aviv
we caught Hito for a short conversation about Enter.Japan and well
yes..music 🙂
Can you tell us about the relationship you have with Minus & Richie
Hawtin, it seems that he had taken the Japanese culture under his wing
with the Sake bar at Enter and you as a resident? How did this love
story start?
– We started with ENTER.Sake in Ibiza during the summer season. It’s
constantly growing with activity, with Japanese Sake, music and local
foods even and now there is a night that we do featuring an ENTER.Sake
dinner with a variety of people from across the world coming. It all
started naturally through the huge passion of Richie and is supported
by lovers of Japanese sake and music.
How did your family react when you decided to move from Japan and
dedicate your life to music?
– Oh, they know me very well. I have been traveling a lot since I was
teenager so they understand me and have always supported me a lot. My
dad came to BPM festival in Mexico, danced with Vatos Locos boys with
lots of tequila! My mom loves to listen to Paco Osuna and Hito’s mix
whilst driving.
It seems that every dj today is also a producer, yet you are sticking
to the art of Djing and vinyl only, can you share with us your
thoughts about this? Why only vinyl and how do you choose records to
play?
– I just really like the thrill of playing vinyl. I know I am not a
technical DJ, but I know exactly which tracks I play and how and what
I deliver through my gig.
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re alone at home or on the road?
-I don’t listen to our music. If I do listen at home, its classical music.
What are the three songs/tracks/compositions from any musical style
Can you listen to forever?
1. Spastik – Plastikman
2. Let me know – Towa Tei
3. Ravel – Piano Works 2
Do you prefer playing small clubs where you are close to the people,
or you feel best on a few thousand people dancefloor?
– I am a vinyl player so I sometimes have stress with turntables.
My concept is sharing through music, so as much as I am able to do
this, it’s doesn’t matter how many people there are. But I like to
play small clubs and feel the intimacy.
Can you tell about the play differently, how did the DJ’s react to the mixer?
– Playing #playdifferently is new, and you can control it in many
different ways. I think a lot of DJ’s are happy to play it and are
having fun with it. You can concentrate and design on your own playing
style.
Watch Hito at the PLAYdifferently presentation at Boiler Room
