INTERVIEW: Hiroko Yamamura
Hiroko Yamamura embodies everything that makes Chicago a fertile ground for dance music innovation. The ride or die DJ/producer has been collecting accolades for her live performances, on top of being a sought-after collaborator. Hiroko will be performing at the ARC Festival this year, and to mark the occasion we linked up with her to catch up and discuss her creative process, as well as the making of her new album, Midwest Panic. As if that wasn’t enough, she has also prepared a classic acid techno playlist for us.
Hi Hiroko! You'll be playing the ARC Festival soon. Tell me, how do you feel about this gig?
Super excited to be included on a line-up featuring such legends and superstars. The anxiety and thrill are about a 50 / 50 right now, but I’m just going to do my best, and hope folks enjoy the show.
I’ve been quite fortunate to have grown and been influenced by many of the Chicago and Midwest heroes and international acts I'm sharing the stage with, and it means so much to start to be accepted by them as an artist and performer. The last year was extremely dark and reflective for me, as I’m sure it was for others, so having the chance to finally celebrate the city in this way after all this, mere minutes from my home, is something I just cannot wait for.
How do you usually prepare for a show like this one? How will you approach your set?
Festivals are always going to be a dramatically different energy and crowd than an underground warehouse techno party, so making sure the music I’m playing is appropriate for the scheduled time and being aware of the acts that might be before and after, and making sure this particular stage has its own flavour are the thoughts going through my mind as I calculate potential outcomes.
I don't really ever think too much about what songs I'm going to play until I arrive at the venue and get a read of the vibe. Once I’m there my brain goes into overdrive thinking about where to take the show, mentally racing through my catalog of music I’ve brought. I'm actually going to be joined on stage by a very special artist for the show, so the pressure is on to deliver and ensure a night of great music and hijinx.
You just released your EP Midwest Panic, a collab with Justin Cudmore. Can you tell us a little bit about this record and how it was made?
Justin Cudmore was introduced to me by Heartthrob from Berlin (of Minus fame), he’s a fellow Illinois DJ who has gained massive success in the New York scene and internationally. We had often spoken about collaboration ideas, and have DJ’d together quite a bit, but the stars just never seemed to align.
When lockdown happened, it was one of the few times that we had a moment to approach the project seriously, and really do the EP as an homage to the queer midwest scene and all of its quirks. We both work in different tools, so we had late nights of FaceTime calls and texts, sending rendered stems back and forth. Working with a close friend has its advantages as the fear of saying when something isn't working or pointing out things you just don’t like don’t jeopardize the relationship.
In fact, part of the fun of the process was calling each other out on choices and turns in songs, until we landed on an EP we both were proud of. During this time we were approached by the incredible label HE.SHE.THEY (Home of artists like Maya Jane Coles, Radio Slave, Vitalc, Rebekah, and others) and things just couldn't have lined up better.
Are there production tools that have inspired you lately? What makes them special and inspiring to you when you produce music?
I have a really messy, yet simple approach to music. I use a DAW a bit more as just a recording device than a creative tool. I rely heavily on hardware and grooveboxes as a starting point and kind of just record jams until I arrive at some “aha moment”, from there the work comes in to make that idea into a song.
I heavily use the Elekton system of products due to their extreme precision and fun form factor alongside Native Instrument’s Maschine as a backbone. Both systems provide inspiring sounds off the bat that are highly customizable, while providing enough restrictions to keep me on point. I need to be able to walk in a room, hit play and sound start coming out immediately without organizing a session in a DAW beforehand.
Most recently an amazing techno artist from Los Angeles, David Castellani, sent me a Eurorack case and a module, forcing me into the modular techno realm that I’ve been sorta scared to approach. So, I think I have my fall learning projects laid out for me.
What's coming up for Hiroko Yamamura? Is there anything we can look forward to?
Really looking forward to getting back on the road, and sharing more music. I had quite a few exciting tours and international opportunities that unfortunately were canceled (wisely) due to the state of things. I'm hoping to get reinvited to some of these festivals and events, but also understand that a lot has changed over the last year and a half.
Like many DJs, I have crazy dreams of being wildly successful and things that come with it, but there’s so many great artists out there, I have to also stay realistic and enjoy the music for what it is. Hopes, dreams and aspirations are great, but the flip of that is the disappointment, feelings of exclusion, and sometimes even jealousy. I’ve been able to (hopefully) move past those emotions and expectations and understand, really… the world owes me nothing.
All I can do is present my music to the world, cross my fingers and hope someone might enjoy what I do. I appreciate everyone that has really gone out of their way and believed in me in ways I didn't believe in myself.
I think you’ve prepared a classic acid techno playlist. Tell us what you picked for us today, and why those tracks are special to you…
Pierre’s Phantasy Club - Fantasy Girl - Jack Tracks
In Chicago, DJ Pierre’s track could be widely heard on terrestrial radio, and at high-school dances, long before any of us kids even conceptualized the idea of Acid Techno / Acid house. It was a commercial success that had crossover appeal and helped validate the Chicago sound worldwide.
Steve Poindexter - Computer Madness - Muzique Record
Steve was an artist that brought me into his inner circle very early on in my career, and was a huge influence and introduced me to many aspects of the dance music industry that I was blind to. Even though this legendary tune isn't a 303 sequencer, it’s technical drum work and future vision approached acid in a “do not rush it” attitude that capture the whole video vibe.
Rob Threezy - Chicago on Acid - Relief Records
Rob was one of the early international sensations that came out of my generation of DJs. His tunes caught fire across multiple genres, with this banger being at the peak of almost every superstar djs playlist. The song is synonymous with saying the words Chicago Acid globally.
Larry Heard - Presents Mr. White - The Sun Can’t Compare
The sheer beauty of this track just can't be put into words. When people ask me what Chicago’s sound is, I generally answer with this track. Chad White’s vocals perfectly loft along with an acid line in a way I have never heard matched. An all time favorite song.
Fast Eddie - Acid Thunder (Submerge & Ricardo Garduno Remix)
Fast Eddie was also one of those artists that tried to elevate Acid to a new level, combining it into the Hip-House genre that he was the undisputed king of. You may not think you know the tune, but if you lived in Chicago for more than a year at any point, I promise this tune is part of your DNA.
International techno heroes Submerge and Ricardo Garduno delivered a remix that updated the tune for today's dancefloor while staying respectful and focusing on the elements that make the tune timeless.
Find out more about the ARC Festival and Hiroko Yamamura’s performance here.
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