 AsiaFinest
Hifana
 Group
Name: Hifana
Group members: KEIZOmachine! and Juicy
Real Name: Keizo Fukuda and Jun Miyata
Hifana, which means “south wind” in the Okinawan dialect
of Japanese, is the break-beat duo of KEIZOmachine! and Juicy. Since their
first debut in the hip hop scene, the Tokyo-based group, whose real names
are Keizo Fukuda and Jun Miyata, are known for beating and tapping on
sampler pads without the use of programming or sequencing. Their unique
method of creating human powered hip-hop beats has definitely made heads
turn in the music industry
The pair have been making music together since the 1990’s and began
as a percussion group called Tribal Circus, which included a belly dancer,
drums, and a didgeridoo (a type of Australian musical instrument made
from a long wooden tube). As time passed, their urge to create sounds
that they couldn’t get out of drums became increasingly stronger.
Eventually they formed Hifana and began to focus more on hip-hop, because
they felt that this genre offered the most musical freedom. Although they
formed a separate identity from Tribal Circus, there is still a strong
emphasis on percussion as it is heard in nearly every track of their albums.
In November 2003, Hifana released heir first album Fresh Push Breakin’.
It was selected as one of the best CDs of 2004 by various media. Their
2nd album, Channel H, was released in August 2005, and has yet again created
major buzz worldwide. They were in the Oricon top 100 and landed a cover
on Tower Records’ monthly magazine Bounce.
Aside from the sound of percussion, their music is consisted of a unique
blend of Japanese instruments, bird chirps, beeps, ad voiceovers, train
announcements… and just basically everything you can think of. Although
their sounds are borrowed from all around the world, the visual images
that come along with the songs are deeply rooted in Japanese animation
and comedy.
The music video for their popular track “Wamono” is based on
a Japanese folklore and animated in a style like ukiyo-e, Japanese woodblock
printing. In this story, Hifana plays these two animated fisherman characters
that battle the stormy seas with turntables and a P.A. system. This video
is a perfect example of two people who are stimulated by music from around
the world, but are creating music in present-day Tokyo. Hifana’s
music videos are best described as traditional Japanese storytelling with
a very modern twist. Although their visuals may be entertaining, is it
possible to say the same about their live acts?
If anyone has ever watched a scratch DJ, it is obvious that all they do
is stand around and play with their turntables. There is only so much
one can watch before he/she begins to lose interest. So without dance
numbers like Justin Timberlake or Rain,
how exactly does Hifana keep the audience entertained?
The difference between skilled turntablists and Hifana is that, unlike
most electronic acts these days, Hifana is not glued to their turntables
or laptops. They are constantly tapping and hitting their MPC (music production
center) like drums to create a combination of beats that are unheard of.
The most amazing thing about their live performances might just have to
be that there is no pre-programming for these guys. They are playing their
hits all from memory. But wait, it gets even better. At the end of their
act, KIEZOmachine! and Juicy usually shows the crowd one hot trick where
they repeatedly switch from turntable to MPC without dropping a beat.
It is no surprise that after every performance, people are left blown
away and their fan base has just gotten bigger.
The brainchild of Weiden+Kennedy Tokyo Lab, a music label launched in
2003, has already established their name in Japan and beyond. It will
be exciting to see what will be in store for Hifana. The only problem
people can possibly have with their music is – which iPod category
should we put their songs in.
Profile written by Norina Li of AsiaFinest.com
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