Countless times I’ve had to defend myself for the choices that I’ve made in the songs I’ve played at the Cosplay Clubnights. Fielding criticism, like “you just play Metal music after x period of time” etc, so I thought I’d post up the reasons why I do it. DJ’s have a sense of what makes a crowd move and those of us who play music from other countries are normally struck with a conundrum which is normally wondering if a song will go down well because with a western audience playing a Japanese song could be tricky.
Ayacon saw a huge backlash regarding the parties because they refused to play any western music, yet at the Cosplay Clubnights I get stick for playing ‘too much’ western music. While I understand that the opportunities to listen to and more importantly dance to Japanese music are few and far between so I can see that people want to enjoy the moment of hearing their favourite Japanese songs all night or all weekend for instance. The thread which ensued from Ayacon’s position on the music rulings where questioning just why that was and in response Ayacon said that their focus was not only on anime but also Japanese culture and as such so I can agree with their standpoint. I also had enough fate in their DJ’s that they would provide danceable music which we should all vaguely know. As a result there where mash-ups of popular anime themes and western songs, Japanese covers of western pop songs alongside a strong line up of music from the most popular series to date.
On the flip side the Cosplay Clubnights are a mix of both, mainly down to my choosing. Playing Japanese music is all well and good, in fact it’s what people came for other than to show off their costumes for the chance to win prizes and have a good time getting some drinks in. The problem I face when DJing is that because even those who watch all the anime series’ aren’t going to have heard every pop song from Japan. At best you’ll find a few people who explored some of the more popular Japanese bands and then you’ll find a couple who have explored some of the more obscure ones or even just looked up a discography for a band. Japanese music is a hard one to break, as 90% of its western audience will not understand it. It takes ‘real’ dedication and interest to look at all forms of Japanese pop music, considering the most popular is Hip-hop pop tunes from the likes of Koda Kumi, HEARTSDALES and Namie Amuro for example. More pop sensible bands like FLOW are well known over here in the Anime fans mind due to their involvement with Naruto, Eureka Seven and Code Geass aren’t requested much due to them not having been around as long as some of the other bands or songs, rather that are fondly remembered by people. Songs like ‘ Cruel Angels Thesis’ the opening song to Neon Genesis Evangelion, a over-hyped and boastful anime series back in the mid-nineties, or the opening to Love Hina, or Excel Saga (a series I despise with a dreadful opening, although that is of course personal opinion). I listen to a lot of Japanese music, I’m discovering new bands every day but I very much doubt I’ve scratched the surface but all the bands I’m discovering are making music for the ‘now’ and I’m enjoying it. So I feel rather disheartened when I get requests to play music that is now over fifteen years old at every event I DJ at.
I like to mix both Japanese and western music, which means that I can shove a fairly unknown Japanese song between some Bon Jovi and that god awful Excel Saga opening, which normally pleases most people but those who come only for the music will moan about the Bon Jovi song. It’s an understandable complaint, as I’ve used the same argument against the Grand International Cosplay Ball, where I would have loved more ballroom music but those who have complaints are always going to be the more vocal about them. It’s just how our society is in this modern time. So there we have it, the reason that I play western music alongside Japanese music is so that I can try a song which people won’t know and hopefully enjoy before making them forget about it with stone cold classics. Perhaps I should play more Japanese music, or at the very least stop taking requests for western songs…
