"Shiosai RADIO" is a playlist curated by musicians and DJs, featuring songs inspired by the ocean.
For Vol. 14, we feature DJ oboco, based in the Kansai region. He is one of the people who has discovered and rediscovered "Balearic sound," which evokes a sense of openness and nostalgia reminiscent of the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean) in Spain, even in Korean recordings, leading to its re-evaluation. He has created a playlist titled "Sea of Bon Festival," which has an eerie atmosphere.
A perspective on Korean pop music and Balearic music
—How have you interacted with the sea in your daily life, Oboco-san?
I'm from Uji City in Kyoto, which is inland, so the sea was a distant concept for me. However, in the Kansai region, taking a ferry from Kobe Port to Shikoku or Kyushu is quite popular because it's inexpensive. My childhood memories of the sea are clam digging and family trips on ferries.
—Oboco has a strong fondness for Korean "Balearic sound" (Korearic), so I thought that kind of song selection was possible.
Does it feel like a vacation?
—Yes. I used to play it often when I was DJing, but it might have been almost 10 years ago... What was the initial reason for that?
It's true that I was really into it a long time ago, so I wasn't really thinking about that this time. Of course, I still like and listen to it just as much now. Back then, I was buying up records in the category of Japanese "City Pop" when they were still selling for around 100 to 300 yen. At the same time, the concept of "Balearic" in DJ culture overlapped with it in a kind of broad interpretation for me, and while listening to some obscure Japanese "City Pop," my interest drifted to Korean music from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, and I think that's how I ended up there. The fact that I was able to listen to a lot of Korean music around that time, even though I didn't know how to pronounce the titles or the names of the singers, was largely due to YouTube's suggestion function becoming more sophisticated.
In Japanese "City Pop," urban areas and seascapes have become common motifs.
Korean pop music is in a foreign language, so I don't directly understand the lyrics, but perhaps because it's in Asia like Japan, it feels closer to the so-called Western pop music from the UK and US that it likely draws inspiration from, so it feels familiar and just right. I got so hooked that I even went to Korea to buy records. At that time, I hardly did any sightseeing, just visiting the homes of record dealers living in rural areas and flea markets. So I don't know anything about the beaches of Jeju Island that are sung about in those songs... Well, I could have included a few songs though. I played them again recently in a DJ set, and I got a good reaction from young people.
The "Sea of Bon" where spirits gather
However, the playlist you provided this time is themed around "Obon no Umi" (Sea of Bon Festival).
This playlist is being released just before the Obon festival, so I timed it accordingly. They say the sea during Obon is bad luck, right? I learned about this superstition from a Google search suggestion: "You shouldn't go into the sea because the returning spirits will drag you down."
—So that's how you've been able to broaden your knowledge.
In fact, the Obon period in August is prone to typhoons and stormy weather, and there's an increase in large jellyfish, making it dangerous to go into the sea. So, in a way, it's a reasonable saying.
—Do spirits gather in the sea?
The original story is that "the spirits of the dead return from the mountains to the villages during Obon and New Year's." But when I thought about the spirits that go to the sea instead of the villages, I got the image of young people who don't go back to their hometowns for summer vacation and stay in the city. There's a bit of loneliness about them, or rather, they don't have any attachment to their hometowns or family, and they hang out with friends at clubs and live music venues. I created this playlist while also considering the feeling of "people who, for some reason, stay in the city during Obon and New Year's."
—Is there a story behind the entire playlist?
It starts in the daytime, in a deserted sea, then gradually as night falls, they gather together, and finally, they leave in the morning. That's why I chose the first song to evoke the image of a bright, sunny summer afternoon.
—That's Antonio Adolfo's "Venice," right?
This is a keyboardist from Brazil. The title is "Venice," referring to Venice (the "City of Water" in Italy). I chose many songs this time because I was drawn to the titles. The next song is called "Under the Waves," but it actually worked out surprisingly well.
Next up is Sam Gendel's "Shippo (Seven Treasures, Seven Treasures of the Buddha)."
This song is from the album "blueblue," which was recorded in a studio built in a hut floating on a tributary of the Columbia River in Oregon. The album has a soft, floating sound reminiscent of the water, and it seems that the titles of each song are based on words related to the patterns of "sashiko," a traditional Japanese embroidery technique.
—The abstract and pleasant soundscape continues. The fourth track is K-LONE “With U (feat. Eliza Rose)”.
I chose this song because it evokes the image of waves crashing against the shore. The time of day is a summer evening, around 5 or 6 pm, when it's still light out.
—Is there no one around here yet?
They say you shouldn't go to the beach during Obon, so there's nobody there. The next pole, "Raum 4," is also quiet in the evening, but the sun is setting.
Pole is known as a master of experimental techno and minimal dub, based in Germany.
This song evokes images of birds slowly flying and fish leaping on the ocean horizon. The next song is a cover of the theme song from the French film "The Green Ray," and it has an unsettling sound, doesn't it?
—The film is directed by Éric Rohmer.
He's a leading figure of the Nouvelle Vague (a film movement whose name means "new wave" in French). Éric Rohmer made many films with the French summer vacation as their theme, and "The Green Ray" is one of them. The protagonist is a woman in her early twenties, and for some reason, she can't enjoy her vacation properly this year. Her friend cancels on her at the last minute, and she wanders alone on a crowded beach, feeling lonely at her vacation destination. The title "The Green Ray" refers to the phenomenon where, very rarely, the sun appears to emit a green light as it sets below the horizon, and this is featured as an important scene in the film. And so, the sun sets and night falls.
Next up is Hirono Nishiyama's "Yureteruukanderu," in which she sings "La Mer" (sea) in French.
This was released in 1999 on the label "Childisc," run by musician Nobukazu Takemura. Hirono Nishiyama has a career spanning nearly 30 years, having later released works on Haruomi Hosono's label. He currently seems to be mainly active under the name Gutevolk.
—So, no spirits have appeared here yet?
No, as the song title suggests, it's swaying and floating, so it's definitely coming out.
—And then, WOO “A Wave”.
This is a home-recording duo by brothers from the UK. I was also drawn in by the song title "A Wave," which evokes the image of a darkening ocean with ominous, crashing waves. In the next song, "Jellyfish World," jellyfish appear to glow faintly in the dark sea.
—"Jellyfish World" is a song from a record released in 2024 by fashion designer and tailor Taishi Nobukuni, right?
Even though I'm not very knowledgeable about fashion, I remember seeing TAISHI NOBUKUNI's work in fashion magazines that my older brother (three years older than me) used to read, so I think many people might know him. And then, out of nowhere, he released a music record.
—And what's more, it's a mysterious, psychedelic folk song that sounds like it could be haunted.
It was released by a small label in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, and I bought it directly from the label's online store.
—And then, Zazou Bikaye's "Signorina".
This is a song about the sea in the pitch black of the middle of the night. It's by a duo consisting of Hector Zazou from France and Bony Bikaye from Congo. This song wasn't on the original album, but it's included as a bonus track on the reissue.
Next up is "Water Project #2261" by American female artist Cheri Knight.
This is from a record Cheri Knight recently released as a contemporary music composer, but it seems he also plays bass in a country rock band. This song is set around dawn, when the sea is just starting to get light. It has a somewhat mystical feel to it. It evokes the image of spirits singing together.
And then there's KING KRULE's "Whaleshark".
He's a singer-songwriter from England. The title means "whale shark," and looking at the Japanese translation of the lyrics again, it mentions snow, which doesn't seem like a summer sea at all, but perhaps the falling snow is being compared to the polka-dot pattern on the whale shark's body? There seem to be a lot of metaphors. By this point, night is almost over, and it's getting quite bright. The next song is "O'Caroline" by Matching Mole, a progressive rock band also from England. It evokes the image of the sun shining on the sea.
—By the way, are you at sea the whole time?
Throughout the entire playlist, I always feel like I'm drifting near the surface of the sea. For Kazumichi Komatsu's "Umi Ga Kikoeru," I chose the remix by Yusaku Arai. It evokes the image of the sun rising, the sky brightening, and spirits swiftly departing. Dove and Le Makeup are featured singers on this track, and I'm often indebted to them, including Komatsu, in the Kansai region. We were even at the same event recently.
—The night has ended, and it's now morning.
Since I was back at the deserted beach, I chose the instrumental version of The Beach Boys' "Caroline, No." The song ends with sound effects of a car horn and a dog barking, which gives the impression that the dog is barking at a ghost that is stubbornly lingering around.
—And finally, The Upsetters' "Cold Weather".
It has a cheerful and lighthearted feel, like it's before noon, but the title is "Cold Weather," and there's a chilling coldness to it as well. I thought The Upsetters had a lot of earthy songs and not much of a watery feel to them, but this song includes the sound of water trickling, and Lee Perry's vocals also feel spiritual. I put it at the end with the image of a scene that often appears in horror movies, where you think things have settled down, but then it's revealed that "actually, it wasn't over yet..."
As we were talking, I remembered something. When I was a child, on a family trip to Kyushu by ferry, there was an announcement that "someone had fallen overboard." For about two hours, they circled the Seto Inland Sea searching, but then there was another announcement saying that "they couldn't find anyone," and the ship continued on its way to Kyushu. The fact that they departed means they were able to confirm that everyone who was originally on board was still there, right? Normally, there would be a list of passengers, so they should have been able to check. So, what was that "someone who fell overboard" that someone saw?
—That sends chills down my spine. Finally, a message to our listeners.
This time, I've created a one-hour playlist that expresses about half a day on an imaginary ocean, and I think that's one of the strengths and fascinating things about music. You can listen to the whole thing as background music, but if you have some free time, I recommend listening to it for an hour, concentrating and letting your imagination run wild. You might get chills and be able to get by without air conditioning. It looks like this summer is going to be hot again, so I hope you'll listen to it when you want to cool down, starting from your mind.
Thank you so much for today!
thank you very much!
TRACKLIST
Antonio Adolfo – Venice
The Natural Yogurt Band – Under the Waves
Sam Gendel – Shippo (Seven Treasures of the Buddha)
K-LONE – With U (feat. Eliza Rose)
Pole – Raum 4
Vincent Courtois, Daniel Erdmann, Robin Fincker – Le Rayon Vert
Hirono Nishiyama – Yureteruukanderu
WOO – A Wave
Taishi Nobukuni – The World of Jellyfish
Zazou Bikaye – Signorina
Cheri Knight – Water Project #2261
King Krule – Whaleshark
Matching Mole – O'Caroline
Kazumichi Komatsu – Umi Ga Kikoeru (feat. Dove & Le Makeup) [Yusaku Arai Remix]
The Beach Boys – Caroline, No (Instrumental Stereo Mix)
The Upsetters – Cold Weather
Profile
oboco | Oboko
Born in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture in 1987. Currently resides in Osaka City. Currently mainly works as part of the duo "Jibo-shi" with DJ Jisuki. Released a mixtape with DJ Jitsudan in 2023. Planned and managed the monthly DJ party "Jiai" at Namba Bears from July 2024 to 2026. Occasionally takes on writing work for web magazines and liner notes as a personal project.
X: @vinylbon
Interview and text by Hanazawa Ou
Illustration by Oki Masahide
