Billboard JAPAN’s “MONTHLY FEATURE” series, present various artists and works that have caught its eye. This month, we spoke with ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, a Tokyo-based DJ who performs around the world.
In recent years, we’ve been seeing more and more DJs and producers from Japan paving their own way and building a reputation in the overseas festival and club scenes. ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U has become one of the icons of this trend, gaining fans in Japan and abroad through his play style, which leaps between genres and eras, and his unique mixing sensibilities. His set for the Boiler Room, a globally influential live streaming platform that shares local club cultures, has already reached over 18 million total views on YouTube in just over one year. This is a testament to the accolades he has received from the global club scene.
In addition to recently performing at Coachella 2026, he has also toured South America, including performing in Lollapalooza. Billboard JAPAN was able to interview him remotely while he was staying in Colombia. We talked to him about what led to him becoming connected to the global scene and to the philosophy behind his musical activities.
You’re in Colombia now, right? I’ve heard this is your first tour of South America?
Yeah, it’s my first time here on tour. Last year was the first time I toured the U.S., too. On this tour, so far, I’ve already played in Argentina and Chile, both with Lollapalooza. I remember reading about Lollapalooza in magazines back when I was in high school, so I’m really happy to be able to be a part of it now.
What have the reactions of the South American audiences been like?
The festivals are huge, but a lot of people have come to my sets, which is great. The fans here will sing what sound like soccer cheers while I play, or call out my name…In Chile, when I played Skrillex, a mosh pit broke out.
I know your set on Boiler Room: Tokyo played an important part in your breakout as a global artist. Looking at the YouTube video now, I see it’s got over 18 million views.
I’m very thankful for it. I wanted a lot of different people to see the set, so I really thought it out, and I’m glad it’s been watched by so many people. I felt it went well, but I never expected it to get this big. Lately I’ve been making playlists of songs to choose from, with all kinds of BPMs, so that no matter what kind of DJ plays before me, I can mix over from them, keeping the flow. Lately I’ve been picking from there and improvising a lot. But with Boiler Room: Tokyo, I knew going in that I had one hour. When I know a set is a make-it-or-break-it set, I design it carefully.
I go back and rewatch it from time to time, and every time I do, I discover something new. It was a wonderful performance.
That makes me so happy to hear. I love cinema, and when you watch a movie a second time, it’s totally different than the first time, so I guess it’s kind of like that. At least, I hope it is.
The last time we talked, you mentioned that you’d watched director Shinji Aoyama’s EUREKA several times.
Recently, I went to see Sho Miyae’s Two Seasons, Two Strangers like three times. Every time I watched it, it made a different impression on me. It was like I’d notice different details, or like nothing was happening but actually a whole lot was going on. It’s a wonderful film. Also, One Battle After Another. That’s a really powerful film, but when you watch it a second time, it’s totally different. It would be hard to provide a short explanation of just how it was different, though.
It’s heavy but humorous.
Right. There’s a certain lightness that lingers on. It’s well-crafted entertainment.
That’s true for your own music, too. There are a lot of different sides to your one-hour set. It’s extremely multifaceted.
I don’t personally feel like I brought out a lot of humor in my set, but I’m glad you feel that way. I’d like to inject some humor, but I’ve got so much going on I just can’t. I still place higher priority on impact and emotion… But if you feel there’s humor in there… I guess, yeah, if you look at films directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, it’s not so much that there’s humor because he’s trying to be humorous, but the way his characters live is, in itself, humorous. That’s also the kind of actor Leonardo DiCaprio is.
Come to think of it, you’ve mentioned that you were influenced by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and he and Alva Noto worked on the score for The Revenant.
I’ve always loved Ryuichi Sakamoto. I’ve seen most of the movies he’s been involved with. It’s a little hard to say exactly how he’s influenced me, though…
I sense a lot of influence. Like the way your music is layered.
Ah, I see. Yeah, that might be so. I do feel like I’ve been getting better and better at equalizing as I mix. I feel like maybe his influence comes through there. I put in my practice, and I’ve done a good number of sets, so I think I’m getting better. Playing in different places, I’ve gained a sense of how the situation varies depending on where you’re playing. I’ve learned what kinds of problems come up and what’s difficult to do, and through my experiences I’ve also learned how to deal with these issues. Experience has really helped me out.
So you practice?
I do. I practice mixing between two songs. Sometimes I discover really wonderful mixes. I mean, I have to practice. I’m always trying new things, not just repeating the same thing. Sometimes, things don’t go well, you know? You’re playing in front of an audience, and you mess up. You try to cover it up by mixing as best you can, but there are songs that match and songs that just don’t. Even with two great songs, you’ll realize that their melodies that clash or they just don’t work together. I feel like I’ve gotten better at identifying those kinds of mismatches in advance, but I still make the occasional mistake. The mixer is divided up into three or four bands, and usually the melody is in the middle range, so I’ll drop the mid-band, slowly lowering the volume so the melody doesn’t stand out much, until I’m like “I think I can work the next track in around here”… So I manage to cover up mistakes like that (laughs).
With more experience under my belt, I feel like I’ve become quicker on my feet. When you’re DJing, your mind is always racing. And what you do differs depending on the event, too. Like, if I’m playing in Australia I might play AC/DC, or, since I’m playing in Lollapalooza, I’ll put on a song by Jane’s Addiction (which is fronted by Perry Farrell the founder of Lollapalooza). The theme of Boiler Room: Tokyo is world peace, so I ended with a song with that kind of feel. When I pick what to play, I think about the vibe of the other performers and DJs, the label, and the like.
You’re really dedicated to entertainment and giving the audience a good show. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Zone Unknown, the event you organize in Osaka. Do you think over the past decade you’ve developed even more of an entertainer’s mentality?
I think so. I’ve always thought that a DJ is an artist, but also an entertainer. Every time I play, I do the best I can to give everyone in the audience something they can take back with them from the show. I love all kinds of music, which I guess has also influenced me.
You had surgery for brain cancer and were on the brink of death a decade ago, right?
Right. Over the past ten years, I’ve just slowly and steadily done my very best. The Boiler Room: Tokyo set went viral, and a lot of people watched it, but it’s what I’ve always been doing. I want to keep getting better, little by little, both as a DJ and as a person.
Has the importance you place on the feel and power of your sound been a constant over the past decade?
Good question. Over the past ten years, I’ve encountered all kinds of new music, and I think my own musical sensibilities have expanded. But I’ve always liked that strength and impact, and I’ve always liked really delicate music, too. Powerful music is easier for the audience to dance to. I listen to all kinds of music every day, but I do feel like the music I pick tends to be powerful.
But your sets also include ambient music and post-classical music. I feel like they combine hard and soft, and there’s a durability to the sound. That’s what makes the layers of the sound so beautiful.
Hmm, I see. Sometimes I’ll be mixing two songs, the original versions, and people will ask me what remix I’m playing. When I’m equalizing, I’m balancing the highs, middles, and lows with the mixer. I’m just playing what feels good to me, but maybe that changes something in the music. Then again, sometimes when I’m doing that on stage, things don’t go well, and it can be hard going. But I don’t remember the position of the high, mid, and low knobs for each transition, so I just try and find what feels good to me.
Your sets really reflect a joy in living. A strong sense of catharsis about life. I’m sure that your recovery from brain surgery plays a big part in that. But I also get the sense that recent changes in life and society are also part of it. Is that something you feel yourself?
Yes, I do. I try to reflect that (intentionally), but sometimes I think it also just comes across unconsciously. I always hope that my sets will give listeners a bit more power they can tap into in their lives, some encouragement that they’ll take back with them after the show. The world is turning into an uglier, darker place. I don’t think that’s going to stop. There’s misery everywhere you look. So I hope when people listen to my sets, they feel better. Then again, there are a lot of people who can’t come to hear me play in person… It’s a tough situation. But I do want to make the world a better place in whatever way I can. I don’t think I’ve succeeded in that yet, though.
But I feel really fulfilled, and I’ve been so lucky. In my overseas performances, a huge company is serving as my agent, so everything from getting visas to entering different countries has gone smoothly. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, so I feel like my hard work is starting to pay off a little. But I still don’t feel like I’ve been rated very highly in Japan. I’m extremely Japanese, through and through, and I have no intentions to move overseas. Like, when it comes to food, I like eel on rice (laughs). Japan’s still a pleasant place to live. The supermarkets and the record shops I want to go to are all in Japan. I often go to Disk Union and Tower Records.
You’ll be playing at Coachella for the first time, soon, right?
Right. I was so happy when I got the offer. I put my all into every event, but for Coachella I’m planning on playing a set with a message of peace. Being able to perform at Coachella as a DJ is kind of cool. I think of myself as a DJ, and there’s a lot of untapped potential in DJs. I don’t think it will ever be completely tapped. There’s so much music that’s already come out that you could never go through all of it, and on top of that, new music keeps on coming out. That just broadens the horizons of DJs even more.
–This interview by Shino Okamura first appeared on Billboard Japan
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