OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.24 GRINGOOSE (ETERNAL STRIFE / PRILLMAL1/2)

OWN (hereinafter O): First of all, please introduce yourself, or give us your profile!

GRINGOOSE (hereafter referred to as G): I'm a DJ under the name GRINGOOSE. I'm part of the duo ETERNAL STRIFE with DJ HOLIDAY. I also help out with the brand PRILLMAL.

So , please tell us what made you start DJing.

G: I've always loved music and bought records, and I think it all started when I made and sold a mix tape as part of a project at the place I was working at at the time. After that, some friends planned a monthly party and invited me to it, and that was probably the first time I became a regular DJ. It was a place in Daikanyama, a bit like a lounge bar. The party was forced to close after the 7th or 8th time (laughs). I haven't DJed in front of people since then. I never thought of myself as a DJ to begin with (laughs).

Did you still like music during that time?

G : Yes, that's true. I listened to a lot of different music and bought it. I even made cassette tapes of my favorite songs at home to listen to on my Walkman.

What kind of music did you like to listen to at that time?

G: I loved hip hop. The first time I listened to hip hop albums was when I was in the seventh or second year of junior high. I rented the Beastie Boys' "Licensed to Ill" and Run-DMC's "Raising Hell" from a local record rental store. The first hip hop I bought was Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" and Ice-T's "The Iceberg" at Cisco in Alta, buying them for their covers. They were coincidentally West Coast and East Coast hip hop, but as a 15-year-old boy who knew nothing at the time, I listened to PE and Ice-T and realized how different the tunes were even though they were both hip hop (laughs). Around the same time, I heard NWA's "Express Yourself" in a friend's room, and that was also a big shock to me. That's when I started going to record stores, and from then on, I bought a lot of records by Cypress Hill and A Tribe Called Quest in real time.

O I guess it would be the early 90s. There are so many great albums.

G : That's right. I think especially in hip hop, a lot of new artists were appearing one after another. Around '90 I started buying a few of the stuff that was out, and then around '92 I started buying all the new releases, and everything I bought was good. Outside of hip hop, Rage Against the Machine, NIRVANA, and Body Count were around at the time, as well as the Judgment Night soundtrack, and various other genres of music were starting to mix together and become popular. Dance hall raggae was also popular, and Super Cat was also popular. A senior colleague who lived in America would come back to Japan for summer vacation and buy all kinds of stuff and teach me about Phish.

OIt was a time when new trends were being created in every genre.

G: That might be true. Also, back then, when I went over to my friends' rooms, there were a lot of opportunities for people around me to just chat and listen to records or CDs. It was like listening to each other's records that they had bought. Everyone had their own tastes, like this guy liked R&B, this guy liked reggae and hip hop, and hardcore too. And since it was the music that each of them played in their own rooms, they would enthusiastically recommend it (laughs).

OYour favorite genre is hip hop, but you listen to a variety of genres.

G: That's how it was. I worked at a clothing store and Bob Dylan was playing in the background, so I naturally listened to a lot of different things.

Personally , I think of GRINGOOSE's DJing and music selection as black music from the 60s and 70s.

G : Yes, I love black music from that era.

O: In an interview with AVE | CORNER PRINTING , DJ HOLIDAY said, "Whenever GRINGOOSE DJs, he's surrounded by rappers and bombarded with questions afterwards." How did you come to like older black music?

GWhen I first started getting interested in this genre, I would just buy hip hop records and listen to them in my room while looking at the credits on the back cover. I would look closely to get all the little details, and some of them would have samples written on them, so I would memorize the artists and song titles. I had a part-time job in Ueno, so I would go to Cisco on my way home and ask Akito and Takeshi about anything I didn't understand, and they would explain it to me. When I bought reissues like "Ultimate beats & breaks" and listened to them, I was amazed by the samples, and I would listen to the songs all the way through and think, "This is a really good song," and I was just happy to have discovered such a great song. In this way, I learned more and more things I didn't know, and I started to like them.

OD: Did you dig up any so-called material records from there?

G : No, I was in the hip hop absorption period back then, so a lot of people were buying new hip hop records. I'd listen to GANG STARR and think, "That sounds like jazz, so grown-up!" (laughs). At the same time as buying new hip hop records, I'd also randomly pick up records I didn't know from various genres, old and new, like R&B, and even if I sampled something, I liked the original song, so if I came across the original at a low price at a record store, I'd buy it. When I bought a movie soundtrack, I'd accidentally find a song that was sampled, so I could learn about various genres. I love going to record stores.

O I see. So, what was the process that led you to start DJing again after you had taken a break?

Isaiah digitized a home-recorded mix tape I made on cassette tape on his PC, and I wanted to turn it into a CD. It was sold as a set with PRILLMAL hand towels. That was the trigger.

O Is it the "UNDERCOVER RASTA" series?

GIncluding that, there are four other MIX titles with different contents, and several MIX CDs were given to DJ HOLIDAY, who said, "These are really good."

Had you already met DJ Holiday?

G: We were already good friends at that time. From there, we got into a lively conversation about whether we wanted to DJ again or something, and after that he invited me to a party he was organising for DJ HOLIDAY, and he said, "Just play your favourite songs," so even though it had been a while, I felt like I was able to DJ freely.

O GRINGOOSE, is there a reason why you chose to be a DJ instead of a beatmaker?

I 'm not good at operating equipment, connections, functions, or anything else mechanical, so I don't think I'm suited to being a beatmaker.

What does music mean to you, O GRINGOOSE?

G: It's something that helps me spend my time happily. It's something that brings back memories when I listen to music, something that's familiar to me. I used to work in a clothing store, so I like spaces with background music playing. Well, back then I just wanted to listen to the mix tapes and music I bought right away, so I'd just play whatever I wanted in the store (laughs). But then my superiors would get angry at me because it didn't fit the atmosphere of the store.

O (laughs) You still have a lot of records, but do you listen to music on CD?

G : I listen to it all the time. There are a lot of CDs that have songs or mixes that only exist on CD, so if a friend has made a CD, I listen to it on CD. But I prefer to buy records. But that's just because I'm more used to handling them.

Please tell us how you came to form ETERNAL STRIFE, the unit with DJ HOLIDAY.

G: I think DJ HOLIDAY and I were already DJing at the same places, at events like bed, WD SOUNDS and seminisukei, but what I vaguely remember as the beginning of ETERNAL STRIFE was when we were hosting a welcome home party for a friend at a bar in Ginza, and I was running the background music by myself for a long time with two iPods connected to a mixer. DJ HOLIDAY also came to visit, and we each played our favorite songs on our iPods for a little bit, kind of like a b2b, and I think that's how it all started. The name itself came about when we were both DJing at the DOWN NORTH CAMMP event REFUGEE MARKET, which was held at Sasazuka Bowl, and DJ HOLIDAY suggested that we come up with ETERNAL STRIFE.

O ETERNAL STRIFE's fourth album, "HOOD CALLS," was released the other day.

G : Yes. Thank you. I thought that ETERNAL STRIFE would continue to do things live, but I didn't expect them to release something so packaged as an album.

The previous album was the final part of a trilogy released by ATOSEONE 's label.

G : That's right. I feel like the trilogy was made to reflect the events that were happening at the time and the situation that we were in. This time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had fewer opportunities to meet up with DJ HOLIDAY, so I brought along some records that I wanted to listen to together when we met for the first time in a while, and we started off by listening to records and catching up on our lives.

OHow did this latest album, "HOOD CALLS," turn out?

G : It's a fantastic product. The vinyl is badass and the label is WD, so I was obviously involved in the project, but this time I left the overall production to DJ HOLIDAY.

OWhy is that?

G Personally, my living environment has changed and there's been the COVID-19 pandemic, so I haven't been DJing at all and haven't been able to make time for myself. I haven't released any works under my own name as GRINGOOSE, so I thought my senses had dulled. Also, DJ HOLIDAY has been consistently releasing mixes. Is it that "active feel" that only someone like that can produce? I thought it would definitely be better to leave it to his refined sense for song selection and track order. I also love the track selections under his own name.

Apparently, O GRINGOOSE selected the songs and then passed them on to DJ HOLIDAY.

G : Yes. I think I selected about 15 songs, and about half of them are on this album. Not only the song selection, but the track order was also produced by DJ HOLIDAY, and I think it's a really wonderful album. It's not GRINGOOSE, it's not DJ HOLIDAY, it's got the ideal ETERNAL STRIFE tone.

O ETERNAL STRIFE's DJ style is quite unique, isn't it?

G: From the beginning, I think we've felt like we wanted to share the songs we like and think are good. While DJing, we often talk about anecdotes related to the artists and songs, and it's interesting how knowing those anecdotes can change the way you hear the song. We always create an atmosphere where "good music is playing in the background while we're having a conversation."

O : Are the track selections different for ETERNAL STRIFE compared to your personal mix albums?

I think it will be different for the G works. It's just a feeling, but it's like the channels are different. I might think that this is for ETERNAL STRIFE, and stock it up. I think we each have a different sense of selection than when we're under our own names.

O I see. So, in what situation would you like people to listen to this album?

G: I think "HOOD CALLS" is a versatile song, so I hope people will play it when they're with friends, loved ones, family, or anyone.

From here , I would like to hear about the brand PRILLMAL.

It's a brand I run with someone called G LAZY UNCLE GRIN...or maybe it's something I'm being forced to do.

O (laughs) Do you have a brand concept?

G: I think it's great that you can choose it as everyday wear and wear it every day with a smile on your face.

What about graphic design?

"You know those weird souvenir T-shirts you see sold in souvenir shops and monkey shops overseas ? I make them with a similar vibe, but of course those are unfashionable and old-fashioned, so I try to design something that's stylish and suitable for everyday wear that will make people smile," said LAZY UNCLE GRIN. "Also, I'm heavily influenced by hip hop and movies, so I incorporate a lot of sampling of things we both like. There are a lot of things that are so obscure that no one notices them (laughs).

I haven't even gotten to the O joke yet (lol). Also, when it comes to PRILLMAL, tenugui towels are a staple item.

G Tenugui has been released every season for 16 years. My father was a foreman of construction companies, so tenugui have been a familiar item to me since I was a child. I also learned kendo from a young age, and tenugui were an essential item for that as well. When I was a boy and just starting to get interested in fashion, I tried using a bandana, but I found it too small and difficult to use, so I decided to make tenugui myself. I'm very grateful and happy that so many people are using my products now.

The O pattern is also very original.

Pattern G is an original hemp pattern. Hemp patterns tend to end up looking the same because they're basically straight lines, but I wanted to create a modern version, so I updated it with curves and created an original floral hemp pattern. The Edo-style English letters in the middle were drawn by an OG from Asakusabashi HOOD, and were then incorporated into the tenugui design. Speaking of tenugui, we continue to release new colors every season. For example, even the same shade of blue is subtly different. We've always released classic colors like black, but we make subtle changes to the tone of the other colors every year.

When you actually compare them, you can see the subtle differences! By the way, how do you choose the colors?

I decide on colors based on my current fad or the color of my sneakers. I also think of my friends' faces and think, "I think this color would suit them."

So , GRINGOOSE, what kind of fashion are you into these days?

G: I guess I haven't changed much from before. My pants are Levi's, and my shirts are Ben Sherman or 3 Pack White. Lately I've been loving Clarks DNC Wallabee shoes. Thanks SORA! I also like casual fashion. I think the size is important no matter what you wear. Also, I have poor eyesight and I really don't like contact lenses, so glasses are a necessity.

O OWN selected #04 .

I like the G- brow type. The slightly smaller size is also nice. I chose brown instead of black. Also, I haven't been wearing glasses with nose pads recently, so they're comfortable to wear and a refreshing change.

Thank you very much. So, are there any plans for you as an individual to do so in the future?

Next year, I'm planning to release a mix CD under my own name. It will be my first release from a certain label. I think the content will be different from my previous releases.


I'm really looking forward to it! Finally, if you have any information, please share it with us.

G: We're planning to release "HOOD CALLS" on cassette tape with some changes to the content, which we released this time on ETERNAL STRIFE. We're also planning to create merchandise for ETERNAL STRIFE together with ATOSONE, so please look forward to it.

[INFO]
instagram @prillmmal_official

photo by NEET kun (thanks!!)