T-ONO: What is the theme of this year’s OTAQUEST and how was that selected? How did you come to be involved in the event?

Taku Takahashi: Ultimately, the theme is to let US audiences know about Shibuya’s ever-growing music culture. Shibuya is, at the end of the day, where all experimental pop is born. Not only music, but a lot of fashion culture is born here too. It’s worth noting that Harajuku is also part of Shibuya. We’re fortunate to bring a whole bunch of talent from Japan, as well as a VJ team to boot. We’re hoping to bring the whole authentic experience.

T-ONO: What was the biggest thing that surprised you in last year’s live?

TT: We’re all super happy that there are so many people who support us. I really didn’t expect people would be able to sing along to our Japanese songs. It means a whole lot that not only do people listen to our music, but they also learned how to sing along. That’s probably my favorite experience from the US.  

T-ONO: Were there any differences between Japanese and American fans?

TT: I love the US crowds because they know how to party -- they’re here to have a whole lot of fun. Japanese audiences tend to be a bit shyer, they take a little while to warm up. On the flip side, North American fans are wild from the start.

T-ONO: Were there any lessons learned from last year’s performance that was incorporated for this year?

TT: I like to think that every show is a learning experience for me. The thing about OTAQUEST is I’m not only performing, but I’m actually organizing the whole event. We’re trying to expose US audiences to something entirely new -- it’s a pretty big challenge. The differences between how Japan and the US organize events are pretty substantial. At the end of the day, behind everything that goes on, my biggest concern is that artists are able to give their absolute best performance, as well as walking away with something memorable.

T-ONO: Is there anything that we should expect in this year’s live that is different than last year’s?

TT: It’s very exciting to me that this year, the main floor isn’t a seated situation. Most of our performers play electronic music, so it’s a whole lot more fun for the audience to move around and dance. Specifically talking about our m-flo set, we’ll be playing a whole bunch of new songs that we made for our upcoming album which is set to release in the future.

T-ONO: How were the guest performers chosen for this year’s show?

TT: We honestly just chose artists that we thought would be best to introduce to the US audience. For example, Hiroomi “Omi” Tosaka is a great singer from Sandaime J Soul Brothers; his solo works are really blowing up in Japan. Also from the same group, you may know Elly (CRAZYBOY) for his works within Sandaime J Soul Brothers as a dancer, but his own solo works are absolutely wild. We’re super happy to have Kyary Pamyu Pamyu joining us this year too, especially given she was a pioneer in international expansion from Japan. I have a whole lot to learn from her. Yasutaka Nakata and I often perform together in Japan, so he was a natural pick. His group CAPSULE though, we just had to have them for their first performance in the US.

T-ONO: Nakata Yasutaka is coming with CAPSULE but is there going to be a special setlist?

TT: I can’t really say what he’ll be playing, but based on everything I know about CAPSULE’s usual performances, I can assure it’ll be a blend of both classics and recent sounds with “Koshi Koshi” (my personal nickname for Toshiko Koshijima) kicking butt on both fronts. I think US fans will be blown away by their visuals as well.

T-ONO: What is the difference between the live show and your DJ performances on July 3rd and how did the idea come to be to do these sets?

TT: So we’ve got another event on the same day, at the same venue, but taking place at night time. It’s a DJ club event/rave event called “OTAQUEST KICK-OFF”. I’ll be there, TeddyLoid will be there, Yasutaka Nakata will be there. It’s like a celebration after the live show, and I wanted the performers to all come together and have fun. There’s possibly going to be a few surprises too. My m-flo set is going to focus on mostly m-flo original songs, but my DJ set will bring forward a very different feeling. I’ll play a lot of heavy dance music, my own solo works, and I’ll also be throwing in a few anime and game tunes as well.

T-ONO: Is there anything you would like fans to pay attention to during the show? Any visual or performance elements?

TT: We’ll be bringing our usual m-flo VJ team to the US, so I hope everyone can appreciate the full setup that we’d usually give to our Japanese fans. Honestly though, as long as everyone is having fun, you don’t really have to pay attention to anything.

T-ONO: Lastly, can you give a message for the fans and attendees ahead of the Otaquest Live show?

TT: I’m beyond excited to see everyone at the event. I really would like to continue introducing new and exciting artists from Japan to the US, and your support means a whole lot to me.

Thank you all so much.

To learn more:
https://live.otaquest.com/

Otaquest Live

http://axs.com/events/372261/powered-by-ldh-usa-tickets?skin=novo

Otaquest KickOff
http://axs.com/events/372262/powered-by-ldh-usa-tickets?skin=novo