From @MrTikini

What I’ve been waiting on /// Osiris DCLXVI 

Mix 001 by @MrTikini

Words by @TokyoTwilighter

I’ve been in anticipation of THIS mix by good friend, collaborator of choice and DOPE DJ – MR. Tikini ever since we first met year over half a decade back.

★

One of the MOST talented people I know, not just because he can spin but because he is one of the FEW non-Japanese residents that has been successful in connecting the Japanese music scene with the outside world.  His attention to the nuances of Japanese culture and his sincere admiration for the dope artists here make for amazing collaborations and sound results.

For me personally I have seen my good friend go through transitions professionally and personally that from my perspective have finally found a creative outlet in this new mix series.  The vibe is raw like a live mix, but smooth and refined in a way that reflects pre-meditation and life experience.

★

At first I thought the mix was a bit dark, much like a lot of the Japan scene has been of late.  Hard beats and lyrics that reflect a hustler attitude and non-stop grind, but then the transition around minute 14 shows an almost naive hope, a re-birth maybe.   And when I heard the innocent voice of Darren’s adorable mixed son speaking in English it confirmed what I already knew, this mix was about more than an eclectic selection from the ‘real’ music scene, it was a tribute to the collection of experiences in the British-born/Japan-kidnapped/one-half Spexsavers Mr. Tikini’s emotional state as of late.

★

This is by no means, ‘a pretty mix’, it’s for lovers of the paranormal, those experienced in heartbreak and emotional explosion.  Those of us able to be unbridled in our fury and desperate in our passion.  From around track 10 – Cas Ft Sheg Nasa – Spaced, the British hip hop influenced and slightly grimey London scene makes its presence known.  Check out the video’s visuals below.

In a lot of ways, I found the mix hard to listen to.  It brought up some emotions in me that I didn’t expect, raw feelings about life and the grind I personally have been on that have been a trial to deal with as of late.  For Tikini, I wonder if it was in that mind state that he free flowed in the booth to create this mix.

★

At the risk of alienating other age groups, the late 20s, early 30s range that me and my close friends are moving through right now involves a lot of transition and traditional lifetime milestones (marriage, kids, promotions, death of family members, etc.) It is also a moment where a lot of us are trying to decide if we can purse a passion as a full-time career and whether our responsibilities and relationships are adding unnecessary weight to our creative process.  It is a time to decide, is now the moment to be ‘selfish’?  Or am I beyond that opportunity because of my life decisions?  Am I prepared to live with the financial, familial and career consequences of my choices?

★

Perhaps I am reading too much into the mix, but as I listened to the raw sounds that blended into a short soundtrack to a snippet of my life that’s what I got out of it.

★

Not for the tame of heart, this mix will make you think.  And if it doesn’t, then you may want to check purgatory cuz your soul is lost in between this world and the next.