Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2011

Courtesy of Tummy Touch Records

Nicknamed with the Chinese term for “ice cream” after a year spent in Shanghai in 1998, Bing Ji Ling (real name Quinn Luke) has toured Japan numerous times. But after backing skater-musician Tommy Guerrero as sideman, Luke now steps out on his own for a weeklong Japan circuit that includes a date at storied nightclub Eleven alongside DJ Alex From Tokyo. We caught up with Luke ahead of his trip to talk Japan, China, and his new album Shadow to Shine.

Tell us about a formative musical experience.
The first that comes to mind is discovering Magic 102 FM, a black radio station in Houston, Texas where I went to high school. I was transfixed by the music coming out of my ghetto blaster, having not been exposed to much black music in California up to that point. We’re talking 1984 here, so you can imagine what was on a truly ’80s R&B station down that way. It wasn’t just the hits that crossed over to white radio, trust me. I loved that station from the “Inspirational Song of the Day” in the morning to “The Quiet Storm” at night. Big-ass headphones plugged into a big-ass ghetto blaster with a red LED pulsating level meter, discovering all sorts of sounds and rhythms heretofore unknown.

How have your past visits to Japan gone?
I first came to Japan en route to China in 1998. I was on my way to play in Shanghai at a jazz/blues club, but made a pit stop in Tokyo. Typically, I made a b-line for Shinjuku, stayed in a capsule hotel, ate sushi from a moving belt, tripped out on the insane lights and super-wasted businessmen. About a year or so later, I made my first trip to Japan with Tommy Guerrero as a sideman. We’ve been playing there once or twice nearly every year since then. Two years ago, I had my first solo release So Natural in Japan. It’s a compilation of the solo records I’ve released in the U.S. And now, Shadow to Shine!

How do Japan and China’s music scenes compare?
Well, I haven’t really been to China in several years, so I’m not sure what’s going on there now. It seems that there are loads of international DJs and bands playing there. When I was living in China, there was nothing: a couple of underground clubs where expats who could DJ would occasionally play whatever they had with them. I was playing in a club that was technically illegal, and was the only live-music venue around. We basically just did jazz/blues and some funky covers for expats.

What we can look forward to at Eleven, and how do you approach a club set as compared to your regular live band?
Alex has really inspired me to prepare a unique performance of my material, which features a range of things that I do: singer/songwriter, instrumental looping, and DJ/live PA. It will be the debut of this sort of performance, and I can’t think of a better place to do it. It’s been really fun to prepare, because I truly get a kick out of playing this way. It’s quite different from the live band setup, in that it’s all me and I am able to utilize tools live that I generally use for composition and inspiration.

Tell us how Shadow to Shine evolved from your previous work, and about a current track you’re working on.
This record is the first I have made where I didn’t do everything. My part in this recording was simply to write and sing the songs with only a minimal instrumental contribution. You know, like singers used to do. After making three records from the ground up (composition, arrangement, performance, engineering, and mixing) it was time to step aside. I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of one Daniel Collas. I had actually been a fan of Daniel’s previous work, and remembered thinking that I’d like to make a record with a guy like that someday. Well, be careful what you wish for, because that’s what ended up happening. Shadow to Shine is the result. As for a current track that I’m working on, most of what I’ve been doing these days (when I’m actually home between touring with Phenomenal Handclap Band, Bing Ji Ling, or Incarnations) is a fusion of my soul-style vocal songs and instrumental psychedelic dance music. These are two worlds that I’ve orbited in for several years, and have recently been experimenting with having them intersect. Alex has been a huge inspiration to me, and we’ve begun collaborating as well. You will hear the results very soon.

Timewarp, June 11 @Eleven. From 10pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-5775-6206. www.go-to-eleven.com