Makoto has just dropped the sinewy and super-infectious remix album Souled Out Remixed this week. If you’re entrenched in the respective vibes of Bukem, Fats, Fabio, Marky then this is for YOU! There are interactions with the likes of luminaries Lenzman, Random Movement and Sinistarr… not to mention a mysterious Goth-Trad connection. Damian B went IN on the chatting front. But first, the beats…
I want to say this first of all: I met you at The End, at Swerve. This was one of the perfect homes for this sound of yours and that’s how I ‘see’ your music: in a club environment like that. Fabio was on the decks at the time. Life doesn’t get much better!
I remember that night, and I miss Swerve! It was a sacred place, like a musical church where the faithful music devotees would gather every week to hear something really new and fresh.
You’ve just dropped the Souled Out Remixed album. For a remix album it’s a really organic body of work. Did you have a view of the specific artists you wanted to work this material?
At the first, I asked a few my favorite producers to remix of any of the tracks on the Souled Out album. Then, they chose which ones they wanted to work on. Around the same time, some other artists approached me and asked if they could make remixes of some of those tracks as well. In the end, it came together quite nicely, so I decided to release it as an album. I didn’t want the album to be just a collection of dancefloor remixes, I still wanted it to be something that people can listen to as a whole album.
Achieved! I have to say that Sinistarr’s take on ‘You’ve Got Sumptin’ is really… something! That is an extraordinary take…
He approached me asking if he could remix the track and he’s a friend of Paul Randolph who is also from Detroit: I made the original track here in Japan and Paul Randolph sung on the tune in Detroit and sent it back to me, then Sinistarr ended up remixing it in Detroit. A pure Tokyo/Detroit connection! The remix sounds futuristic and I like that.
The live version of Bubbles is wild! Can you tell us about it?
Thank you. I did a 6-piece full band live show in Japan back in 2012, and this version of Bubbles was recorded at the time. It was an amazing experience having my music being played by live musicians, and I actually played the keyboard live myself for that show. Here is the video, you can see how it went…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0ANhQSiQ_U&feature=youtu.be
Wow. Jazzy! When you first embarked on the D&B route did you ever see yourself doing stuff like this and working with such a range of great people?
Actually one thing that drew me to D&B in the first place was that it represented parts and influences from so many different musical genres. To me, when I first heard D&B, I heard it as funk, soul, reggae, techno, and house all coming together. I feel that nowadays it is actually losing the elements of funk and soul. Music in general right now is like that, maybe not just D&B.
So what keeps you in love with D&B in general?
I really like the energy from D&B. To be honest with you, D&B doesn’t have to be 170+bpm any more. To me, even when I make the slower tempo tunes now, I still feel that same energy because I’m using the same elements I do with faster D&B. The tempo is different, but the core is the same
Could you pick a few other treatments on Souled Out and discuss them? I am very much into your own refixes too.
The Jabberloop remix of Untold is something really special to me. It’s not really a remix to be honest, they only used the original vocal track and everything else is recorded from them playing the backing track live. Maybe I should have called it the Jabberloop Live Version instead? Even though this is a live band and not produced electronically like most other D&B, I still play this during my DJ sets in Japan and the crowd goes nuts!
Random Movement’s remix of Girl I’m Running Back To You and Lenzman’s version of Woe also stand out to me. Of course I knew those artists would produce something very high quality for their remixes, but they both really exceeded my expectations. These two tracks will also be released on the same day as the album as a double A 12” vinyl release.
Woe was also remixed by Ena, an artist here in Tokyo. He is a resident DJ at Goth Trad’s event Back-to-Chill and just released an album under French label 7even Recordings. I could feel a sense of Japanese culture in his remix, it was very simple with few sounds but I could hear that every individual sound was very well-crafted.
For someone not up to producer lingo, how would you describe a ‘refix’? Is it a remix as such. Or is it a ‘second helping’ of sorts… sort of like ‘I enjoyed that and I want some more from that tune!’?
About my own ‘refixes’… they were originally made so that I could use those tunes during my DJ set. When I was playing gigs to support the original release of the Souled Out album, I wanted a different version of some tunes to add something special to my set. The idea of a ‘refix’ for me was not necessarily to completely remix the tune but rather to rework it in a way that would suit my DJ style.
I hear you. So here’s a fantasy question: who, of any genre alive or dead would you love to work on your music?
One person I really dream of working with is Leon Ware, he’s a vocalist and composer who has composed for artists such as Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, etc.
The well of inspiration is really deep for you! So what are you working on now, and for the future?
I have two new tracks with Marky which are coming out on his Innerground new EP soon. I’m also working on a few collaborations, including one with A Sides, and a new EP of music at more of a house and techno tempo for R&S sub-label Apollo Records. Also thinking about my next solo album for my label and got an offer to create an album for Apollo Records too.
A musician question: are there favourite studio habits/instruments that you would share with us?
Definitely the Fender Rhodes! I’ve been using it for over 15 years and have never gotten bored with it. The sound is just so warm and when I just play that instrument, I get so much inspiration.
A producer question: can you name a producer of any style from the past who in your opinion was responsible for amazing results?
Mizel Brothers from Blue Note Records. In the late ’70s they produced so many good jazz fusion albums; I was really influenced and inspired by these works. For the 80s and early 90s though I would definitely say Quincy Jones.
Souled Out Remixed is out now!
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