YOICHI SHIBA - Japan

FEUN was started in 1996 by DJ Shiba aka Yoichi Shiba, in Tokyo but developed in Auckland, NZ where he played for numerous clubs while hosting his weekly radio shows and his own residencies. Meanwhile in East London, 33khz collective was busy promoting a string of underground nights, which later evolved into some crazy Shoreditch raves and busy one-off shows in Turnmills, 333 and Plastic People. In 2005, 33khz teamed up with DJ Shiba’s FEUN following their relocation to London and begun a number of small gigs that effectively sealed the fate of FEUN:33KHZ in the underground scene.




TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, WHY YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO & WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO DO IT.
My name is Yoichi Shiba. I am the originator of the FEUN (Far East Underground Network).

When I first DJed overseas in NZ, it made me feel very strongly that dance music is a special language beyond standard linguistic barriers. The dance floor is where people from completely different backgrounds can easily communicate through music. Creating such borderless environments by playing good music is the force behind what I do.

WHAT’S HOT ON YOUR PLATE MATE?
Production for a semi-professional singer in Japan. I decided to get involved in the project when I first listened to one of her demo tracks and it was very inspiring for me so I had worked on a couple of different versions of that track. A single has been released in July and we are currently promoting the ep.





WHAT DO YOU DIG?
I dig Japanese animations and architecture in Berlin.

TELL US ABOUT THE SCENE YOU ARE IN RIGHT NOW. WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Minimal / techno and ambient. Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano for minimal and techno. Robert Fripp and Brian Eno for ambient. I have been inspired by their tracks and live sets and that inspiration gives me the direction for my works.

TELL US ABOUT THE KIND OF CROWD YOU ATTRACT. WHAT’S THE VIBE?
Many truly committed party animals and tons of well informed artists as well as people who understand the way to feel music and seriously enjoy it. The vibes gets transmitted to the booth and we really do put a lot into our sets.






TELL US WHAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU.
The people in London are extremely well informed about music. In Japan, people really know what they are talking about when it comes to new gadgets like mobiles and such. As for fashion and hair styles, most of my friend are individualists rather than fashionistas. For DJing, a lot of my fellow DJs are converting to CD rather than sticking to vinyl. It’s no doubt easier when traveling around but I personally prefer to stick to using vinyls only.

WHAT DO YOU NEED IN LIFE?
Free unlimited luggage on flights, fully acoustic proofed studio, VIP passes to all the clubs on the planet... Beside these, lets hope for increasingly reliable resources and a continuously thriving underground music scene all over!

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