Buriti Session ''Tokyo Diary'' | João Comazzi

Immersed in Tokyo's underground culture, deep in the neighbourhood of Koenji, I met Koi Chan, aka Sports Koide, a Grassroots DJ resident, head of the label "3E STUDIO," and a soul brother.

Q san, aka Insideman, a DJ, producer, and the founder of Grassroots, runs a DJ bar that has been in operation for 30 years. It’s a true haven for music lovers — a space filled with exotic decorations, fully equipped with custom hi-fi sound, and home to a unique and diverse music scene that has been thriving for a long time.

Every day, I visited many record shops guided by Koi Chan. During the weeks, there were two record shops that truly touched my heart and showed me exactly what I was looking for. The first one was Los Apsons? , a high-energy space with many hidden gems, obscure treasures, underground mixtapes, and local Koenji art. Keiji Yemabe, a DJ, producer, visual artist, and the shop’s owner, is a pioneer of CD mixtape culture.

The second shop was Organic Music/Physical Store. Coincidentally, when I arrived, I was greeted by funky samba jazz sounds within the first few seconds of entering. It was the perfect soundtrack to meet Chee Shimizu for the first time. I asked him if there was any electronic Japanese music in the shop, and he replied, “Sorry, only organic music.” It was at that moment that I realized where I was. We found something wonderful in common. Since my youth, Nana Vasconcelos has been a major influence on my musical education. When he was young, he had a project called “Organic Music Society,” which later became Codona, featuring Collin Walcott, Don Cherry, and Nana Vasconcelos. The music is a pure fusion of traditional music approached with modern and contemporary jazz. Chee Shimizu is also a big fan; he has all the records and showed them to me. We spent time discussing organic music and he recommended many great contemporary pieces that incorporate traditional Japanese instruments.

This two hour music selection is a tribute to Koi Chan & Family, Q san, Yemabe san, Chee san and Yuzo Iwata. 音楽万歳。