DAOKO is a teenage rap singer who attracts mass support on social network sites by young people mainly in Shibuya, which is known as the center of Japanese pop culture. She has started becoming popular through collaboration work with m-flo, which is a famous Japanese band. She is providing musical pieces for the movie called “Kawaki,” and is in charge of the music together with TeddyLoid for Studio Color’s short film “ME!ME!ME!” directed by Hideaki Anno. She made her major debut in 2015 and started appearing in public at the end of that year. Her remarkable live concerts, which utilize lots of technology, are watched not only by people in Japan but also outside of the country with keen interest.  

She released a new single this September called “Moshimo Bokura Ga Game No Shyuyakude／Daisuki with TeddyLoid／BANG!” which includes four different songs. This single reflects her thought which appeared after her major debut that she wants to be closer with the audiences in front of her. Her music sound represents 2010’s SHIBUYA/TOKYO which is categorized as in between rapping and singing, and also in between hip-hop, electronic music and Japanese pop music.

How did you get interested in music?

My father listens to a variety of music. That’s how I first heard Ringo Shiina who made a big impact on me when I was little.  At that time, I think my father was more likely to listen to club music such as techno or house music though.

Your father has good taste.

Does he? I think he was probably what is now called subculture boys. I wouldn’t say my taste of music is totally the same as his, but his music had a big influence on me. Since then, I started watching NicoNico Douga. I found myself enjoying the fact that there are so many different channels, and I tried rap singing on the nico rap category. I was proactively willing to listen to many different types of music since I joined an independent record label, LOW HIGH WHO?, when I was in the first grade of my high school.

 “Shibuya” and Tokyo, known as the center of Japanese pop-culture, are used in DAOKO’s song’s lyrics. Do you think it’s important to your music that you grew up in this area?

I didn’t go to the Shibuya neighborhood often until I started working in music. Even though I’m from Tokyo, I think Shibuya is the area where many people with the latest fashion gather. Since I was a part of an independent record label, I had my first live concert at PARCO’s 2.5D studio in Shibuya; which has been closed for rebuilding since August. I started doing live concerts once or twice a month since then, and Shibuya started to influence me. I gradually started feeling like Shibuya is my home.

How did you come up with the unique flow that goes between rapping and singing?

I don’t know. The reason I started working in music was the video I posted on NicoNico Douga, and I learned how to rap by watching other people’s videos. That might be affecting that.

So the fact you started rapping before acquiring technical knowledge affects your music now?

That’s probably true. I like rap music. I started listening to “NITRO MICROPHONE UNDERGROUND,” “King Ghidorah,” and “Otokoaka GAMI” after being part of an independent label, but I don’t think people listen to these types of rap music in their daily lives. For example, hip-hop music is categorized as a type of pop music outside of Japan. There are some songs that don’t have a clear line between these two different genres of music. I often hear this type of music when I go out in town, so the fact that I don’t have any roots as a rapper enable me to create original rap which doesn’t fall into any established music category.

Triple A-side single called “Moshimo Bokura Ga Game No Shyuyakude／Daisuki with TeddyLoid／BANG!” will be released on September 14^th. Is there anything that influenced your new songs?

I had 80s U.S. pop music in mind when I created “Moshimo Bokura Ga Game No Shyuyakude,” and Mr. Kojima: one of the ORESAMA’s band members, finished off my original pop music by interpreting it into modern ideas. This song consists of many different elements such as the introduction part that has electro-ish sound, and the rap part that has break-beat. “Daisuki” consists of the track which has modern bass sound created by TeddyLoid and melody which has a traditional folk song taste. I think this incongruity sound is new to everyone. I collaborated with TeddyLoid on “ME!ME!ME!” before, and I was hoping I would be able to work with him again. This song is used in the TV commercial for “HAL Specialized College of Technology and Design.” I thought hard about how I could impact the viewer during only a 15 second commercial and I ended up asking him to make an aggressive sound.

What about “BANG!”?

I started feeling that I want to communicate with my audiences more after my major debut, so I added a part that everyone can clap to so they have a sense of unity. It is boring to put cheerful lyrics in this kind of music, so I purposely put dramatic lyrics of a girl’s perspective to make a contrast. I expressed feelings that every girl can relate to.

After showing your face in public last year, you have had more of a chance to express yourself in music videos. For example, I think the music clip for “BANG!” has Ringo Shiina’s influence.

I didn’t say I like Ringo Shiina at all, but the music video’s director, Yuichi Kodama, might consider her to be the root of my music career. I think singing through a loud speaker like Ringo Shiina sounds mysterious in this song. I wasn’t comfortable showing my face on music videos at first and I struggled like “I don’t know what to do,” but my feelings have certainly changed and I want to be face to face with my audience.  It was my music style to hide my face using special stage effects in my live concerts.  I had a clear screen put in front of me with objects motion graphics and lyrics on it, which caused the stage people to have to deal with me carefully.  With the wall I literally felt like there was a wall between me and the audience.

I understand.

I’ve already come up with some ideas for new songs, and I want my audiences to enjoy my live concerts even more. I think this positive atmosphere is reflected on this new single, and I would like everyone to enjoy watching me as before, and also enjoy experiencing my music at the same time.

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Her music shows potential for being a new type of music full of attractiveness of Shibuya’s street culture that you can’t find outside of Japan. Why don’t you give it a try and experience this pop world? You’re going to get hooked on her music.