Antal & Dubby celebrate Japan’s retro-futurist club roots in ‘Techno Kayō Volume One’

Rush Hour’s Antal has teamed up with Ondas Tokyo record store owner Dubby for ‘Techno Kayō Volume One’; a sharp, floor-friendly compilation of 1980s Japanese proto-techno, electro-pop, and synth-laced oddities.

Pressed at 45RPM for maximum impact, it will be available in early October but only on physical formats (vinyl and CD).

Emerging in late-70s Japan, techno kayō married futuristic synths and drum machines with the melodic sensibility of kayōkyoku, Japan’s then-mainstream pop sound. Inspired by acts like Kraftwerk but rooted in Japanese culture, the result was a distinct sound—nostalgic yet forward-thinking, typified by pioneers like Yellow Magic Orchestra.

“It’s literally techno pop music from the 80s where songs and Japanese pop are combined with futuristic sounds and musicianship,” Antal explains to Mixmag Asia. His own gateway was Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’, later deepened by a growing love of Japanese film, culture and cityscapes: “It’s the futuristic feel of cities like Tokyo and the nostalgia you can also hear in a song like ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’.”

One track he hunted for years was TPO’s ‘Rock The Hour’, which finally surfaced via Revelation Time in Osaka.

“Searching, finding and discovering great songs and then sharing them is what it’s all about,” he says. “That’s the DJ’s job, right? And because of that people meet each other—like how I met Dubby through a mutual interest in this thing. Then you can exchange music, but also other things like food, which I especially enjoy. Building relationships, learning from each other, culturally.”

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For Dubby, whose ear has shaped the tastes of countless collectors, it’s more than nostalgia. “Having been immersed in European and American electric music since my teenage years, Japanese techno songs were like turning my outward gaze inwards and returning to nostalgia,” he says.

The compilation also includes Osaka underground cult cut ‘Happy Time’ by The Peters, which Dubby found digging in local second-hand shops.

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Speaking on growing up during the rise of techno kayō, Dubby explains, “I think the styles of techno and synth-pop from around the world inspired many Japanese artists. I was very excited to see how they fused with Japan's unique pop music and developed into a new style.”

He adds: “Even if you don't understand the language, you can still enjoy the phrases (lyrics) as sounds and elements of the music.”

This release is Volume One, with more on the way. Pick your preferred physical format and pre-order here.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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