Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2013
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One of Japan’s most versatile breakbeats DJs delivers a bomb in the form of his new album JapOneEra.
On his first outing in five years, Baku heads away from canned beats towards collaborations with live musicians and singers, with contributions from singer Caroline of Mice Parade, bilingual rapper Shing02, rockers N’Shukugawa Boys and funk-fusion guitarist Mabuana. Ever the versatile scratch artist and beatmaker, Baku lets his productions wander the full breadth of bass music from hip-hop to dub, drum and bass, Miami bass and dubstep. There’s scarcely a dull moment on the album, and a smile was even cracked when Shing02 dropped a line about “children of the soy.”
But as kaleidoscopic as JapOneEra is, make sure to catch Baku live on his cross-country tour—his DJ sets are even more eclectic than this wide-ranging album.
