Hito touches down in San Diego for CRSSD Festival this weekend, and she is sure to bring her signature, sophisticated, deep techno style with her. The Berlin-based Japanese DJ spoke with When We Dip via email about her love of spinning vinyl, her ENTER.Sake experience with Richie Hawtin, and her latest projects.
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Originally from Himeji, Japan, Hito arrived in Berlin in 1999 and her music taste definitely changed with the location. “I listened to more hip hop in Japan,” she says. “I started listening to more house and techno living in Berlin.”
Hito – a nickname she’s used since childhood – prides herself on spinning 100% vinyl. It has to do with the physical feel of the experience. “I like the touch of vinyl.” she explains. “It became my natural form of DJing. It could be seen as old school, or could be to some people [more] up to date but I play vinyl because I am a feeling person. I play my passion via my hands or fingers to play to the room.”
What can fans expect to hear at her set this Sunday at CRSSD? “I play more techno now. When I was playing in Ibiza I was playing a more tech house style as I played long sets – sometimes 6 hours! I’ve been enjoying playing this vibe again recently, like I played for my BPM Portugal daytime set. I enjoyed it so much!”
Sake & Techno in Ibiza
Hito linked up with Canadian house icon Richie Hawtin in 2008 in Berlin and they’ve been working together ever since. “We had more Japanese culture than music in common at first!” she remembers. Hawtin has been a devoted sake connoisseur for over twenty years since and wanted Hito to be a part of ENTER.Sake, a new part of the ENTER experience he curates at Space Ibiza. “Once he invited me to ENTER.Ibiza and the season started, we both had a role.” Hito explains. “He represents the whole showcase, I represent the ENTER.Sake area. I was getting more and more symbolic as an ENTER.Sake resident, and now we’ve done this all over the world – Japan, European cities, etc.”
Hawtin and Hito will follow up their sunday sets at CRSSD festival by bringing their unique ENTER.Sake experience to San Diego. Timed perfectly to celebrate International Sake Day on Sunday, October 1st, ENTER.Sake will land at Bang Bang for an official CRSSD afterparty featuring sets by Hawtin, Hito and Lee K. (Check out Lee K’s pre-festival mix exclusive for When We Dip.)
What’s the best part of being involved in this type of project? For Hito, it’s the way the experience brings the senses together. It’s clear that how we perceive our experiences through our senses means a lot to her. “It’s interesting to see how people react.” she says. “Maybe they are not usually interested in techno music, maybe they are more interested in Sake. Or the other way around! But we all come together. ENTER.Sake is a collaboration of sense – you taste, you hear, and you feel.”
What’s Next?
Hito has a busy fall planned as well, with a brand new project called “Hito presents OTO.” “Oto means “sound” in Japanese” she explains. “It’s a conceptual event series at IPSE in Berlin. We represent upcoming DJs from Japan and Berlin mixed with international bigger name DJs, all friends and family to create the atmosphere. All artists use the [100% analog] MODEL1 mixer designed by Rich [Hawtin], so we share the good sound and idea to push your limits when playing. My focus is to concentrate on this project with my crew, artists, and friends.”
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Hito plays the City Steps stage at CRSSD fest this Sunday October 1st from 12:45p – 1:45p and she’s got a recommendation for you as well: “Lee K! She’s one of the highly valuable U.S. female artists and she’s from San Diego! I really want to listen to her selection.”
More info and tickets for Hito and Hawtin’s ENTER.Sake afterparty at Bang Bang here .