SHINICHI OSAWA

What does it take to make a name in the international scene?  Is it DJing the best clubs and festivals?  Remixing for top artists?  Drop an album?  Gain recognition in the blogosphere?  All of these elements factor in when setting out to build a career, and some, like recent stars Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris, have cracked the code seemingly with ease.  Luckily Dance music doesn’t place youth on a pedistal the way pop music does.  There are 2^nd chances and an acceptance of artistic reinvention unseen in other genres.  With time and talent, adulation is rewarded to those who can dominate and control the dance floor, whether from behind the turntables or a studio mixing board.  How else can you explain the recent breakthrough of veteran producer Shinichi Osawa.

Shinichi can be described as the quintessential jack of all trades:  Producer, Performer, Instrumentalist, and DJ.  Overseas, 2008 brought us The One, a genre bending collection of Electro House that breaks the rules through its constant state of duality by being simultaneously Pop & Underground, Dance & Rock, Digital & Organic.  When asked about his expansive sound Osawa stated, “I guess such aspects naturally revealed [themselves] in this album.  I'm always changing, but since I'm musically a wide ranged producer, my next album might be a non-dance piece.”  This may be true, but in his current state of evolution, Electro has taken him to a new level of acceptance.  A state of success that took 17 years to achieve.

It’s 1991 and Japan is quickly becoming known as the #1 importer of outside subcultures.  In the years to come many Japanese DJs and musicians will gain fame as East Coast or West Coast style rappers, 80’s metal revivalists, and Dancehall Reggae Sound Systems spitting amazingly mimicked Jamaican patois.  With British Acid Jazz breaking worldwide and American R&B on the verge of dominating the pop charts it was only a matter of time before the far east took a stab at it.  Enter Mondo Grosso (an Italian term meaning Big World), a Kyoto based Acid Jazz/Soul band featuring a young Shinichi Osawa on bass.  “When I formed Mondo Grosso, we were based in Kyoto. The implication was 'to embody the huge world in such a small town'....it was an ironic name.”  Despite earning pop recognition, the band’s life was short lived, disbanding in 1995.  Shinichi did not accept this as the end and quickly began using his musical skills to make a name for himself in the studio.  Despite working solo he maintained the name of his former group and released his first solo Mondo album, Closer, in 1997 ultimately earning him a label deal with Sony.  It wasn’t until 2000 that he began dabbling in Dance music when he released the CD MG4 followed by Next Wave in 2004.  Despite earning wide success in his home country, the international lime light still eluded him as if the critics were outright dismissing Japan as a nonfactor.  When asked if this is fare and what Japan has offered the dance world his answer was an unexpected one, “I think Japan hasn't recently been able to offer any contributions.  Looking at it from the long run, the achievement of YMO is huge but it’s been 20 years since [then].”  The question that stands now is whether one man can lift up an entire nation.

Armed with a pair of Pioneer CDJ1000mk3 turntables, an XONE:62 mixer, and Ableton Live on his laptop, Shinichi has been attacking the club scene and, for the first time in his career, dropped the pseudonym Mondo Grosso.  “So, this time I'm starting a completely new career under my own name. Plus, I didn't want the listeners to mix it up with the Mondo sounds.”  His strategy:  to add as much energy and movement to his sets in contrast to the typically impassive and minimal presence of most DJs.  Needless to say, his greatest weapon is The One.  The first single off the album is “Star Guitar”, an amped up cover of the classic Chemical Brothers tune.  This is in itself a rarity since it is more typical of Dance producers to remix, not remake.  Other standouts include “Push” a sexy head-nod inducer, “Our Song” a kinetic indie-rock dance track, “State Of Permission” a mid-tempo vocally driven love song, and guaranteed dance floor hit “Detonator” [check out the videos for some of these songs below].  In recent history only Armand Van Helden has had the balls to be so daring in his musical approach while simultaneously producing a fully viable mainstream product.  Coincidentally, the two have collaborated.  “[Armand] did vocals for one of my tracks and I very much respect him as a producer.”  Notably, Armand has also remixed “Star Guitar” for Shinichi.

“Around the album release in January, I’ll be DJing in London, Liverpool, Paris etc.  I have a plan to tour the U.S. too in spring.”  The elements are aligning:  DJ the hottest clubs – check, Remix tracks for top artists – check, release album – check, gain recognition in the blogosphere – check.  In January 2009 look out for The One to be officially released in the U.S. (Dim Mak Records) and U.K. (Southern Fried Records) respectively.  For tour dates visit Shinichi Osawa on Myspace, Facebook, and at www.shinichi-osawa.com

  Get The One on itunes and Beatport

Also visit www.dimmak.com  &  www.myspace.com/dimmakrecords

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