, better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a record producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.

Early life

Ishi was born in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

in 1962. He dropped out of school at an early age and joined a local gang and, a few years later, the

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...

. Early in his career as a yakuza underling, Ishi discovered a severed finger wrapped in paper on his desk. Later, after discovering that it had belonged to a friend, he decided to leave the yakuza and cut ties with the criminal underworld. Ishi was inspired to start DJing after seeing the film '' Wild Style'' in 1983. "When I discovered the film Wild Style in 1983 I found what I really wanted to do, to express myself," he said in a 2015 interview. "Breaking, grafitti, rap, DJ… I always liked music so I chose DJ. My body wasn’t built for breaking, DJing was the thing for me."

Career

Aside from being considered one of the pioneers of Japanese hip hop, Ishi has established himself as one of the most respected artists and producers in the hip hop industry, both in Japan and abroad. Upon entering the industry, Ishi, with his experimental beats and instrumental sounds, changed the face of hip-hop at a time when it was dominated by the American rap scene. He is reluctant to identify his music with any particular genre, for it would place limits on his listeners and on his talents. He has been regarded as ambient,

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...

, some combination of the two, and hip hop. DJ Krush prefers to exercise an ideological distance from the genres he is usually grouped into, while maintaining a healthy appreciation for all music forms and styles. Still, in general, he admits to having more affinity to the musical underground than the mainstream. "Hip hop in Japan is divided in two parts. Mainstream and Underground," he says. "Underground is more interesting and I feel comfortable here."

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

Krush Krush were a UK dance music group, who had a crossover hit single with " House Arrest" in 1987. Career The group consisted of musicians Mark Gamble, Cassius Campbell and record producers Mark Brydon and Robert Gordon. Ruth Joy was the feature ...

'' (1994) * ''

Strictly Turntablized ''Strictly Turntablized'' is the second studio album by Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush, released on November 21, 1994 by Mo' Wax. In Japan, the album was released by the Avex Trax subsidiary label Jazz Not Jazz Records on April 21, 1995, and ...

'' (1994) * ''

Meiso is the third studio album by Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It was released on July 21, 1995 in Japan by Sony Music Entertainment. ''Meiso'' was issued in the United Kingdom on October 30, 1995 by the label Mo' Wax, peaking at number 64 on ...

'' (1995) * ''

Ki-Oku is a collaborative studio album by Japanese jazz trumpeter Toshinori Kondo and Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It was released on August 8, 1996 in Japan by Sony Music Entertainment. The album was issued in Europe by the R&S Records imprint ...

'' (1996) (with

Toshinori Kondo was a Japanese avant-garde jazz and jazz fusion trumpeter. Career Kondo was born in Ehime Prefecture. He attended Kyoto university in 1967, and became close friends with percussionist Tsuchitori Toshiyuki. In 1972 the pair left university, and ...

) * ''

MiLight is the fourth solo studio album by Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It was released in 1996. It peaked at number 100 on the UK Albums Chart. Critical reception Ned Raggett of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, calling it "a fairly good ...

'' (1996) * '' Kakusei'' (1998) * ''Ga'' (1999) (with DJ Hide and DJ Sak, as Ryu) * ''

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

'' (2001) * ''

The Message at the Depth ''The Message at the Depth'' is the seventh solo studio album by Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It was released in 2002. It peaked at number 23 on the '' Billboard'' Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Critical reception Tamara Palmer of ''XL ...

'' (2002) * '' Jaku'' (2004) * ''Incunabula'' (2010) (with

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

, et al., as Method of Defiance) * ''Nahariama'' (2013) (with Bill Laswell, et al., as Method of Defiance) * ''Butterfly Effect'' (2015) * ''Kiseki'' (2017) * ''Cosmic Yard'' (2018) * ''Trickster'' (2020)

Compilation albums

* ''Reload: The Remix Collection'' (2001) * ''Stepping Stones: The Self Remixed Best: Lyricism'' (2006) * ''Stepping Stones: The Self Remixed Best: Soundscapes'' (2006)

Mixtapes

* ''Cold Krush Cuts'' (1997) (with

DJ Food DJ Food is an electronic music project currently headed by Kevin Foakes (also known as "Strictly Kev"). Originally conceived by the members of Coldcut on the Ninja Tune independent record label, the project started in 1990 on the premise of pro ...

and

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

) * ''

Holonic-The Self Megamix ''Holonic-The Self Megamix'' is a 1997 mixtape by Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It peaked at number 24 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. Critical reception Stewart Mason of AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and A ...

'' (1997) * ''Code 4109'' (2000) * ''OuMuPo 6'' (2006)

EPs

* ''Bad Brothers'' (1994) (with

Ronny Jordan Robert Laurence Albert Simpson, known professionally as Ronny Jordan (29 November 1962 – 13 January 2014) was a British guitarist and part of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Jordan described his music as "urban jaz ...

) * ''The DJ Krush EP'' (1995) * ''Meiso: Another Maze'' (1996) * ''Selektions'' (1997) * ''Code 1255'' (1999) (with Gravity) * ''Saihate'' (2016) (with

) * ''道 -STORY-'' (2022)

Singles

* "Lost and Found" b/w "Kemuri" (1994) (with

DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sh ...

) * "A Whim" b/w "89.9 Megamix" (1995) (with DJ Shadow) * "Big City Lover" (1995) * "Dig This Vibe" (1995) (with

Roni Size Ryan Owen Granville Williams (born 29 October 1969), better known by his stage name Roni Size, is an English DJ and record producer. He came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and frontman of Roni Size & Reprazent, a drum and bass collective. ...

) * "Meiso" (1996) * "Headz 2 Sampler" (1996) (with Zimbabwe Legit) * "Only the Strong Survive" (1996) * "Milight" (1997) * "Final Home" (1999) * "Tragicomic" (2000) (with Aco and Twigy) * "Never Too Soon" (1999) (with DJ Hide and DJ Sak, as Ryu) * "Rhythm Asobi" (2000) (with DJ Hide and DJ Sak, as Ryu) * "Supreme Team" b/w "Alepheuo" (2003) * "Koufu no Tsubasa: Breathe of Wings" (2011) * "Kuon: Far and Away" (2011) * "Shuya no Chiheisen: Sleepless Horizon" (2011) * "Kagi no Te: Phasic Swing" (2011) * "Kouro: Optical Path" (2012) * "Kuroi Ame: Black Rain" (2012) * "Aoi Ame: Green Rain" (2012) * "Genun: Passage of Time" (2012) * "Kyofu: Conflicts" (2012) * "Yushin: Brave Heart" (2012) * "Shuen" (2014) (with

)

DVDs

* ''History of DJ Krush'' (2007)

Guest appearances

Monday Michiru is a Japanese American actress, singer, and songwriter whose music encompasses and fuses a wide variety of genres including jazz, dance, pop, and soul. She is arguably best known for being a pioneer of the acid jazz movement in Japan in the e ...

- "Cruel 2 Be Kind" from ''Double Image'' (1998) *

Luna Sea Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most success ...

- "Sweetest Coma Again" and "Kiss" from '' Lunacy'' (2000) *

Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto i ...

- "Zero Landmine" from ''

Zero Landmine ''Zero Landmine'' is an Extended play (EP) created to promote awareness of the problem of landmines and to promote a ban on landmines. Japanese recording artist Ryuichi Sakamoto led a collection of musicians to form a group called NML (No More La ...

'' (2001) * Yasushi Ide - "Black Night" (2006) *

DJ Kentaro Kentaro Okamoto (born c.1982), better known as DJ Kentaro, is a musician and DJ from Japan.''Tuff Kuts'' review, ''The Wire'', 2008, vol. 293-298, p. 70 He won third place in the Technics category of the DMC World DJ Final in 2001 and won it in ...

- "Kikkake" from ''Contrast'' (2012)

Productions

Inoran , better known exclusively by his stage name Inoran, is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Luna Sea since 1986. He started his solo career in 1997. Luna Sea disba ...

- ''Sou'' (1997) * Kukoo Da Baga Bonez & World - "Krush Ya Dreams" from ''Insane Psycho Home'' (2002)

Remixes

- "When I'm with You (DJ Krush Mix)" from ''Groovement'' (1994) *

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...

- "Sexuality (DJ Krush Full Mix)" (1995) * Roy Hargrove - "Roy Allan (DJ Krush Remix)" (1995) * Naniwa Man - "L.O.V.E. '95 (DJ Krush Mix)" (1995) *

DJ Vadim Vadim Alexandrovich Peare (russian: Вадим Александрович Пир, Vadim Aleksandrovich Pir ...

- "Variations in U.S.S.R. (DJ Krush Remix)" from ''U.S.S.R. Reconstruction: Theories Explained'' (1997) *

Miki Nakatani is a Japanese actress and singer. She began her career as a member of the girl group Sakurakko Club from 1991 to 1993, wherein she formed the duo Key West Club with member Keiko Azuma. Nakatani focused on acting after her departure, making he ...

- "Tengoku yori Yaban (DJ Krush Mix)" from ''Vague'' (1997) *

Sugizo , born and better known by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the rock band Luna Sea since 1989. Sugizo started his solo care ...

- "Eternity in Luna" from ''Replicant Truth?'' (1997) * Sugizo - "Spiritual Prayer" and "Shangri-la of the Europa" from ''Replicant Prayer (Remixes)'' (1997) * Monday Michiru - "Givin' It (DJ Krush Remix)" from ''Adoption Agency'' (1999) * Kodō - "Ibuki Reconstruction" from ''Sai-So'' (1999) *

Toshinobu Kubota is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles during his career. Kubota is currently part of Sony Music Japan. In addition, he has co ...

- "Soul Bangin' (DJ Krush 80's Mix)" (1999) *

Boom Boom Satellites were a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they had released all of their albums in Japa ...

- "On the Painted Desert (DJ Krush Remix)" from ''On the Painted Desert - Rampant Colors'' (1999) * Aco - "Aishu to Ballad (DJ Krush Remix)" from ''

The Other Side of Absolute Ego ''The Other Side of Absolute Ego'' is a remix album by Aco. It consists of remixes of selected songs from Aco's fourth studio album '' Absolute Ego''. It was released via Ki/oon Records is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music ...

'' (2000) *

Dragon Ash is a Japanese rap rock group founded in 1996 by Kenji "KJ" Furuya and Sakurai Makoto. They were one of the first groups to popularize hip hop in Japan. Dragon Ash is a member of Mob Squad, which is an affiliation with the bands Source and End ...

- "Deep Impact (DJ Krush Remix)" (2000) * Nigo - "Something for the People (DJ Krush Remix)" (2000) *

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

- "The Essence (DJ Krush Main Mix)" (2001) * Boredoms - '' Rebore, vol. 3'' (2001) *

Tetsuya Komuro is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of the ...

- "Blue Fantasy Remix" (2002) *

Akira Sakata Akira Sakata (born 21 February 1945) is a Japanese free jazz saxophonist. Early life Sakata was born in Hiroshima on 21 February 1945. He first heard jazz on short-wave radio and Voice of America, then became more interested in it from listening ...

- "Kaigarabushi (DJ Krush Remix)" (2002) *

Soulive Soulive is a funk/jazz trio that originated in Woodstock, New York, and is known for its solos and catchy, upbeat songs. The band consists of Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans ( Hammond B3 organ, bass keys, clavinet). Alth ...

- "Turn It Out (Remix)" (2003) * Angelina - "Babybayboo (DJ Krush Remix)" (2003)

Compilation appearances

* "Only the Strong Survive" and "A Whim" from ''The Story of Mo'Wax'' (1995) * "Shin-Ki-Row" from ''Altered Beats: Assassin Knowledges of the Remanipulated'' (1996) * "Ryu-Ki" from '' Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip'' (1996)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krush, Dj Japanese hip hop musicians Japanese hip hop DJs Yakuza members 1962 births Living people Musicians from Ibaraki Prefecture FFRR Records artists