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Not only is DJ KRUSH a figurehead of the thriving Tokyo club scene, but an artist of international stature as well, known to be the sound creator representing Japan throughout the world.
His internationally acclaimed talent covers a variety of creative area from production, remix, club plays to live session, and he is known as one of the few sound originators having a distinctive hip hop-based soundscape of his own.
For DJ KRUSH, everything started from when he saw the movie "WILD STYLE" in the early 80s. Motivated, even shocked by the whole hip hop culture, the movie led him to become a DJ in the streets in Tokyo. After winning countless DJ contests in Tokyo, he formed a now legendary rap unit called KRUSH POSSE in 1987 which made numerous appearances in various media as the best hip hop act in Japan. KRUSH began pursuing his solo career after the break-up of the group in late 1992. His debut album KRUSH released in 1994, has placed his name on the global scene. His second album STRICTLY TURNTABLIZED, released from Mo'Wax label in the UK debud at No.2 on the NME indie chart and went on to winning him popularity not only in the UK but throughout Europe. Along with Mo'Wax label mate DJ Shadow, he was featured in various leading music press as being "the godfather of trip hop/abstract hip hop". Ever since, his name has appeared regularly on both UK and US top dance charts as he released new albums, and he has received countless offers for remix and live collaboration.
Following up on his successful previous album releases of Mei-So, Mi-Light, Kakusei, and Code 4109 (his first DJ Mix album), DJ KRUSH has completed his long-awaited studio album entitled ZEN to be released in US in Summer 2001. Featuring such guests as Zap Mama, MC Black Thought and Ahmir<?uestlove> Thompson from Grammy-winning group The Roots, Tunde Ayanyemi, N'Dea Davenport, Company Flow and many more, KRUSH succeeds in expressing the changing atmosphere towards the new millennium in various forms of sound.
As a producer, remixer, DJ and a recording artist, DJ KRUSH is respected by numerous artists across all genres. His remix works stretches out from those for jazz acts such as Ronny Jordan and Galliano to rock/alternative acts such as k.d.Lang and even Kodo. Also, his critically-acclaimed collaboration works with top international hip-hop and jazz acts demonstrates his superb sense and skills in bringing out the best of his collaborations and still maintain his own distinctive style transcending barriers of musical genre and nationalities. His recording collaborations works include those with DJ SHADOW, THE ROOTS, GURU from Gang Starr, C.L.Smooth, Shawn J.Period, Mos Def and DJ CAM.
In 2000, MC Black Thought from The Roots have asked KRUSH to produce a track for his debut solo project, Masterpiece Theatre. This will be the first production of the whole hip-hop history for a Japanese producer to be on the overseas rapper's album. After numbers of trial & errors in the studio in Philadelphia, they completed a track titled "Hardware" to be the single from Black Thought's solo album due out fall 2001.
As a performer, he is even more impressive. His is known to be " the turntable wizard" for both his stunning club DJ plays that leaves people staring at the booth, and his live collaborations in which he uses the two turntables and the mixer as live instruments utilizing their aptitudes to the max. He even takes solo parts using the turntables in freestyle sessions. The live collaborators he had jammed with include NAS, The Roots, Jhelisa, Omar, MS Solaar, DJ Shadow, DJ Spooky, Mick Kahn of ex-Japan, as well as well-known domestic jazz and rock musicians. Recently, he did a collaborations with Nigerian percussionist Tunde Ayanyemi with his new DJ unit <RYU(meaning "the flow") where the crowd witnessed the dynamics created by rhythm Vs rhythm session.Hip-hop, techno, jazz, dub, rock: the DJ KRUSH sound crosses over to numerous music genres and is constantly innovative. The visual and instrumental elements of his sound motivates people's imaginations and can be more persuasive than words as it becomes more minimal and atmospheric with every album he releases. The sound that can not be labeled in one genre or work, the music that can only be described by sounds...That's what DJ KRUSH is all about.