Cosmix 25 – Hiroko Yamamura

Tell us about the mix:

So I started thinking about space, and exploration, and of course my mind turns towards the dark vacuum of space, and all the unknown wonders. One can’t really celebrate darkness without a fair amount of light to balance and contrast with. It’s a little dancy number, but it’s all about going through a little dark journey only to end you finding the little source of light deep in that keeps things ticking.

 

Where was it recorded? 

The mix was recorded at my studio, which a few friends there to distract me and box with in Chicago.

 

How would you like for people to feel when they listen to the mix? 

I’d like people to understand that everyone has weird dark places, but part of finding yourself is the embracement and acceptance of all that. It’s all the same… good / bad, dark / light. It’s up to you to find the contrast and meaning. Greys can look bright in the right circumstances.

 

How has music helped to sculpt and guide you in life?

Music has really been the coping mechanism with my lacking of social skills and silly levels of anxiety. With the onset of the internet, subculture has all but melded into one big stew, but in a positive way. Music is now coming from places that were never imaginable, from people who never thought they had it in them. From a fully produced analog techno track, to a pop song made from assembled loops. The validity of both are now even, and people don’t fear sharing these works as much as before. It’s great.

 

Music is?

For me, music is a quick sign of life check. It lets you know you are still alive.

 

What does the word cosmic mean to you?

When I think of cosmic I think of the energy that binds the universe, and those things that traverse vast amounts of time and space. I mostly think about the Silver Surfer & Galactus.

 

Please can you give us a cosmic piece of art, quote or book that moves you?

So, I read a lot of comic books, likely to my own detriment. 

“To wield the Power Cosmic is to be in touch with every other living thing at once. It is to recognize that we aren’t alone in the Universe… we alone are the Universe. We are the cosmos coming to know itself, to love itself… and when you witness that for even the briefest of moments, you will see… there is nothing more beautiful.” – Silver Surfer 

 

What do you think is the role of the DJ in the modern world?

The DJ is a shifting thing. Even the bassline requirements of what it takes to be a DJ are becoming more accessible. People often complain that “everyone is a DJ.” That should be a goal for any musician. Music is not to be coveted and closed off, the idea is to share. When I DJ, I would love to think that playing the songs are a mixture of giving the same level of enjoyment to others, as it is myself. If that inspires others to create something. Even better.

 

How can we make the world a better place? 

Acknowledge that we are the ones destroying it, not some company or unaffiliated person. We ourselves are responsible, and we have a constant set of choices in front of us that can steer us towards or away from a better place.

 

Are there any causes you support that you would like to bring awareness? 

None in particular, but if you can help someone or a cause. You should.

 

Your favourite cosmic website?

sweetwater.com

Your star sign?

Virgo

 

A pineapple fact?

Pineapple can take up to two years to bear fruit. Don’t pick them too early or you absolutely waste all that growing time.