from Lodown Magazine
"from Lodown Magazine"
[http://lodownmagazine.com/]
FORCE OF NATURE.
tokyo godfathers
The traditional value system of club culture alternatively club music is a dated one, my friend. Well, at least for KZA and DJ Kent. Under their moniker Force Of Nature, these guys are teaching dance music a lesson, because why should you be a HipHop or Disco or House or whatever DJ/producer only if you can easily combine everything that makes your heart beat and booty shake at once. If you allow yourself to push the limits and do something new and not retro?
You guys seem to be around for ages already... please tell me a little about how it all started, about how you first met.
We first met when DJ Kent joined the rap group formed by KZA... it was called "Yotsukaido Nature". Then in 1997, as Yotsukaido Nature, we released an instrumental Breakbeat album called "Urban Combatt 2001". From this point a massive amount of remix and production offers were coming to us... that`s probably the direct reason to form FORCE OF NATURE.
Force Of Nature have been stirring it up in underground circles since many years already, first in their hometown Tokyo, later, after they remixed the likes of DJ Shadow or Sly Mongoose amongst others, in the US as well. Before they entered their studio to record album #3 (which should be out in late Feb/early March), they got themselves in shape with several solo projects. DJ Kent did a few things for the ever reliable Bearfunk label while KZA focused on releasing a couple of mix CDs and mixtapes. These guys figured out early that the foundation of every good dance track is a tasty breakbeat... and we can call ourselves lucky that they ain’t sparing us the details of this valuable lesson.
I think, probably the first track I've ever heard from you was 'Urban Combatt' on Guntez Records... was that really the first thing you released or was there stuff you put out earlier?
"Urban Combatt2001" was the first instrumental material that we released, but even before that, we had released a mini-album and a single as Yotsukaido Nature.
Did you actually start as producers or DJs?
KZA: Originally as DJs, but after forming Yotsukaido Nature, I started doing both rap and track making. In 1997, Yotsukaido Nature released an album called "V.I.C Tomorrow", after the release of this album, I`ve started to have more temptation for pure track making up to now.
KENT: I also started as DJ but had an interest in track making at the same time, so I tried it on my own. After I joined Yotsukaido Nature, I started to take track making more serious, and then here I am today.
You are having a strong background in HipHop but nowadays your style is all over the place... from Disco to Breakbeat to Jazz to whatever seem to fit a certain track. Did you find HipHop too single minded and restrictive or what were the reasons for that evolvement?
KZA: When I was a kid, I was mainly listening to the Billboard top 100, then I got to know HipHop afterwards and got completely into it. When I found a compilation "ULTIMATE BREAKS & BEATS", I started to search for the original records from the compilation, and while searching them I`ve started to listen to all kinds of music. I especially got a massive influence from Afrika Bambaataa.
KENT: I wasn`t only into HipHop but House music as well at the same time, so I was digging into the whole dance music scene - then I realized that there is a cross-over between LOFT classics and B-BOY classics, so I really had no seperation of specific music genres when it comes to digging. I think this led me to the style I have now.
What I experienced for myself when I was checking out Tokyo's club culture is, people somehow almost seem to have this need to belong to a certain scene... you know, being a HipHop kid or a Rock chick or whatever. Your intention on the other hand seems to be to destroy all musical barriers. Therefore I was wondering if it was hard to get a certain following in Tokyo, in Japan in general?
When you're young, you tend to have strict rules when it comes to selecting music you like to listen to... but from some point we started to listen to music we purely like, doesn`t matter what genre it was.
We don`t particularly intend to destroy musical barriers by force, but when we make music or deejay, we have a strong intention and wish to have a wide variety of people in the audience.
Is one of you focusing on the beats while the other is mainly taking care of the melodies?
That is depending on the tracks. KENT does machine manipulations but basically we do make the sound together. When we work, we both bring the ideas, records, talk, have fun, and sometimes fight and punch each other (laugh).
Maybe I'm wrong about it but I have the impression as if your reputation as DJs and producers overseas (regardless of the sales) seems to be bigger and better than in Japan... or that it was at least recognized there before your breakthrough in Japan.
We are mainly making instrumental tracks, so we never really had a distinction of Japan and overseas... but to know there are some people who notice our activities and get a good reputation in abroad is a very pleasant thing. Last year we did deejay at the party called "P.S.1" at MOMA... we particularly got impressed that different coloured people got together and enjoyed dancing to the good beat, pure enjoyment. We never did DJ in Europe yet, so we are eager to do it next year.
Please tell me a little about your solo-projects... do you need them because your ideas aren't always matching when it comes to Force Of Nature?
KZA: Putting Force Of Nature as my main activity, I do make some tracks for other artists as well as some remixes. Also, I like lots of different music, so I represent them through my mixes, which can be reflected on Force Of Nature as well.
KENT: I have a release on UK label "Bearfunk", a collaboration project called "Enterplay" with the Swiss-based artists Rosario and Ianeq, and I have formed a group "Galarude" with Hiroshi Kawabe from Tokyo No.1 Soul Set and the bassist Sasanuma... all these are to enjoy the session with friends.
How did you team up with Libyus Music?
We`ve been knowing the label owner Masa since Yotsukaido Nature time - about 10 years now. When he had become independent and set up LIBYUS MUSIC, it was just a natural flow for us to work with him. We deeply understand each other and our musical visions, as well as the business part... so it`s very easy to work together. We want to keep our independent spirit as long as possible and work together in a longer term.
Your new album will be out in early 2006... please give us a first look on what's happening there. Did you collaborate with other artists for a track or another? Will it be more focused on a certain musical style? Are you taking the exploration of the new days of Disco even further?
At the moment (10th November), we still don`t see the entire image of it yet. We`re definitely positive on some collaborations. Recently, we are very much into Daniel Baldelli, so more or less, such element might be included, but who knows...
Anyway, we`re on the way to make the next album which will be the future classic of the world wide underground dance music!
new 12" and album out in February 2006 on Libyus Music
http://www.libyus.com
words: Sven ‘Fortyounce’ Fortmann
pic: Akiko Watanabe
