AOKI Takamasa is a Kansai legend who carved the early sounds of minimal techno and glitch in Japan. AOKI has been pushing the boundaries of music since his teenage years from his debut album, Silicom, released in 2001 through the independent Japanese electronic label PROGRESSIVE FOrM and later releases on Op.disc and the German imprint Raster-Noton. Some of his recent work includes live performances and music collaborations with Fumitake Tamura producing together under the name Neutral. AOKI's musical path has taken him from Japan to France and even Germany early in his career. Since returning to his roots in Osaka in 2011, AOKI has continued to push creativity within the industry and has developed a strong reputation in the digital arts community. Not only a musician, but AOKI also indulges his passion for photography.

Join James as he delves into AOKI's artistic journey, exploring his inspirations, collaborations, and the invaluable role of experimentation and risk-taking in music production. Discover the secrets to longevity in the industry and find inspiration in the beauty of everyday life.

Connect with AOKI
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

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Follow us on Instagram @adsrcollective

Check out our music on https://adsrmusic.ca/

Now residing in Tokyo, Toronto-born Demsky takes a lot of his inspiration from the chill instrumental, beat-making music scenes that he’s heavily involved in. Demsky's music is a unique blend of ambient soundscapes, trip-hop beats, and rock influences. Lessons of love, understanding, choices, perseverance, and adaptability are some of the themes in Demsky's sound. His music features the ambient and weaving formations of the layers in each track, which are representations of the elements of the environment around us.

James and Demsky had an insightful conversation about the art of music production, finding balance in your life and tips for touring. They discussed various techniques for creating unique sounds and melodies, as well as ways to overcome creative blocks in the music-making process. They also delved into the importance of experimentation and taking risks in order to create something truly original. 

Connect with Demsky:

Website // IG @demskymusic //Facebook // Bandcamp

More from ADSR Collective on Facebook // SoundCloud 

Follow us on Instagram @adsrcollective

Check out our music on https://adsrmusic.ca/

Jay Holmes, originally from North Carolina, has been residing in Japan for the past two decades. As a musician, he is best known for his band Fever Moon, which gained acclaim after releasing two albums in November of last year and performing live shows around Tokyo. Music has always been an integral part of Jay's life. He has been writing songs, making music, and playing in bands since his high school days. In Japan, Jay has also hosted a fantastic radio show called Mystery Cuts Radio, where he unearths and showcases long-forgotten vinyl treasures from the 60s and 70s. Jay often DJs under the moniker Evil Jay and brings out some of his rare mystery cuts, sourcing each track directly from vinyl with great care and attention to detail.

Jay's creative pursuits also extend to his professional life, where he has been working as a full-time artist and designer since 2019, a career he has been doing part-time for decades longer. 

In this episode James and Jay discuss Jay’s passion for the arts, his music, his design, his radio show and more. Jay gives tips on how to approach making a living out of design and when to make the leap from part-time to full-time. He shares his secret to keeping passion in your life and art. He also details how he’s able to stay balanced through the challenges of being a freelance artist, a musician and more important than all, a loving husband and father. 

Check out Jay’s designs or connect with the man:
Website // Instagram // Twitter // Facebook

More from us ADSR Collective on Facebook // SoundCloud 

Follow us on Instagram @adsrcollective
Check out our music on https://adsrmusic.ca/

Lee Reeve, originally from Glasgow, has been living in Japan for over 20 years, mainly in the Yokohama region. He is the CEO and founder of inCider Japan, a marketing and creative consulting firm also known for publishing the only bilingual cider magazine in Asia under the same clever name. InCider Japan is dedicated to all things cider! In addition to being an importer, retailer, and maker of cider and cider-related goods, Lee also works as a consultant for various alcohol and beverage brands worldwide.

In the episode Lee and James chat about Lee’s history with cider growing up and then how he came to reignite his passion for the drink upon living in Japan. The pair also get into how he first became interested in craft (beer) brewing and his eventual shift to cider, what it was that led him to start his cider magazine and then in turn his import business. Lee also outlines some of the difficulties he’s had throughout the past 5 years of running the business, particularly how he’s had to adapt and pivot through the pandemic. Lastly, Lee gives some great advice for entrepreneurs and future business owners about what it takes to keep going and find success. 

Connect with Lee and discover more about cider!

Website: https://www.inciderjapan.com

Instagram @inCiderjapan

Twitter:@inCiderJapan

FB: inCiderJapan

More from us ADSR Collective on Facebook // SoundCloud 

Follow us on Instagram @adsrcollective
Check out our music on https://adsrmusic.ca/

Lisa Wallin is a self-described travel writer, novelist, bookworm and research junkie. She grew up traversing the globe as she immersed herself in various cultures, driven by a deep-seated need to understand the world around her. 

She's been writing professionally here in Japan for well over 10 years now, initially writing on Japan's varied and dynamic music scene and then branching out into writing about culture, travel, cuisine, craftsmanship and more.  If that wasn't enough, she also writes fiction and partakes in other travel and culture writing outside of Japan. 

Some fun facts about Lisa from her bio, she's lived in 7 countries (Sweden, England, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Germany and France)  she's travelled to dozens more, she studied fashion design in Sweden as well as business at Queensland in Australia.  She's a music junkie, obsessed with good coffee and she aims to befriend every Shiba dog she comes across (which I imagine is quite a few here in Japan.) 

In today’s episode, James and Lisa discuss what it is that’s kept her interested in Japan all these years. She speaks about how she continues to hone and improve her craft of writing. She addresses travel writing, the challenges through the pandemic and why it's been her niche in the world of writing. Lisa also gives advice to aspiring writers and interviewers and shares some of her favourite works for writers and readers, alike. 

Connect with Lisa:

Instagram - @ichigoichielove
Website - https://www.lisa-wallin.com/

Mark Schilling is one of the world's leading writer in Japanese film. He’s been reviewing Japanese films for The Japan Times since 1989 and has reported on Japanese film since 1990, first for Screen International and currently for Variety. Schilling also serves as an adviser to the yearly Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy. He's been on juries for international film festivals, interviewed countless Japanese film icons, recorded numerous DVD commentaries and worked as a script adviser on 2003's “The Last Samurai.” 

Over the years, Mark has written, contributed to and translated several books. Some of his original works include Contemporary Japanese Film, The Yakuza Movie Book: A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films, No Borders, No Limits: Nikkatsu Action Cinema and more recently Art, Cult and Commerce: Japanese Cinema Since 2000. 

In today’s episode, Mark discusses what’s kept him passionate about Japan and Japanese film all these years. He also gives some advice for aspiring writers and film buffs as well as shares some personal stories of meeting some Japanese cinema legends. 

Connect with Mark on Twitter @moviefan55 

This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Patrick St. Michel is a freelance writer, copyeditor and consultant based in Tokyo. He reports on and writes with a focus on Japanese music, pop culture, food, internet culture and travel. Originally from the Los Angeles area, Patrick moved to Japan in 2009 and has been writing for publications like The Japan Times, The Atlantic, Pitchfork, NPR and many more. A milestone in Patrick's writing career came in 2018 when he contributed an entry to the 33 1/3 book series, which is a series of short books about albums by Bloomsbury Publishing. Patrick's book was part of the 33-1/3 Japan Series and focused on Japanese pop group Perfume’s album ‘GAME’. 

Patrick has also worked with companies and artists based in Japan and abroad. He has spoken at music conferences such as the Pop Conference in Seattle and the Shibuya Showcase Festival. He has also appeared as a guest on radio programs, TV shows and podcasts. In today's episode, Patrick discusses the importance of having a niche field in writing while being willing to branch out into unknown territory. He details what it took for him to do writing as a full-time professional. Patrick speaks to the importance of having a foundation of a steady income and how to keep the joy and passion in your writing when you turn it into a full-time job. 

Connect with Patrick! 

Twitter @mbmelodies 

Website https://patrickstmichel.com

Blog http://makebelievemelodies.com/

This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID-19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Derrek Buston is originally from Seattle Washington, where he attended the University of Washington first majoring in music, then Japanese linguistics. His sophomore year in 2000 was also when he studied abroad at Keio University Tokyo. After graduating college and then working for a Japanese company in Seattle he soon found himself drawn back to Japan and settled in the Shizuoka area. Around this time, Derrek began to focus on design and architecture. This eventually led him to become a licensed architect and in 2013 established his own company: West Coast Design. After finding success with West Coast Design, including a commission in 2014 to make the Shizuoka Whiskey distillery, Derrek soon got the idea to get into the beverage industry himself. His entryway was first in 2017 with his bar, Twelve and then in 2019 with his brewery, West Coast Brewing. WCB has gained popularity over the past few years and now finds itself as one of the top craft beer brands in the country with Derrek at the helm. 

In this episode, Derrek offers advice for those looking to get into the design and architecture world in Japan. He speaks on what drew him into the world of craft beer and how he now balances his two companies. He talks about his roles as a CEO and how to stay relevant and forward-thinking in an increasingly competitive industry. 

Connect with Derrek on Instagram @dbuston and the West Coast Brewing team @wcbshizuoka !

Brewery Website: https://www.westcoastbrewing.jp/

Design Website: https://www.westcoastdesign.co.jp/ 

Design team IG  @westcoastdesign_team328 

This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID-19 affected drastic lifestyle changes and work. The hotel project Derrek talks about in this episode is now open! Check out The Villa & Barrel Lounge in Shizuoka.

Ian Martin is a 20-year resident of Japan by the way of the UK. Shortly after finishing his studies in script writing for film and television at Bournemouth University Ian made the leap to Japan and quickly immersed himself in Tokyo's indie music scene. Ian has worked extensively as a freelance journalist, specializing in Japanese pop and media culture with an emphasis on underground music. He wrote the monthly Strange Boutique column for The Japan Times and has written for MTV 81, Time Out Tokyo, Metropolis, Otaku USA Magazine, The Wire, The Guardian, NPR, and more. After organizing shows, concerts and live events for a time, Ian started his label 'Call and Response Records' which specializes in post-punk, indie rock and new-wave music from Japan. In 2016, Ian released his book: "Quit Your Band! Musical Notes from the Japanese Underground", which was then translated and released in Japanese the following year. Both editions have received great praise from both people inside and outside of the music industry. 

In this episode, Ian dives into how he got involved with music in Japan, what lead him to start a label, the struggles he's had to overcome and more. He also gets into the process of writing a book on Japanese indie music, his current views on the music scene, some advice for aspiring writers, and of course, why you should quit your band! 

Connect with Ian:

Twitter @ianfmartin 

Website https://callandresponse.jimdofree.com/ 

This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID-19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Originally from Michigan, USA, Stuart Galbraith IV is a film historian, a critic and a respected author with expertise in Japanese film. A selection of his books includes: "The Emperor and the Wolf – The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune", "The Toho Studios Story", "Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films", and "The Japanese Filmography". 

Stuart has also done extensive work as a home video Special Features Producer. He's recorded dozens of informative audio commentaries for Japanese films award-winning classics and plenty of obscure gems. In addition, Stuart is a prolific film reviewer who has critiqued thousands of films for physical and online publications. Stuart has recently been engaged in a more personal project, renovating a 200-year-old Japanese house. The dwellers of these traditional homes, Minkas (民家), were farmers, merchants and artisans.

In this episode, Stuart shares his strong connection to Japanese cinema and Japan. He delves into his past as an archivist for the USC Warner Bros. Archives in California. Then, he gets into his process of researching and writing books on Japanese cinema. Stuart also shares some of his stories about Japanese cinema and famous filmmakers throughout the years. 

Connect with Stuart! 

Twitter @worldcinemapara

Website https://hanaseminka.wordpress.com/ 

This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.