Hugs&Kisses in the past year has cemented itself as the Grand Central of Melbourne nightlife. It's rare to not be greated by the sunlight as you leave , there's private booths, and it's one of the few clubs in Melbourne pushing strictly vinyl. These aren't groundbreaking concepts, but what Hugs' does it does very well. Now Hugs' HQ is a getting an added track, and it's called JA Express. A direct line to the grooviest Japanese records, from the renowned to the underground. JA Express seeks to offer Melbourne, and Japanese listeners alike a unique DJ exchange bringing out the best Japanese DJs and crate diggers to the Australian nightlife. We took the opportunity to hop on board with JA Express' creators Lewis Fidock aka Instant Peterson, and Hugs&Kisses owner Hugo Atkins. To discuss what JA Express is, and how you can get on this train.Reuben Fidock: So why did you decide to create a DJ Exchange between Australia and Japan?
Hugo: Lewis is the one who curated the initial range of DJs. I guess, geographically it's pretty obvious. They're our neighbours to the rising sun.
There's a really interesting culture that exists over there, which influenced the development of Hugs&Kisses. We were inspired by trips to Japan, and there's a lot of similar ethos to how dance music culture and record culture is emulated here.
Lewis: There's not a very big range of international Japanese DJs, which is bizarre because Japan is noted as having a 3rd of the world's records.
Most of the Japanese DJs that come out here are electronic dance music DJs or they're hip-hop and beat aficionados. A great portion of the record community use Japan as a vehicle to get the records they use back here. But the DJs who are playing these records back in Japan, are doing it in a very unique way and I feel like the broader international community use these guys mixes as a reference point for digging, and also to inspire their own styles.
So I guess the really exciting thing about JA Express is giving Australians the opportunity to hear these people first hand and to hear it live. But to also pay them a bit of respect and to provide them a unique opportunity to play somewhere which they never would have considered being invited to play.Is there a greater risk of hosting Japanese musicians in Australia?
Hugo: Not really, we haven't really done any parties yet. So we don't know if it's going to work…
Lewis: They're just DJs, they're coming here to provide a unique club experience. Everyone enjoys listening to their music in mixes or at parties, so why wouldn't you enjoy listening to them in real time?
Hugo: I think it's interesting that they're pretty influential DJs for record collectors, but they've never played here before.
Lewis: No, to the best of my knowledge none of the DJs we're bringing over have ever played in Australia before. And too Hugo's point before, it's an opportunity which lends itself to convenience, because the places where these DJs play internationally are Amsterdam, Spain, and a broader range of places in Europe. Where the other side of the coin in terms of notable record collectors like Jamie Tiller, Tako, and all the crew at red light records. It's providing a bridge between the best of both worlds. It would be a lot more difficult for us to bring out collectors from over there, than to source Japanese DJs. But of course the styles that they play are very different, and if you notice the people are bringing out Invisible City, and Tako. They're events with a great source of money behind them, they're not intimate in the way that JA will be. I think that's probably its strong point, that you're seeing them in a contained environment which creates a warm and intimate atmosphere. So it's the opportunity to enjoy really good music, in I guess what you'd call a cult party.
Hugo: Yeah definitely, I think as well a lot of the other parties just focus on jumping around to what's kind of hot and there isn't so much thought into curating the rest of the line up. That might be quite a broad statement, I guess the main difference to JA is that it's an exchange program between two countries and our goal is to create something that's a bit more of a community atmosphere than club DJs just jumping around the spot.So there are plans for you to send over Australian DJs to Japan also?
Hugo: We're going to do parties in Japan as well. We're looking to head over in March. And we to put out the call that when someone is heading over to Japan who are inline with what we're trying to do. We can set them up with a set, and market it as a JA party. Of course we're not planning to make any money from that. But it allows for an opportunity for lesser known DJs to gain a bit of a exposure.
Lewis: You don't necessarily have to know who the DJ is off the top of your head, it's more about the fact that you know you're going to hear good music, because that's what these guys live & breathe is collecting records, and pioneering new directions in DJing and pushing sounds.They're musical influence upon the world is strange because it's information based, it's word of mouth, and it seems to be getting bigger. It feels like the right time to be bringing these guys over. There's Chi and Dub doing Organic Music, also Ondas Records. I can name so many broader Melbourne DJs that buy frequently off these guys, and have been for a long time.Why do you think Japan has become such a mecca for DJs and record collectors?
Hugo: Culturally, it feels that the Japanese is quite an extreme culture, meaning, they do things to the extreme. They become engulfed in their trade, and completely live in that service and environment.
Lewis: Yeah, Japanese culture tends to promote that you should become a master in your field. Which implies that you leave no stone unturned. There's also a massive culture for collecting over there, not just with records. It's gear, it's baseball cards, it's fashion, they're great archivists. It was always boggling peoples heads how these records, even from the 60s, 70s and 80s were in such pristine condition. And it was because when they bought the record, they'd recorded it to cassette and put the record away in storage, which I guess was for people to use it in the future, or to not tarnish the object. So these records remain in pristine condition, because they've never been played. It's not because they haven't sold, a lot of them did sell.What's the rarest record you own?
Lewis: I don't know how they're it's worth, but the rarest record I own is either Raviv Gazit's 'Ze', or Megan Sue Hicks' 'Maranatha. [Editor's note—Megan Sue Hicks' Maranatha has never been sold on Discogs]What's the drink of choice at JA?
Hugo: Drink of choice aboard the JA-Express is a Japanese classic: Mizuwari. Take two of three round ice cubes made of frozen mineral water and stack in a highball glass. Add 1 part Japanese whisky (Suntory Hibiki will make the most authentic mizwari). Slowly pour in one or two parts mineral water. Stir exactly thirteen and a half times. Enjoy!JA's first event will be on January 16, 2015 with MORI-RA.
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Hugo: Lewis is the one who curated the initial range of DJs. I guess, geographically it's pretty obvious. They're our neighbours to the rising sun.
There's a really interesting culture that exists over there, which influenced the development of Hugs&Kisses. We were inspired by trips to Japan, and there's a lot of similar ethos to how dance music culture and record culture is emulated here.
Lewis: There's not a very big range of international Japanese DJs, which is bizarre because Japan is noted as having a 3rd of the world's records.
Most of the Japanese DJs that come out here are electronic dance music DJs or they're hip-hop and beat aficionados. A great portion of the record community use Japan as a vehicle to get the records they use back here. But the DJs who are playing these records back in Japan, are doing it in a very unique way and I feel like the broader international community use these guys mixes as a reference point for digging, and also to inspire their own styles.
So I guess the really exciting thing about JA Express is giving Australians the opportunity to hear these people first hand and to hear it live. But to also pay them a bit of respect and to provide them a unique opportunity to play somewhere which they never would have considered being invited to play.Is there a greater risk of hosting Japanese musicians in Australia?
Hugo: Not really, we haven't really done any parties yet. So we don't know if it's going to work…
Lewis: They're just DJs, they're coming here to provide a unique club experience. Everyone enjoys listening to their music in mixes or at parties, so why wouldn't you enjoy listening to them in real time?
Hugo: I think it's interesting that they're pretty influential DJs for record collectors, but they've never played here before.
Lewis: No, to the best of my knowledge none of the DJs we're bringing over have ever played in Australia before. And too Hugo's point before, it's an opportunity which lends itself to convenience, because the places where these DJs play internationally are Amsterdam, Spain, and a broader range of places in Europe. Where the other side of the coin in terms of notable record collectors like Jamie Tiller, Tako, and all the crew at red light records. It's providing a bridge between the best of both worlds. It would be a lot more difficult for us to bring out collectors from over there, than to source Japanese DJs. But of course the styles that they play are very different, and if you notice the people are bringing out Invisible City, and Tako. They're events with a great source of money behind them, they're not intimate in the way that JA will be. I think that's probably its strong point, that you're seeing them in a contained environment which creates a warm and intimate atmosphere. So it's the opportunity to enjoy really good music, in I guess what you'd call a cult party.
Hugo: Yeah definitely, I think as well a lot of the other parties just focus on jumping around to what's kind of hot and there isn't so much thought into curating the rest of the line up. That might be quite a broad statement, I guess the main difference to JA is that it's an exchange program between two countries and our goal is to create something that's a bit more of a community atmosphere than club DJs just jumping around the spot.
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Hugo: We're going to do parties in Japan as well. We're looking to head over in March. And we to put out the call that when someone is heading over to Japan who are inline with what we're trying to do. We can set them up with a set, and market it as a JA party. Of course we're not planning to make any money from that. But it allows for an opportunity for lesser known DJs to gain a bit of a exposure.
Lewis: You don't necessarily have to know who the DJ is off the top of your head, it's more about the fact that you know you're going to hear good music, because that's what these guys live & breathe is collecting records, and pioneering new directions in DJing and pushing sounds.They're musical influence upon the world is strange because it's information based, it's word of mouth, and it seems to be getting bigger. It feels like the right time to be bringing these guys over. There's Chi and Dub doing Organic Music, also Ondas Records. I can name so many broader Melbourne DJs that buy frequently off these guys, and have been for a long time.Why do you think Japan has become such a mecca for DJs and record collectors?
Hugo: Culturally, it feels that the Japanese is quite an extreme culture, meaning, they do things to the extreme. They become engulfed in their trade, and completely live in that service and environment.
Lewis: Yeah, Japanese culture tends to promote that you should become a master in your field. Which implies that you leave no stone unturned. There's also a massive culture for collecting over there, not just with records. It's gear, it's baseball cards, it's fashion, they're great archivists. It was always boggling peoples heads how these records, even from the 60s, 70s and 80s were in such pristine condition. And it was because when they bought the record, they'd recorded it to cassette and put the record away in storage, which I guess was for people to use it in the future, or to not tarnish the object. So these records remain in pristine condition, because they've never been played. It's not because they haven't sold, a lot of them did sell.What's the rarest record you own?
Lewis: I don't know how they're it's worth, but the rarest record I own is either Raviv Gazit's 'Ze', or Megan Sue Hicks' 'Maranatha. [Editor's note—Megan Sue Hicks' Maranatha has never been sold on Discogs]What's the drink of choice at JA?
Hugo: Drink of choice aboard the JA-Express is a Japanese classic: Mizuwari. Take two of three round ice cubes made of frozen mineral water and stack in a highball glass. Add 1 part Japanese whisky (Suntory Hibiki will make the most authentic mizwari). Slowly pour in one or two parts mineral water. Stir exactly thirteen and a half times. Enjoy!JA's first event will be on January 16, 2015 with MORI-RA.