To Japan's Earliest Summer Festival



The goal: DexPistols.



Their performance was as spectacular as rumored.
Anchored by DJ MAAR's earnestness and taciturnity,
fueled by DJ DARUMA's sharp moves and stylish dancing,
before I knew it, I was moving too.
I'll always love dance music.
Still, Japanese people truly have great taste.
Moments of delicacy occasionally peek through their grand displays.

Why not embrace even more extravagant stage production?
Witnessing the two transition to the next DJ's style,
I felt, in a way, the signs of the DJ's end.

So, aren't DJs like canaries?

Canaries that keenly sense danger better than anyone,
canaries that venture first into the darkness of the mines,

DexPistols, positioned at the forefront, pushing forward,
I saw the canary of the music industry in them.

Isn't the role of the DJ nearing its end?

Let's revisit the origins of the DJ once more.
Their discerning taste in music, honed by introducing one new track after another,
produced music that was satisfyingly perfect, hitting every spot.
By adding another perspective to how music is understood and enjoyed, they created and grew an innovative music scene.

Indeed, music fans in every era seek something they've never seen or heard before.

The digital age is an era where all sorts of wonderful things are easily accessible.
That is, if you have the money.

But what is easily obtained is also easily discarded.

Even our hearts.

I once heard this from a DJ friend in his forties:

'DJs are the least cool people right now, aren't they?'

When she said, 'My boyfriend is a DJ too,' she felt truly embarrassed.

So, what is a DJ?

The ability to gather information exceptionally well.
Having a sense and skill that far surpasses original tracks.
And possessing a unique style that is distinctly their own.
And radiating an aura that allows them to share this with the audience.

Only when one possesses all of these can they truly be called a DJ, I believe.

While I am not a DJ, I believe those who command the dance floor are individuals with such strong, innate talent.

Therefore, the phrase 'my boyfriend is a DJ too' carries a fragile resonance,

likely referring solely to the exceptional ability to gather information.

However, in the digital age, this is remarkably easy to achieve.
Furthermore, the skill of merely arranging tracks can also be easily mastered in the digital era,
allowing anyone to become a DJ with ease.

So, to use an analogy, if we consider DJing as a 'cup size',

then perhaps my boyfriend's DJing is more like an 'A cup'.

Therefore, from now on, I'd like him to be called an 'AJ'.



Of course, any cup size is a wonderful cup.
There is no hierarchy among cup sizes, please understand.
Thank you for your continued support.



In that sense, STAR FES, which I experienced today,
being an event centered around DJs,
was perhaps a valuable opportunity to examine my feelings today...
Nevertheless, my inability to stay until the end renders my musings without credibility.

DexPistols, whom I had long wanted to see, were as cool as I had imagined.
At the same time, the premonition that arose in my mind
is likely not unrelated to the shift in consciousness since 3/11.
Human desires are boundless.

I believe everyone is beginning to seek something different from before.

Of course, the answer remains ineffable for now.

← Diary-T 231-236