Kinki Nightlife: Why Kansai is the next hotspot for electronic music
Kinki, or the Kansai region, is a place where locals are proud to call home, a place where energy flows a little more freely, and a place to watch for the future of EDM. This historical region includes 7 prefectures: Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Mie, Nara, Shiga and Wakayama. They have their own special dialect, cuisine, culture, and music scene. What makes this region special though, is its people. Known for their warm hearts and humorous personalities, Kansais people truly stand out in this conservative country.
sabukaru interviewed three DJs from FULLHOUSE, a pioneering DJ crew representing the spirited Kansai region. Their motto is “genre-less and borderless” which in a society governed by rules, is daring to say the least. This attitude brings a fresh, exciting face to Japan's music scene, where concert goers are often told to “cheer responsibly” so as to not bother the neighboring areas.
The crew is only five years old, making their progress and impact even more exciting. They recently hosted a Boiler Room event in Osaka, garnering hundreds of thousands of views online. We talk about their beginnings and influences, what they are up to now, and their ambitious goals for the future.
Hello, thanks for talking with us! For those who aren't already familiar, could you introduce yourselves?
RYOTA: Hello, I`m Ryota, and I was born and raised in Osaka.
YUVIE: Hi I`m Yuvie! I was born in Hyogo, went to elementary school in Shanghai, and then went back to Hyogo from junior high school onwards. I moved to Osaka when I was 18 years old, and have been working in Tokyo since this year.
ISSA: Hey I`m Issa, I grew up in a place called Tarumi, Hyogo.
What kind of music did you listen to as a child or teenager?
RYOTA: As a child, mainly rock music that my parents collected. Other Japanese music such as Utada Hikaru and Kato Milia were all played in the house and in the car.
Later, when I was a teenager and could rent and buy CDs on my own, I’d listen to Japanese reggae (a.k.a. Japaregae), or borrow them from friends and listen to them on my Walkman. I can't imagine how I turned from that person into my current DJ style and image, but I guess it's just the regional characteristics of where I was born and raised..... I miss that time.
YUVIE: When I was in elementary school, I loved western music like Ariana Grande, Justin Beiber, Katy Perry, etc. I was blown away when I listened to Martin Garrix's “Animals” for the first time in 6th grade, and from then on I got into EDM. I bought a lot of top 100 EDM song CDs that were sold at Bill Vanguard and other places (laughs). The first live show I ever went to was Marshmello.
Also, in China there's a culture of older women gathering in various parks at night and dancing to loud music, so since I was little I've loved danceable songs like that.
When I entered junior high school, I got hooked on BIGBANG, and from there I started listening to US rap, J-rap, and rap battles.
ISSA: Western music, particularly hip hop.
When did you start to DJ?
YUVIE: I started when I was 18. At that time, I met Cyber Rui [Cyber Rui Instagram Handle], and she asked me to be her backing DJ. So I bought a DDJ400 on Mercari and played at home all the time. If I hadn't met her, I wouldn't have become a DJ, so she's a really key person for me. From 2022 on I started being invited to events regularly.
RYOTA: For me it was around 2019 when I started FULLHOUSE. When I was 20 years old, there was only one person in my hometown who was a DJ. I was too young to enter the club where he was working, but when I visited his house, he showed me his equipment and I decided I wanted to try it too! I still remember thinking “I want to do that too!”
ISSA: I started around 2019 mostly in Kobe. From around 2022 I started to be invited to play in Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto regularly.
Who are the OGs of the Kansai DJ scene? Is there anyone you looked up to in your area?
YUVIE: FULLHOUSE!!! The first time I went to Circus Osaka, FULLHOUSE was throwing a party. It was also my first time going to a dance music event, and I still remember being so impressed and dancing like crazy, thinking "What is this really danceable party?"
Also, FENGX2, who is a DJ in Osaka, and Milez from FULLHOUSE. They have been helping me since I started, and the three of us regularly DJ’ed at Club Under. I learned a lot from them.
ISSA: The original members of FULLHOUSE! Among them, SAMO from FULLHOUSE is a great mentor whom I've been watching in Kobe for a long time. Samo is a powerful DJ whose music often overlaps with the music I like, so she’s a great mentor whom I respect.
Why is the Kansai DJ scene unique compared to Tokyo and the rest of the world?
ISSA: Thankfully, I've had more opportunities to DJ in Tokyo recently, and the difference between Tokyo and Osaka is that I feel like the space in Osaka has a more unified feel to it. I get the impression that Osaka has a strong partying vibe
YUVIE: In short, everyone is really friendly! After DJing all over, I realized that Osaka has a really high level of excitement (laughs). People dance a lot, shout a lot, get excited with people they don't know, and end up becoming friends. It gives the impression that they're really having fun. I think the high energy and good vibes are what sets Osaka apart from other places.
RYOTA: (Compared to Tokyo) I feel that the club scene in Kansai is more energetic.
What are your hopes for the Kansai scene as it continues to grow?
YUVIE: I hope that more and more girls like me will enjoy going to clubs and dancing, listening to the music we play. It’s shocking at first, but fun. Also, clubs in Japan tend to have an image of being a place to pick up girls, but I want to get rid of that image and create a scene where you can simply listen to your favorite music and dance until the morning!
ISSA: In the Kansai scene, there are high-energy parties and parties that specialize in individual genres. However, I think that if we had a party where everyone combined across genres, for example a DJ who usually specializes in house music plays a different genre, or a DJ who plays deeper music plays high-energy music, everyone could have fun and some interesting movements could happen.
RYOTA: I hope that more and more artists from Kansai will spread throughout the country.
What does FULLHOUSE mean to you? How did it start? What do you want to do with FULLHOUSE in the future?
RYOTA: FULLHOUSE is a collective of DJs and party organizers that started in 2019.
Our motto is “genre-less and borderless” and we always keep in mind the unity of the entire floor. In the future, we hope to move as a whole group with the world always in our sights.
YUVIE: FULLHOUSE is a DJ crew from Osaka that started in 2019 with seven members: Ryota, Samo, KengoTaki, TAKENOKO, Cazbow, Nazanael, and Milez. Earlier this year, Issa, r1ku, and myself joined.
I never thought for a second back then that I would be able to join FULLHOUSE, even though I had dreamed of it. So when I heard I was accepted to join, I wondered if it was April Fool's Day. But it turned out to be reality. That day made me realize that you never know what's going to happen in life.
Everyone in FULLHOUSE has a different character and a very strong personality, and that's reflected in the atmosphere of the party, so I think that's why we never get bored. Also, because everyone is full of love, the people who come to the party also show a lot of love back and make the vibe fun and comfortable. It feels like a cycle of love and sound (laughs).
Personally, I want to focus on my beat production in the future. As for FULLHOUSE, I definitely want to do a world tour!! I want the whole world to know about FULLHOUSE, and I want to do something like a FULLHOUSE festival. I want to DJ on top of a portable shrine and shout "わっしょい わっしょい" (laughs).
ISSA: FULLHOUSE was started in 2019 by Ryota. While attending FULLHOUSE events, people discovered I was a DJ. I had the opportunity to show off my playing, and the FULLHOUSE members praised me for being so good. From there we developed a deep connection, and I officially became a member in 2024. When I heard the news, I was so happy that I told everyone about it (laughs).
I am very proud to be part of such a well-known DJ CREW, thanks to the activities of the original members and the FULLHOUSE members who performed at the BOILER ROOM Osaka show. In the future, I would like to strengthen my branding through the way I move and the music I want to make.
Speaking of which, Ryota, you recently performed a really exciting Boiler Room set held in Osaka. How were you feeling that night?
RYOTA: To be honest, I was extremely nervous, the most nervous I have ever been in my life (laughs).
Looking back, is there anything you would change about that set or that night?
RYOTA: No, but I knew I wanted to use that Boiler Room set as an opportunity to make the underground scene more developed and change the history of the Japanese club scene.
I heard you play grime, which is one of my favorite genres. Where did your interest in UKG, jungle, and grime music come from?
RYOTA: I don't remember when or how I first became interested in UK music, but I just loved the solid UK sound and found that all the music in my collection was UK music (laughs).
Lastly, where is your favorite place to DJ in Kansai?
YUVIE: Definitely Circus Osaka. I feel most comfortable when I'm playing bass at Circus (laughs). I'm a VOID speaker system lover. Circus Osaka gives me a mysterious sense of security and makes me feel comfortable.
RYOTA and ISSA: Circus Osaka!
text by Daniel O’Flynn
