Premiere & interview – Lily Ko’s 80s-tinged disco debut ‘Pure Rubber’
Lily Ko starting as she means to go on
We’ve got quite the exclusive to share with you this week. Japan’s Lily Ko is well known for her DJ activities, which included a stint in Keir Starmer’s favourite North London boozer The Dartmouth Arms over the summer.
As the Tokyo-based spinner reveals in her interview with us, her contribution to the new Be Strong Be Free four track EP ‘Mellow Magic Worldwide Pt2’ is her debut studio original. All four tracks are well worth checking, but ‘Pure Rubber’ is an impressive highlight, layering 80s-tinged synths on top of firm disco foundations.
Hear the track on YouTube:
or Soundcloud:
and preview the entire EP on the Juno Player:
First of all, can you tell us where you are right now, and what kind of day you’re having… Been anywhere already or going anywhere interesting later?
I currently live in Tokyo and wake up in the afternoon. I DJ almost every day in the evening, sometimes all night and return home in the morning. This has been my routine for some time now! When I do have a day off, I try to enjoy hobbies that are not related to music. For example, going to art museums, reading, cooking, etc.
Tell us a bit about your formative musical experiences… Early musical memories from siblings, parents, schoolmates… First record bought, first band/performances, and how you fell in love with the music you make now?
When I was little, I lived in Osaka, and there was a local radio station there called FM COCOLO that broadcast in multiple languages for people from overseas living in the Osaka area.
I could listen to news stories from various countries, the latest popular songs, and classics, so I was exposed to a variety of genres, sometimes without any information such as the artist name or song title, and I think that early experience has led to my current DJ style.
The first record I bought was Dany Dorado – Crepusculo / Fuga (2012) released by Adult Contemporary, I heard an older DJ playing it at a small DJ bar (that has since closed) and I rushed out the next day to buy it. Two years later I started DJing and moved to Tokyo. I think I bought a turntable and a mixer after that.
Give us a brief precis of what you’ve released to date and any other notable career landmarks…
This is my first record release for one of my own tracks, but around 2010 I did a remix of a song by an established house DJ in Kyoto.
Because of that remix, I missed the entrance ceremony for a graphic design college in Tokyo and was two hours late for my first class!
In Tokyo I’ve been fortunate to DJ alongside some amazing international guests including Chez Damier, Krystal Klear, Phil Mison.
Tell us about the track we’re previewing and what you were aiming for with it…
I wanted a kind of early 90s, maybe Italo house feel but with a hint of breakbeat going on, and an upbeat vibe!
And what else are you up to musically at the moment? What are you hearing that’s inspiring you? Any more live or release action we should know about?
I’ve been back in the studio and working on some new tracks which hopefully should be out in the new year. I have a weekly DJ residency in Tokyo on Tuesdays at Aoyama Tunnel and a weekly radio show on Tsubaki FM (also on Tuesdays!) as well as playing at events around Tokyo every weekend.
Pre-order your copy of ‘Mellow Magic Worldwide pt2’ by clicking here