On the 28th of August – DJ Mayumi will make her GLAM debut at GLAM’s Kingdom Saturdays at MyHouse. To get you boys and girls on beat with her set – allow us to present a lil one on one with the famed DJ powerhouse.. enjoy!
GLAM: How did you start DJing?
DJ Mayumi: I was influenced a bit by my father, but actually when I was growing up music was always a major part of my life. I remember specifically when I learned what it was “to DJ,” something inside me just clicked — I knew it was destiny. When I decided to become a DJ, I had already totally developed my vision of “DJ MAYUMI.”
GLAM: You have been crowned DJ princess of the hip-hop world. What do you think about that title?
DJM: Every girl at some point in their life dreams of becoming a princess, and I think every girl has the power within herself to become one. I can never get used to the title, but I’m honored to have it.
GLAM: Who are your musical inspirations? What are you listening to right now?
DJM: I look up to anyone who has been performing for a long time, no matter the genre. In general, I’d say I like hip-hop the most. Lately though, I feel like the borders between genres have been fading. Basically if it’s got a good sound, I listen to it.
GLAM:You released your first single in 2009, and have released a couple more since then, including your most recent in January, Girls Party (feat. Twenty 4-7). How is that similar to or different from your mix CDs?
DJM: My songs are my raw feelings transformed into music. I start from zero and create them one by one, deciding on the concept, who I might want to collaborate with - everything.
Mix CDs take songs that already exist and mix them, so the process is a little different. Every mix CD I’ve released with Universal starts with a concept and then follows with song choice. Reggae, R&B, hip-hop, and PARTY UP each have a different feel, so you can choose which to listen to depending on how you’re feeling and always find something that fits.
Both my mix CDs and my originals start with the concept, and for both I add on vocals and effects after I lay out the base track. Those are probably the similarities between them.
GLAM: What was the inspiration behind your eighth and most recent Mix CD, “DJ Mayumi Party Up Collection”?
DJM: Until “Party Up,” all my mix CDs had started from a specific concept, and I hadn’t really made anything that felt like a real live club event. So this time, I guess I thought it would be fun to make a CD for my fans who can’t always make it out to the events, and for people who want to bring the party home.
GLAM: Do you have any pre- or post- live performance rituals?
DJM: Kanpai! [Cheers!] Having a drink and dancing to the music before my turn comes around to DJ. It helps me get pumped up.
GLAM: You’ve collaborated with a lot of artists, as well as performing with and remixing for them. Who so far has been your favorite or most memorable person to work with?
DJM: So far, it has to be ZEEBRA. When we worked together, he was awesome. He wasn’t just concerned about himself, or whether or not he sounded good. He wanted to make sure the music as a whole was fun and finished. I think it’s those kinds of qualities that keep him at the top.
GLAM: Tell us more about your DJ school.
DJM: My DJ school is women-only. I thought that if female students had a female teacher and all female classmates, they would feel more comfortable asking questions and could feel free to be themselves and perform. That’s why I made the decision to keep the school limited to women.
It’s definitely not easy for a girl to make it in the hip-hop world, but if you have the passion for it, you’ll find that sticking it out comes naturally, even when things gets difficult.
GLAM: Even though you’re a DJ, you are very involved in fashion as a model, designer, etc. How did you get into fashion? Can you tell us more about the fashion projects you’ve been involved with?
DJM: Actually my mother works in the fashion industry; she was definitely one of my influences in that area. I’ve been involved with a lot of projects, but the one that stays with me the most is my collaboration with Ed Hardy.
At the time, I was already a huge fan and loved Ed Hardy clothes. I think the company saw that love and agreed to collaborate with me. We created a t-shirt together that came out the same time as my mix (Berry Jam Collection 2, released in 2008).
After that I performed at the Ed Hardy show in Las Vegas with huge American artists like T.I., Macy Gray and Snoop Dogg. It was really exciting to be a part of such an amazing music-fashion collaboration.
GLAM: You helped produce a set of headphones for Vestax. How did that collaboration come about? What were you thinking when you designed it?
DJM: My dream was always to produce something DJs would use while spinning out tracks on the dance floor. This year I finally got to do it. Before this pair of headphones, I felt there wasn’t anything out there that was both high quality and “kawaii” [cute].
Recently there have been a few that have come out, but a lot of them still lack in sound quality. Anyway, I knew I wanted to make something both cute and quality, and I’m really happy with what we ended up with.
GLAM: How does your work with fashion influence your music and vice versa? What do you like about each?
DJM: Fashion is vital to expressing yourself. Your mood can change completely depending on what you wear. Fashion allows us to show ourselves and to express who we are.
As for DJing, it’s my source of energy. I think it was fate that I came to DJ. Just like air and water, it’s something I live on. The fact that I’m able to take part in such precious parts of life and mesh them together is incredible.
Music is all you need to get that “air” or that feeling across to the crowd. Even on my CD covers, I try to express my music with fashion. The two have a very deep connection.
GLAM: What are your goals for the future? What’s next?
DJM: To me, a DJ is an artist who can express themselves in so many different ways. DJs aren’t limited to one genre or to one domain. I don’t want to limit myself with just what I’ve tried so far; I’d like to try a lot of new things in the future. Ultimately I want to connect the world with music and do everything that I can as “DJ Mayumi.”
Making mix CDs, producing music, collaborating with different artists and brands – it’s all I can do to not jump ahead of myself with excitement for the possibilities the future holds! Of course I’m going to keep spinning, so for the latest info make sure to check out my website >> http://www.djmayumi.jp/!
Interview by L. Woo and DJ BenKay
Translated by J. Wag
Edit and Layout by A. Lieu
Filed under: The New
