- our new professional network
In addition to being “Electrofan #1” (the very first official member of our Electrofans.com community!), Kana Ijuin – often known to her fans as simply “KaNa” – is a rising star in the progressive electronic music world from Japan. Her background includes training in classical music/piano; as a teenager she played keyboard in various bands, continuing to improve on her “music theories and composing techniques” all along the way.Her work has included re-mixes on multiple labels for artists from Europe and Japan (Shingo Nakamura, Gregory Esayan, Losing Rays, Bring Bliss & Katrin Souza, Silver Forest, Nhato, among others), as well as music scores for Japanese video games. When it comes to producing, her main tools of choice are Mac and Logic. You can instantly recognize a KaNa track as soon as you hear it, exemplified by her always-bright, sparkling and upbeat tones. (oh yeah, and she is also a DJ!)
Electrofans:
Kana, welcome, thanks for talking with us today!!
KaNa:
Thank you, too! I’m really happy to meet you here!
Electrofans:
Let’s start right off by asking: What are you working on right now?
KaNa:
Yes, I just finished one remix work. Probably a lot of people will know well this Original track. So I want everyone to listen to it soon! And now I am working on some remixes and original stuff. Also please look forward to it!
Electrofans:
Who or what is Silver Forest, and how did your collaborations with them come about?!
KaNa:
Thank you for asking. Silver Forest is a Japanese music label. They make an arrangement and compose music of video game called “Touhou Project” basically. And actually, “NYO” who is label boss is my friend since when I went to music school. When I met him a few years ago, he was just looking for a remixer for Silver Forest projects. Then later I produced a first remix called “The Flower Like the Fantasy (Kana Remix)”. Currently I’m producing more than 10 tracks for this project.
Electrofans:
Have you ever produced music for any Japanese animation soundtracks?
KaNa:
No, not yet. However I would like to do it, yes, in the future! So I want to say that taking this opportunity. “Dear my Japanese friends, please give me some anime, video games and OST’s work!” Thanks!
Electrofans:
Describe for us briefly how you typically approach doing a re-mix of a track.
KaNa:
It’s different for each track, but basically I often start from a chord progression and a melody line. And I am going to change the chord progression in many cases in the remix, because I always respect the original mix and also want to draw other elements from there.
Electrofans:
What is it like being a DJ, as opposed to wearing the hat of producer?
KaNa:
I just like delighting people. Actually, it is the same when I produce music. But when I am DJ, I can share feelings and emotions with many listeners in person. It is really inspiring to me!
Electrofans:
What was it like working with Shingo (Nakamura) on Days?
KaNa:
Good question. It was a really fantastic opportunity, and interesting for me!About this collaboration, my production’s starting point was the time when I got the first demo of “Wonder” from him. It already had enough music structure and beautiful chord progression to hear even on the first demo. So after I listened to it, I worked on the main melody and some other sound parts. Finally those parts were finalized by Shingo. “Wonder” was produced in such a creative way.
Electrofans:
You took part in Otographic Live – Special ‘Days’ Set representing your label, Otographic Music, in Shibuya, Tokyo earlier this year. Tell us, what was the vibe like at that show?!?
KaNa:
Thank you for interest in that. It was a really good vibe!!This time Shingo played a special DJ set which featured the ‘Days’ album there, because it was also the release party of ‘Days’. (The entire playlist is here: http://www.otographicmusic.com/post/86087704063/otographic-live-2014
And if you have not yet seen Otographic Live in person, it will be worth participating enough, definitely! That was the label’s special party for us. Our goal was to communicate with a lot of listeners through the artists in this showcase. Also it was a good opportunity for us to express each style, and we even played a few special unreleased promos. Anyway it was a really unique experience never seen in the others.Please go to our label’s facebook page to see more party photos!: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.667471276640733.1073741826.157167887671077&type=3
Electrofans:
Do you think there is a unique sound coming out of Japan in the electronic music world? (If so, how do you think the Japanese sound/approach to making progressive or electronic music is different??)
KaNa:
I think about music from the Japanese sub culture. Recently, “Doujin music” like Touhou project is very unique. Besides, there is the music culture called the “net label” in Japan, too. I think Japanese like emotional beautiful sounds and also like listening to vocal tracks. So I think that Japanese producers tend to take a more melodic and harmonic approach for making tracks. Also we may like making chiptune sounds, like video game music. And we prefer elaborating a sound finely. This way plays a role for more uniqueness, I suppose something like that.
Electrofans:
What are your plans for the future with your music?
KaNa:
I have a lot of plans for the future, but a basic concept that I have is just simple. I want to continue making music diligently that I think to be good for people who enjoy it! So I want to try more things for the future. I’d like to enjoy a collaboration with many artists next year. And I will try to produce many tracks for my own artist album.
Electrofans:
**It is KaNa’s dream to some day work with superstars Myon & Shane 54 (one of her favorite producers) on a collaboration…** Kana, what is it you like about their music, and do you have any ideas on what type of a track you might like to work on with them if the opportunity should arise?
KaNa:
Yes Myon & Shane 54 are my brilliant superstars!! I really like their emotional, euphoric and melodic vocal tracks like the “Summer Of Love Mix” that they produced. So I truly want to get a chance to collaborate on a vocal track of theirs officially. And if it might work together with Japanese vocals, I think that would be even more interesting and fantastic, definitely!
Explore more of KaNa’s music on SoundCloud, and you may also keep up to date with her latest news on Facebook or Twitter
LISTEN HERE
