Kyoto
7 artists
Picks
Local Scene
Kotsu
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Plenty of organic movements tied closely to everyday life in the city. There are a lot of students, and many people leave once they start working, so things change quickly, but that's part of the appeal too. And through it all, the Kamo River just keeps flowing.
What local spots would you recommend?
Record Shop
Six Garden Records— 岡崎 / Okazaki
Plenty of leftfield work here, from new releases to old ones.
Café
Cafe WH— 三条木屋町 / Sanjo-Kiyamachi
The club West Harlem's daytime hours. They occasionally hold listening parties.
Bugs Bunny
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
Kyoto is a city filled with students and young creatives, where historical culture and contemporary music naturally intersect.
Diverse scenes coexist around live houses, clubs, and small bars, including hip-hop, jazz, reggae, electronic music, and world music.
One of Kyoto’s greatest strengths is its independent DIY spirit, which exists beyond purely commercial motivations.
My hometown of Chengdu has become increasingly exciting in recent years, not only for Hip Hop and Electronic Music, but also for its growing vinyl culture and listening-bar scene.
Around the Yulin district in particular, cafés, record shops, bars, and live houses are naturally connected, fostering communities that transcend genre boundaries.
There is also a strong DIY ethos, with many independent events and alternative parties where younger generations are creating their own unique culture.
At the same time, urban development and regulations can make it difficult for small venues to survive, but Chengdu’s charm lies in the fact that new spaces and movements continue to emerge despite these challenges.
Diverse scenes coexist around live houses, clubs, and small bars, including hip-hop, jazz, reggae, electronic music, and world music.
One of Kyoto’s greatest strengths is its independent DIY spirit, which exists beyond purely commercial motivations.
My hometown of Chengdu has become increasingly exciting in recent years, not only for Hip Hop and Electronic Music, but also for its growing vinyl culture and listening-bar scene.
Around the Yulin district in particular, cafés, record shops, bars, and live houses are naturally connected, fostering communities that transcend genre boundaries.
There is also a strong DIY ethos, with many independent events and alternative parties where younger generations are creating their own unique culture.
At the same time, urban development and regulations can make it difficult for small venues to survive, but Chengdu’s charm lies in the fact that new spaces and movements continue to emerge despite these challenges.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
Bar Brown Sugar— 三条 / Sanjo
A relaxed bar where you can enjoy thoughtfully selected music centered around Soul and Rare Groove.
The atmosphere is comfortable, the relationship with the owner feels natural, and it’s the perfect place to slowly enjoy both music and drinks.
The atmosphere is comfortable, the relationship with the owner feels natural, and it’s the perfect place to slowly enjoy both music and drinks.
Record Shop
Disk Union 新宿本館ラテン・ブラジル館— 東京・新宿 / Shinjuku, Tokyo
Not in Kyoto, but a record shop I make a point of visiting every time I’m in Tokyo.
They carry a wide range of music, from Latin and Brazilian records to Reggae and World Music, and I always discover something new there.
They carry a wide range of music, from Latin and Brazilian records to Reggae and World Music, and I always discover something new there.
Café
standsix/GATHER out of time— 祇園 / Gion
A café stand where you can take your time enjoying coffee, drinks, and music played on vinyl.
It has a close connection to music and culture, creating a welcoming space where people naturally gather.
It has a close connection to music and culture, creating a welcoming space where people naturally gather.
Label / Series
Vampisoul Records
A Spanish label responsible for numerous high-quality reissues of Latin Soul, Boogaloo, Salsa, Cumbia, and more.
Many of the titles they release are difficult to find in their original pressings, making the label an important bridge between contemporary DJ culture and vintage Latin music.
Many of the titles they release are difficult to find in their original pressings, making the label an important bridge between contemporary DJ culture and vintage Latin music.
iiiiju
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
It’s not unusual to see highly creative artists in their twenties partying alongside the veterans who helped build the scene’s foundation.
I’m grateful that Kyoto continues to have such an open and welcoming environment, where age barriers rarely exist.
Personally, I’d love to see the various scenes intermingle even further, leading to new mutations and fresh sounds.
I’m grateful that Kyoto continues to have such an open and welcoming environment, where age barriers rarely exist.
Personally, I’d love to see the various scenes intermingle even further, leading to new mutations and fresh sounds.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
DNA Paradise— 北車屋町 / Kitakurumayacho
Without a doubt the deepest music bar in Kyoto, where you can immerse yourself in great sounds from every genre.
From local selectors to renowned DJs and musicians, a wide range of artists play there.
Beyond dance music, you can enjoy live instrumentation, ambient music, and even traditional folk songs.
The interior, infused with Daichi’s sense of wabi-sabi, feels like a paradise in its own right.
From local selectors to renowned DJs and musicians, a wide range of artists play there.
Beyond dance music, you can enjoy live instrumentation, ambient music, and even traditional folk songs.
The interior, infused with Daichi’s sense of wabi-sabi, feels like a paradise in its own right.
Record Shop
Meditations— 出水町 / Demizucho
It’s impossible to list everything they cover—ambient, drone, obscure regional music, jazz, folk, dance music, and more, but it is a truly one-of-a-kind shop focused on all forms of sound-oriented and psychedelic music.
Café
実験的談話室 主水 / EXPERIMENTAL SALON MONDO— 祇園 / Gion
It’s pronounced “Mondo.” Officially, it calls itself an “Experimental Salon,” which isn’t quite a café, but the description fits perfectly.
The moment you step through the door, you enter a completely mind-bending world. Hidden away in Gion, it’s a place that defies categorization.
The owner is DJ Dr. SATOMATA, also known as Mata Sato, who spent many years active in Indonesia.
Everything about the space is inspiring—the atmosphere, Mata’s stories, the music he plays, and the objects that fill the room.
The food is excellent too, and I absolutely love the smoothies there.
The moment you step through the door, you enter a completely mind-bending world. Hidden away in Gion, it’s a place that defies categorization.
The owner is DJ Dr. SATOMATA, also known as Mata Sato, who spent many years active in Indonesia.
Everything about the space is inspiring—the atmosphere, Mata’s stories, the music he plays, and the objects that fill the room.
The food is excellent too, and I absolutely love the smoothies there.
SINKICHI
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
To be honest, since the pandemic I've hardly come down from the mountains except to DJ once a month at DNA PARADISE, so I'm not really up to date with what's happening in Kyoto's music scene.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
DNA Paradise— 北車屋町 / Kitakurumayacho
The selections could only come from someone with an exceptionally deep digging background. The sound system combines NEUMANN studio monitors, rare BINSON speakers, and a handmade DICO tube mixer, delivering warm, highly detailed sound. Their freshly made cocktails are also excellent and surprisingly affordable. In Kyoto, where more and more fashionable DJ bars install expensive audio equipment only to leave its potential untapped, this place truly cares about sound. It's friendly, unpretentious, and a place I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who genuinely loves music. It's not fancy, but that's part of its charm.
Record Shop
Meditations— 出水町 / Demizucho
The original shop was located in a traditional machiya behind Daitoku-ji Temple. It was a truly ambient record shop where you could spend hours relaxing on the earthen floor while listening to records of whale songs. Their selection of new releases and thoughtful liner notes are outstanding, and the owner's collection of secondhand records from India, which is really his specialty, is absolutely incredible.
Café
cafe mole— 三条 / Sanjo
The owner, who is also the bassist of Kyoto's legendary band SOFT, always plays an impeccable selection of jazz and many other styles. He's so dedicated to sound quality that he'll even transfer CDs and records onto open-reel tape for playback. The café feels like a little forest in the middle of Kyoto. The curry and chai are excellent too.
Label / Series
松ノ実ト蟾酥 / Matsunomi to Senso
This is the cassette label I run myself. Because I want to preserve Japan's physical media culture, every release is packaged with great care, featuring branded Kyoto confectionery boxes and liner notes printed on Echizen washi paper. The label mainly releases music by friends and fellow artists from Kyoto.
Aiconga
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
The women vinyl DJs a bit younger than me are so interesting!
ASAHI, miharu, Zubeko Tenshi Aya, modern, ReiRei, and more.
Each of them has such strong originality, both in personality and in what they play, and right now they're indispensable to Kyoto's music scene. I always look forward to running into them at parties.
ASAHI, miharu, Zubeko Tenshi Aya, modern, ReiRei, and more.
Each of them has such strong originality, both in personality and in what they play, and right now they're indispensable to Kyoto's music scene. I always look forward to running into them at parties.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
VIVA LA MUSICA!— 出町柳 / Demachiyanagi
Since my student days, I've kept soaking up African and Latin music here. It's a sacred ground for ethno groove, but with none of that underground stiffness, just a warm and welcoming place. Their selection of rum and tequila is worth a look too.
S-Pod— 御所西 / Goshonishi
A shop where electronic music lovers gather. Getting to meet artists of so many nationalities and generations here has been a great source of inspiration for me lately.
Record Shop
Sixth Garden Records— 聖護院 / Shogoin
If you're hunting for weird electronic music or dub, this is the place. It's the shop I trust most in Kyoto.
Café
GOOD morning RECORD BAR— 木屋町 / Kiyamachi
A place that plays relaxing, new release style records, and somewhere I often stop by on my way home from work. At night it gets busy with DJs and tourists, so I prefer going during the day, sipping coffee and just spacing out.
standsix/GATHER out of time— 祇園 / Gion
A record cafe with a lovely open air feel, where I work as the manager. There are record shops like Jazzy Sport and Taiyo Records nearby too, so feel free to swing by and play whatever you've dug up. Daytime drinking and smoking are both welcome.
Label / Series
KUMARU Records
A label run by shabushabu, aka MeNeM, based in Kansai. It's fun not just for the sound but for the visuals too. My recent favorite is the 7 inch from Maho Thai Disco.
Artists
Artist Interviews
What are your musical roots?
My roots lie in the hip-hop of the early 2000s.
The first Western hip-hop I was exposed to was Dr. Dre and 2Pac, whose records were released around the time I was in high school, and from there my interests gradually expanded beyond the West Coast.
Before that, I also went through a phase of listening to hardcore music because of my older brother’s influence, and albums around the time of Cypress Hill’s Skull & Bones really resonated with me.
The first Western hip-hop I was exposed to was Dr. Dre and 2Pac, whose records were released around the time I was in high school, and from there my interests gradually expanded beyond the West Coast.
Before that, I also went through a phase of listening to hardcore music because of my older brother’s influence, and albums around the time of Cypress Hill’s Skull & Bones really resonated with me.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.Black Sweat RecordsEvery release from this label is consistently deep.
Spiritual yet fiery, exotic yet deeply rooted in tradition.
It’s a label I’ve been following for many years. - 2.Ultraääni RecordsLately, I’ve been paying close attention to artists from Helsinki, Finland, and Estonia, and I play their music quite often.
I’m especially fond of Misha Panfilov, Oiro Pena, and SUMUPOSAUTTAJA. - 3.AkusmiHe beautifully fuses traditional spiritual jazz with minimalism, transforming it into a unique form of experimental music.
His latest release was outstanding as well.
What are your musical roots?
The first music that truly made an impact on me was the New York Latin sound of the 1960s and 70s, including artists such as Fania All-Stars, Ray Barretto, and Eddie Palmieri.
From there, I became deeply drawn to Latin Soul, Boogaloo, and Salsa, and was heavily influenced by the raw, high-energy sound surrounding Fania Records.
From there, I became deeply drawn to Latin Soul, Boogaloo, and Salsa, and was heavily influenced by the raw, high-energy sound surrounding Fania Records.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.El Combo ModernoThe balance between the raw power of Salsa Dura and its sophisticated arrangements is remarkable.
- 2.Louie ColonI’m especially drawn to the heavy grooves built around the trombone.
- 3.Tamayo RecordsWhat makes it special is its distinctly Panamanian earthiness and Caribbean Soul feel.
What are your musical roots?
Miles Davis - Agharta,
YMO - BGM,
YMO - Technodelic,
Ramones - It's Alive,
Ryuichi Sakamoto - LEFT HANDED DREAM,
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico,
The Clash - Sandinista!,
Isao Tomita - Bermuda Triangle
YMO - BGM,
YMO - Technodelic,
Ramones - It's Alive,
Ryuichi Sakamoto - LEFT HANDED DREAM,
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico,
The Clash - Sandinista!,
Isao Tomita - Bermuda Triangle
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.FRANCISKAThe lo-fi sound design and fragile piano melodies resonate deeply with me.
- 2.William BasinskiEvery time I listen to it, I completely lose my sense of time.
- 3.武満徹 / Toru TakemitsuThe subtle harmonic textures are astonishingly intricate.
What are your musical roots?
The scene around Factory Records in Manchester, UK. It was a battleground of diverse expression, led by post punk and new wave sounds, and dub and dance music were part of it too.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.BalmatThe music itself is wonderful, but the cover art is always outstanding too!
- 2.NAFFA perfect balance between dance material and ambience.
- 3.STROOMAt the end of the day, I'd say it's a label I've kept buying from without a break for years.
What are your musical roots?
In kindergarten, it was Saint-Saëns's "The Carnival of the Animals." In elementary school, it was THE BOOM's "Shima Uta." And in high school, encountering Wong Kar-wai's "Happy Together" (released in Japan as "Buenos Aires") became a turning point for my sensibility.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.LaliboiA South African vocalist/rapper whose jazzy sound feels so good.
- 2.Kuto QuillaHeavy tropical bass paired with MCing in Quechua. I feel a real punk spirit in it.
- 3.Analog AfricaA crate digging label where you can't go wrong. The artwork teaches me a lot too.