01Profile
A kZm Photo
kZm
Rapper — Tokyo
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
kZm, Tokyo, Shibuya
What do you do?
Rapper
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
When I saw Octavian at WALL&WALL Aoyama in Tokyo. It must have been in 2018, and the floor wasn’t so packed but you could feel his talent as a rising star. I was able to see the show right up close but his style, including how he moved about during the gig, was pretty peculiar. We had good fun together after the gig and there I knew he was going big for sure.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Style of the skinheads. At 18, I was watching quite a few skinhead-themed-films. Mod and hooligan styles too, have never gone out of style, have they?
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Cosmic BEACH, the stage I played for EDC JAPAN 2019 in Makuhari in front of more than 5000 people. I was impressed with an immense view and I was able to cause a hell of a mosh pit there. I think that might have been the peak of my life really.
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
Aphex Twin, still alive though. I like the extremity of 'Richard D James Album'. I’m curious about his productions so I want to visit his studio and ask him to produce a track for me. I wonder how he would approach and establish a track after hearing my own materials.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Focused 1-hour session in a gig with, whoever that’s currently blowing up.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Sega Bodega. He’s got quality sounds but I don’t know if he’s at an early stage or if he just doesn’t really have clips. He’s using a vocoder for some tracks which I’m also looking into using.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' by The Beatles. It was before I started listening to hip hop so I was in my late primary.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'That Easy' by Yellow Days. Some reminiscent, and a bit blank or should I say emotional riffs of the track.
One record you would keep forever?
'Spaceman' by Octavian. It made me listen to more UK hip hop. While I knew some of the UK rappers and liked the grime genre too, but this album was different to the US approach in terms of the flow or beats. I chose this album for its variation, from the hard stuff to the emotional tracks.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Hikaru Utada. I can’t really narrow my choices down to one. Safe to say it’s the original form of my personal music experience or enrolment. She lives in the UK and Nariaki Kobukuro, who’s also on the playlist, is now living in the UK, too. I'd like to go to the UK for a couple of months once the Covid situation gets settled, hopefully in 2021.
Best song to turn up loud?
My own tracks that are still in progress. I try to experiment with different flows when I go into the studio and pre-released tracks only belong to me, you know.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Sakanaction. I don’t really have a specific favourite but they have good beats and sound catchy.
New bands you are listening to now?
Tommy Four Seven. I was listening to techno and arrived at his tracks. He’s definitely not confined within the techno field and I get inspired a lot. I listen and wonder if I can put a rap on his kind of approach.
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
kZm, Tokyo, Shibuya
What do you do?
Rapper
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
When I saw Octavian at WALL&WALL Aoyama in Tokyo. It must have been in 2018, and the floor wasn’t so packed but you could feel his talent as a rising star. I was able to see the show right up close but his style, including how he moved about during the gig, was pretty peculiar. We had good fun together after the gig and there I knew he was going big for sure.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Style of the skinheads. At 18, I was watching quite a few skinhead-themed-films. Mod and hooligan styles too, have never gone out of style, have they?
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Cosmic BEACH, the stage I played for EDC JAPAN 2019 in Makuhari in front of more than 5000 people. I was impressed with an immense view and I was able to cause a hell of a mosh pit there. I think that might have been the peak of my life really.
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
Aphex Twin, still alive though. I like the extremity of 'Richard D James Album'. I’m curious about his productions so I want to visit his studio and ask him to produce a track for me. I wonder how he would approach and establish a track after hearing my own materials.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Focused 1-hour session in a gig with, whoever that’s currently blowing up.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Sega Bodega. He’s got quality sounds but I don’t know if he’s at an early stage or if he just doesn’t really have clips. He’s using a vocoder for some tracks which I’m also looking into using.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' by The Beatles. It was before I started listening to hip hop so I was in my late primary.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'That Easy' by Yellow Days. Some reminiscent, and a bit blank or should I say emotional riffs of the track.
One record you would keep forever?
'Spaceman' by Octavian. It made me listen to more UK hip hop. While I knew some of the UK rappers and liked the grime genre too, but this album was different to the US approach in terms of the flow or beats. I chose this album for its variation, from the hard stuff to the emotional tracks.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Hikaru Utada. I can’t really narrow my choices down to one. Safe to say it’s the original form of my personal music experience or enrolment. She lives in the UK and Nariaki Kobukuro, who’s also on the playlist, is now living in the UK, too. I'd like to go to the UK for a couple of months once the Covid situation gets settled, hopefully in 2021.
Best song to turn up loud?
My own tracks that are still in progress. I try to experiment with different flows when I go into the studio and pre-released tracks only belong to me, you know.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Sakanaction. I don’t really have a specific favourite but they have good beats and sound catchy.
New bands you are listening to now?
Tommy Four Seven. I was listening to techno and arrived at his tracks. He’s definitely not confined within the techno field and I get inspired a lot. I listen and wonder if I can put a rap on his kind of approach.
kZm - F*** You Tokio I Love U! feat. 5lack (Prod. DISK NAGATAKI & Chaki Zulu)
kZm - 27CLUB feat. LEX (Prod. SIL V3 R 100 & Chaki Zulu)
kZm - TEENAGE VIBE feat. Tohji (Prod. Chaki Zulu)