"Shiosai RADIO" is a playlist curated by musicians and DJs, featuring songs inspired by the ocean.

For Vol. 13, we feature DISTEST, a member of the Kansai-based music unit "NEW MANUKE" and also active as a DJ. Having lived for a long time in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, DISTEST has selected songs for us under the theme of "Fishing on an artificial island."

A memorable fishing trip on an artificial island.

—DISTEST, are you also from Kobe?

I'm from Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture.

—That's the place famous for Akashi octopus, right?

Even though it was called Akashi, it was the western part, closer to Kakogawa, and not a place with a port or market. There was the sea nearby, but it was an area with many factories. I remember seeing a huge tanker docked there.

When I was little, my dad often took me fishing, and we'd drop our lines under boats moored at the shore. There were good fishing spots under the boats where you could find rockfish and other fish. I chose songs for this playlist from places like that.

The playlist is titled "Fishing on an artificial island."

When I was in Akashi, there was this place called an artificial island, which was like an industrial park connected by bridges. The only people there were fishermen or people who worked there. Back then, the sea was basically just artificial islands.

What is the overall impression of the playlist?

Basically, it evokes an image of fishing. It's a relaxed, yet somewhat boring, kind of place. However, Akashi is also close to Awaji Island and Suma, and I used to go swimming there, so I chose it while reminiscing about those experiences.

—The first song is "Cloud Pleaser" by Black Dice, an experimental band based in New York.

This is exactly what it's like when you're fishing. The waves are gently swaying, and you're just watching the line the whole time.

Following the second song, Magokoro Brothers' "Umi" (Sea), the third song was Styrofoam's "The Sign That Points One Way." As Styrofoam means "expanded polystyrene," the synthesizer sounds seemed to evoke images of marine debris.

It's not about the organic feel of playing with acoustic instruments, but rather something more artificial, like a place with marine debris. But even in that kind of environment, it can still be enjoyable. It's like a playground.

I think the atmosphere of the song is also very oceanic. How should I put it, the ocean has a vague image, doesn't it? Like an abstract painting, it's not very sharp or defined. I thought this kind of electronic music would fit (in this playlist), and I considered putting it all together in that direction, but I realized that the ocean's elements aren't limited to just that, so I chose a variety of songs.

Next up is Fumiya Enuma's "Tanko, Winter Crossing".

I chose this song because the lyrics include the line, "Tears flow and return to the sea." Enuma-san has also worked on the arrangement for the Magokoro Brothers song (the second song I chose, "Umi"). He originally played in a band called "plenty," and this is a song he released as a solo artist.

Many of Enuma's other songs also have a reggae feel to them. He's also released a remix album, which is like a dub mix (a technique derived from reggae), and it has a very oceanic feel to it.

Next up is "The Lonely Pacific," a suite for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu and Yasushi Akutagawa.

This is a song from Kon Ichikawa's film "Alone Across the Pacific." Ideally, I'd prefer the version played by guitarist Daisuke Suzuki, but it's not available on streaming services. I thought this longer original version might be good for a leisurely listen in a playlist.

The seventh track, Kenji Ito's "Legend of the Mermaid," is also known as the field background music for the RPG "Romancing SaGa 2."

I chose this song because it's from a game I used to play a lot when I went fishing.

—Game music also has connections to club culture, doesn't it?

The music from Chrono Trigger was played a lot in clubs for a while, wasn't it? It was even used as material for sampling as part of a trend towards re-evaluating Japanese video game music.

—From there, we move on to two songs with a pop-punk/melodic hardcore feel. First up is The Piggies' "California Beach".

The Piggies were a band whose name you often saw in live music venues around the year 2000. (Namba Bears) (*1) But they did perform live, and they've reformed and are still active today.

*1 Namba Bears: A long-established live music venue that opened in 1986 and is a representative of the Kansai underground scene. It ceased operations at the site in July 2026 due to the demolition of the building.

ーAnd then there's Northern19 “SUMMER”. The story goes that they were named “Northern19” because they are from the “northern country” and formed the band when they were “19 years old”.

Northern19 is another group that's still going strong. The northern seas seem harsh, but their songs are about liberation.

—What was your intention in choosing these two songs?

The ocean has both sides to it, doesn't it? There's a sense of freedom, but there are also people working there... I wanted to convey that it has many different facets throughout the entire playlist.

Next up is Austin Cesear's "Ain't It So (Necessary)".

This is a song from a record called "West Side" that I bought a long time ago at naminohana records (Tanimachi 6-chome, Osaka). Apparently, that record is an album inspired by ports on the American West Coast. When I received this offer, this song was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of ports.

—Do you feel a sense of "harbor" in this song?

I don't really feel that way. But I think there must be other people who see things differently than I do.

The 11th song is Silent Phase's "Waterdance".

He's a Detroit techno artist. I have this record at home, and I like it, and I chose it because I like the title too.

—In "Shiosai RADIO," other selectors also mentioned Detroit techno tracks as music that evokes the image of the sea.

That's true. It's not really the ocean, more like the deep sea, and I was talking with my DJ friend, Jishukun, about how Detroit has lakes, but no ocean... I wonder what kind of feelings people have when they imagine the ocean. It's quite a mystery.

—And then, Johnny Harris's "Imagine".

The album cover features the ocean. John Lennon (who composed the original song) is also from the port city of Liverpool.

Next up, Ed Matus & Takeshi Muto's "Halo Besos".

This album cover also features the ocean, but I chose it because it's electronica, and it evokes the feeling of gently swaying waves, or a soft, floating image of the sea.

—Finally, we have "Styropor" by the German band Einstürzende Neubauten. The song title is the brand name of a type of polystyrene foam.

(Regarding the artificial island) As I mentioned earlier, there's a fishing spot under the boat, and styrofoam is used to float the bridge that connects the boat to the land. Several pieces of styrofoam are placed under the bridge to serve as a platform for getting onto the boat, and the sound of them creaking against each other is exactly what this song is about.

—I understand that artificial islands and styrofoam were important elements in this playlist.

For me, it's something I remember, so it connects easily, but if someone listened to it without any explanation, they might think, "Is this really a playlist about the sea?"

I think this story will give listeners a chance to revisit their own memories of the sea. I hope everyone enjoys the playlist!

TRACKLIST

Black Dice – Cloud Pleaser
Magokoro Brothers – Umi
Styrofoam – The Sign That Points One Way
Ikuya Enuma – Tanko, Wintering
Toru Takemitsu, Yasushi Akutagawa – Suite for Orchestra "Alone Across the Pacific"
Arovane – The Storm
Kenji Ito – The Legend of the Mermaid
The Piggies – California Beach
Northern19 – SUMMER
Austin Cesear – Ain’t It So (Necessary)
Silent phase – Waterdance
Johnny Harris – Imagine
Ed Matus & Takeshi Muto – Halo Besos
Ootaka Shizuru - Hana
Einstürzende Neubauten – Styropor

Profile

DISTEST | Distest

He DJs at "MIDI_sai," a popular Osaka party that celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025, and is also a member of the music group "NEW MANUKE" along with Kurihara Pedal and Araki Yuukou. His main releases include the mix CD "Mild Ecstasy," and as part of NEW MANUKE, "SOUR VALLEY" from HEADZ / Leftbrain.

X: @dixtex_2000

Interview and text by Hanazawa Ou
Illustration by Oki Masahide