{"id":8890,"date":"2026-04-20T21:29:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T21:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/8890\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T21:29:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T21:29:19","slug":"yousuke-yukimatsu-interview-genre-defying-dj-taking-world-by-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/8890\/","title":{"rendered":"Yousuke Yukimatsu Interview: Genre-Defying DJ Taking World by Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tBillboard JAPAN<\/a>\u2019s \u201cMONTHLY FEATURE\u201d series, present various artists and works that have caught its eye. This month, we spoke with \u00a5\u00d8U$UK\u20ac \u00a5UK1MAT$U, a Tokyo-based DJ who performs around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tExplore\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n

\n\tIn recent years, we\u2019ve been seeing more and more DJs and producers from Japan<\/a> paving their own way and building a reputation in the overseas festival and club scenes. \u00a5\u00d8U$UK\u20ac \u00a5UK1MAT$U has become one of the icons of this trend, gaining fans in Japan and abroad through his play style, which leaps between genres and eras, and his unique mixing sensibilities. His set for the Boiler Room, a globally influential live streaming platform that shares local club cultures, has already reached over 18 million total views on YouTube in just over one year. This is a testament to the accolades he has received from the global<\/a> club scene.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition to recently performing at Coachella 2026, he has also toured South America, including performing in Lollapalooza. Billboard JAPAN was able to interview him remotely while he was staying in Colombia. We talked to him about what led to him becoming connected to the global scene and to the philosophy behind his musical activities.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019re in Colombia now, right? I\u2019ve heard this is your first tour of South America?<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, it\u2019s my first time here on tour. Last year was the first time I toured the U.S., too. On this tour, so far, I\u2019ve already played in Argentina and Chile, both with Lollapalooza. I remember reading about Lollapalooza in magazines back when I was in high school, so I\u2019m really happy to be able to be a part of it now.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat have the reactions of the South American audiences been like?<\/p>\n

\n\tThe festivals are huge, but a lot of people have come to my sets, which is great. The fans here will sing what sound like soccer cheers while I play, or call out my name\u2026In Chile, when I played Skrillex, a mosh pit broke out.<\/p>\n

\n\tI know your set on Boiler Room: Tokyo played an important part in your breakout as a global artist. Looking at the YouTube video now, I see it\u2019s got over 18 million views.<\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019m very thankful for it. I wanted a lot of different people to see the set, so I really thought it out, and I\u2019m glad it\u2019s been watched by so many people. I felt it went well, but I never expected it to get this big. Lately I\u2019ve been making playlists of songs to choose from, with all kinds of BPMs, so that no matter what kind of DJ plays before me, I can mix over from them, keeping the flow. Lately I\u2019ve been picking from there and improvising a lot. But with Boiler Room: Tokyo, I knew going in that I had one hour. When I know a set is a make-it-or-break-it set, I design it carefully.<\/p>\n

\n\tI go back and rewatch it from time to time, and every time I do, I discover something new. It was a wonderful performance.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat makes me so happy to hear. I love cinema, and when you watch a movie a second time, it\u2019s totally different than the first time, so I guess it\u2019s kind of like that. At least, I hope it is.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe last time we talked, you mentioned that you\u2019d watched director Shinji Aoyama\u2019s EUREKA several times.<\/p>\n

\n\tRecently, I went to see Sho Miyae\u2019s Two Seasons, Two Strangers like three times. Every time I watched it, it made a different impression on me. It was like I\u2019d notice different details, or like nothing was happening but actually a whole lot was going on. It\u2019s a wonderful film. Also, One Battle After Another. That\u2019s a really powerful film, but when you watch it a second time, it\u2019s totally different. It would be hard to provide a short explanation of just how it was different, though.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s heavy but humorous.<\/p>\n

\n\tRight. There\u2019s a certain lightness that lingers on. It\u2019s well-crafted entertainment.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s true for your own music, too. There are a lot of different sides to your one-hour set. It\u2019s extremely multifaceted.<\/p>\n

\n\tI don\u2019t personally feel like I brought out a lot of humor in my set, but I\u2019m glad you feel that way. I\u2019d like to inject some humor, but I\u2019ve got so much going on I just can\u2019t. I still place higher priority on impact and emotion\u2026 But if you feel there\u2019s humor in there\u2026 I guess, yeah, if you look at films directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, it\u2019s not so much that there\u2019s humor because he\u2019s trying to be humorous, but the way his characters live is, in itself, humorous. That\u2019s also the kind of actor Leonardo DiCaprio is.<\/p>\n

\n\tCome to think of it, you\u2019ve mentioned that you were influenced by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and he and Alva Noto worked on the score for The Revenant.<\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve always loved Ryuichi Sakamoto. I\u2019ve seen most of the movies he\u2019s been involved with. It\u2019s a little hard to say exactly how he\u2019s influenced me, though\u2026<\/p>\n

\n\tI sense a lot of influence. Like the way your music is layered.<\/p>\n

\n\tAh, I see. Yeah, that might be so. I do feel like I\u2019ve been getting better and better at equalizing as I mix. I feel like maybe his influence comes through there. I put in my practice, and I\u2019ve done a good number of sets, so I think I\u2019m getting better. Playing in different places, I\u2019ve gained a sense of how the situation varies depending on where you\u2019re playing. I\u2019ve learned what kinds of problems come up and what\u2019s difficult to do, and through my experiences I\u2019ve also learned how to deal with these issues. Experience has really helped me out.<\/p>\n

\n\tSo you practice?<\/p>\n

\n\tI do. I practice mixing between two songs. Sometimes I discover really wonderful mixes. I mean, I have to practice. I\u2019m always trying new things, not just repeating the same thing. Sometimes, things don\u2019t go well, you know? You\u2019re playing in front of an audience, and you mess up. You try to cover it up by mixing as best you can, but there are songs that match and songs that just don\u2019t. Even with two great songs, you\u2019ll realize that their melodies that clash or they just don\u2019t work together. I feel like I\u2019ve gotten better at identifying those kinds of mismatches in advance, but I still make the occasional mistake. The mixer is divided up into three or four bands, and usually the melody is in the middle range, so I\u2019ll drop the mid-band, slowly lowering the volume so the melody doesn\u2019t stand out much, until I\u2019m like \u201cI think I can work the next track in around here\u201d\u2026 So I manage to cover up mistakes like that (laughs).<\/p>\n

\n\tWith more experience under my belt, I feel like I\u2019ve become quicker on my feet. When you\u2019re DJing, your mind is always racing. And what you do differs depending on the event, too. Like, if I\u2019m playing in Australia I might play AC\/DC, or, since I\u2019m playing in Lollapalooza, I\u2019ll put on a song by Jane\u2019s Addiction (which is fronted by Perry Farrell the founder of Lollapalooza). The theme of Boiler Room: Tokyo is world peace, so I ended with a song with that kind of feel. When I pick what to play, I think about the vibe of the other performers and DJs, the label, and the like.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019re really dedicated to entertainment and giving the audience a good show. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Zone Unknown, the event you organize in Osaka. Do you think over the past decade you\u2019ve developed even more of an entertainer\u2019s mentality?<\/p>\n

\n\tI think so. I\u2019ve always thought that a DJ is an artist, but also an entertainer. Every time I play, I do the best I can to give everyone in the audience something they can take back with them from the show. I love all kinds of music, which I guess has also influenced me.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou had surgery for brain cancer and were on the brink of death a decade ago, right?<\/p>\n

\n\tRight. Over the past ten years, I\u2019ve just slowly and steadily done my very best. The Boiler Room: Tokyo set went viral, and a lot of people watched it, but it\u2019s what I\u2019ve always been doing. I want to keep getting better, little by little, both as a DJ and as a person.<\/p>\n

\n\tHas the importance you place on the feel and power of your sound been a constant over the past decade?<\/p>\n

\n\tGood question. Over the past ten years, I\u2019ve encountered all kinds of new music, and I think my own musical sensibilities have expanded. But I\u2019ve always liked that strength and impact, and I\u2019ve always liked really delicate music, too. Powerful music is easier for the audience to dance<\/a> to. I listen to all kinds of music every day, but I do feel like the music I pick tends to be powerful.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut your sets also include ambient music and post-classical music. I feel like they combine hard and soft, and there\u2019s a durability to the sound. That\u2019s what makes the layers of the sound so beautiful.<\/p>\n

\n\tHmm, I see. Sometimes I\u2019ll be mixing two songs, the original versions, and people will ask me what remix I\u2019m playing. When I\u2019m equalizing, I\u2019m balancing the highs, middles, and lows with the mixer. I\u2019m just playing what feels good to me, but maybe that changes something in the music. Then again, sometimes when I\u2019m doing that on stage, things don\u2019t go well, and it can be hard going. But I don\u2019t remember the position of the high, mid, and low knobs for each transition, so I just try and find what feels good to me.<\/p>\n

\n\tYour sets really reflect a joy in living. A strong sense of catharsis about life. I\u2019m sure that your recovery from brain surgery plays a big part in that. But I also get the sense that recent changes in life and society are also part of it. Is that something you feel yourself?<\/p>\n

\n\tYes, I do. I try to reflect that (intentionally), but sometimes I think it also just comes across unconsciously. I always hope that my sets will give listeners a bit more power they can tap into in their lives, some encouragement that they\u2019ll take back with them after the show. The world is turning into an uglier, darker place. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to stop. There\u2019s misery everywhere you look. So I hope when people listen to my sets, they feel better. Then again, there are a lot of people who can\u2019t come to hear me play in person\u2026 It\u2019s a tough situation. But I do want to make the world a better place in whatever way I can. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve succeeded in that yet, though.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut I feel really fulfilled, and I\u2019ve been so lucky. In my overseas performances, a huge company is serving as my agent, so everything from getting visas to entering different countries has gone smoothly. I\u2019ve been doing this for 20 years, so I feel like my hard work is starting to pay off a little. But I still don\u2019t feel like I\u2019ve been rated very highly in Japan. I\u2019m extremely Japanese, through and through, and I have no intentions to move overseas. Like, when it comes to food, I like eel on rice (laughs). Japan\u2019s still a pleasant place to live. The supermarkets and the record shops I want to go to are all in Japan. I often go to Disk Union and Tower Records.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019ll be playing at Coachella for the first time, soon, right?<\/p>\n

\n\tRight. I was so happy when I got the offer. I put my all into every event, but for Coachella I\u2019m planning on playing a set with a message of peace. Being able to perform at Coachella as a DJ is kind of cool. I think of myself as a DJ, and there\u2019s a lot of untapped potential in DJs. I don\u2019t think it will ever be completely tapped. There\u2019s so much music that\u2019s already come out that you could never go through all of it, and on top of that, new music keeps on coming out. That just broadens the horizons of DJs even more.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2013This interview by Shino Okamura first appeared on Billboard Japan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Billboard JAPAN\u2019s \u201cMONTHLY FEATURE\u201d series, present various artists and works that have caught its eye. This month, we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8891,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[312,3001,7685,314,8,315],"class_list":["post-8890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-japan","tag-billboard-japan","tag-dance","tag-genre-dance","tag-global","tag-japan","tag-music-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}