01Profile
A Zo Zhit Photo
Zo Zhit
Producer / Rapper — Otaku
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
Zo Zhit (Dos Monos), Otaku, Tokyo.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
It's very difficult to choose… This might be a popular name but James Blake at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL in 2016 and 2019. I felt like he’s almost like launching an expression than just doing music. I'm the type of person who also enjoys films and theatre too, so I thought it was amazing to see how an individual can create a feeling of dominating the space with just their body and skills, rather than a showy performance. It was a live performance that made me think he was the real deal.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
It's not so much about films, but the music. When I was making this playlist, I thought that the big ones for me were Aphex Twin and Square Pusher. The WARP label is a sub-species of UK music, but it's a group of people who grew up in the UK club culture and can create their own expression. I can kind of relate to that, and it was important for me to have those pioneers as a teenager who was creating music alone. In my case, it was them before hip-hop.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
LIQUIDROOM in Ebisu, located close to where I live. The venue is cosy, and there's not much of a barrier between the club and the band. I think it's a perfect match for my musical style in that sense. You can see it in the playlist. It's not always club sounds, nor is it just live music either.
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
I'd love to have people messing around with my material and I wouldn't trust them to do that unless I had a lot of confidence in them. There's definitely a certain pleasure in being changed out of my control. In that sense, dub producers would be great. The Mad Professor, who also produced the Massive Attack album because I like him a lot as a UK dub engineer especially in the '80s. Madlib is my favourite too so I guess I'm looking for something ‘mad’ (laughs). I'd like to have a ‘mad scientist’ who's better than me, messing around with my materials. Even if we don't actually work together at the same time, I'll leave a sound source and could communicate from there.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
In an interview with Liam Gallagher that I saw somewhere, he said that he really likes beef bowl, so my choice is to go out with Liam to eat beef bowls at Yoshinoya's Yukigaya Otsuka branch close to my friend’s house since he likes Liam a lot (laughs).
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
I think Mica Levi is a musician with a special taste. Levi is mainly known for her work as a film composer, but the solo albums released between 2020 and 2021 are also interesting and worth paying attention to.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
If I played on repeat with my own intention, I'd have to say 'My Red Hot Car' by Square Pusher. I thought this song was too good to be true, so I listened to it a lot when I was in high school.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Although my interests changed all the time when I was a teenager, I think Radiohead were my contemporaries throughout. Thom Yorke also changes a lot doesn’t he but I'm going to go with 'Convergence' from the solo work of another member, Johnny Greenwood. It's a good theme song for my teenage self (laughs). The album 'Bodysongs' which contains this song was used as an accompaniment for Paul Thomas Anderson's film 'There Will Be Blood', and I'd like to make something like that myself.
One record you would keep forever?
If I had to limit myself to just one record, I would want... more songs. My favourite album is 'Magical Mystery Tour' by The Beatles but I'd definitely regret it because it has so few songs. That being said, I'm going to go with 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' by King Crimson for the variation. There’s a ballad, improvisations, and there’s some chorus, so I don’t know but I think I’m okay with it (laughs). It's often forgotten because the first part of the song has such a strong impact but the second half is something you should hear more. The artwork can’t be left out either
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Talking about my early experiences, 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' by King Crimson has interesting lyrics indeed. There's a lyricist who specialised in lyrics and the concept making for the band, called Pete Sinfield. The whole vibe of the album is quite surrealist, and the lyrics are an expression of their worldview.
Best song to turn up loud?
I would sing it out loud 'Immigrant Song' by Led Zeppelin.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
I recall while still in high school that I loved the guitar played by Matthew Bellamy from Muse.
Any new music you are listening to now?
I don't mean to be brag or anything, but Black Midi, the guys that we collaborated with are pretty cool. They're about five years younger than me, but I think we've listened to similar things and have a similar basis.
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
Zo Zhit (Dos Monos), Otaku, Tokyo.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
It's very difficult to choose… This might be a popular name but James Blake at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL in 2016 and 2019. I felt like he’s almost like launching an expression than just doing music. I'm the type of person who also enjoys films and theatre too, so I thought it was amazing to see how an individual can create a feeling of dominating the space with just their body and skills, rather than a showy performance. It was a live performance that made me think he was the real deal.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
It's not so much about films, but the music. When I was making this playlist, I thought that the big ones for me were Aphex Twin and Square Pusher. The WARP label is a sub-species of UK music, but it's a group of people who grew up in the UK club culture and can create their own expression. I can kind of relate to that, and it was important for me to have those pioneers as a teenager who was creating music alone. In my case, it was them before hip-hop.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
LIQUIDROOM in Ebisu, located close to where I live. The venue is cosy, and there's not much of a barrier between the club and the band. I think it's a perfect match for my musical style in that sense. You can see it in the playlist. It's not always club sounds, nor is it just live music either.
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
I'd love to have people messing around with my material and I wouldn't trust them to do that unless I had a lot of confidence in them. There's definitely a certain pleasure in being changed out of my control. In that sense, dub producers would be great. The Mad Professor, who also produced the Massive Attack album because I like him a lot as a UK dub engineer especially in the '80s. Madlib is my favourite too so I guess I'm looking for something ‘mad’ (laughs). I'd like to have a ‘mad scientist’ who's better than me, messing around with my materials. Even if we don't actually work together at the same time, I'll leave a sound source and could communicate from there.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
In an interview with Liam Gallagher that I saw somewhere, he said that he really likes beef bowl, so my choice is to go out with Liam to eat beef bowls at Yoshinoya's Yukigaya Otsuka branch close to my friend’s house since he likes Liam a lot (laughs).
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
I think Mica Levi is a musician with a special taste. Levi is mainly known for her work as a film composer, but the solo albums released between 2020 and 2021 are also interesting and worth paying attention to.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
If I played on repeat with my own intention, I'd have to say 'My Red Hot Car' by Square Pusher. I thought this song was too good to be true, so I listened to it a lot when I was in high school.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Although my interests changed all the time when I was a teenager, I think Radiohead were my contemporaries throughout. Thom Yorke also changes a lot doesn’t he but I'm going to go with 'Convergence' from the solo work of another member, Johnny Greenwood. It's a good theme song for my teenage self (laughs). The album 'Bodysongs' which contains this song was used as an accompaniment for Paul Thomas Anderson's film 'There Will Be Blood', and I'd like to make something like that myself.
One record you would keep forever?
If I had to limit myself to just one record, I would want... more songs. My favourite album is 'Magical Mystery Tour' by The Beatles but I'd definitely regret it because it has so few songs. That being said, I'm going to go with 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' by King Crimson for the variation. There’s a ballad, improvisations, and there’s some chorus, so I don’t know but I think I’m okay with it (laughs). It's often forgotten because the first part of the song has such a strong impact but the second half is something you should hear more. The artwork can’t be left out either
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Talking about my early experiences, 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' by King Crimson has interesting lyrics indeed. There's a lyricist who specialised in lyrics and the concept making for the band, called Pete Sinfield. The whole vibe of the album is quite surrealist, and the lyrics are an expression of their worldview.
Best song to turn up loud?
I would sing it out loud 'Immigrant Song' by Led Zeppelin.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
I recall while still in high school that I loved the guitar played by Matthew Bellamy from Muse.
Any new music you are listening to now?
I don't mean to be brag or anything, but Black Midi, the guys that we collaborated with are pretty cool. They're about five years younger than me, but I think we've listened to similar things and have a similar basis.
Dos Monos - アガルタ (Agharta)
Dos Monos - in 20XX
Dos Monos - Dos City Meltdown
Dos Monos - Clean Ya Nerves (Cleopatra)
Dos Monos - スキゾインディアン (Schizoidian)
SMTK (ft. Dos Monos) | Headhunters (2021)