How DJ Fuji Trill Created Tokyo’s Scene of Punk-Goth and Trap
The term DJ is prevalent in big cities and is associated with strobe lights, crowded rooms, head-spinning techno music, and sunglasses after dawn.
More than often, DJs are the key element to keep a good night going, keeping a discreet profile as they play behind the booth. Great music is their trademark, but some DJs appear louder than the beats they shuffle: meet Fuji Trill, the goth-punk trap star.
Fuji Trill is often seen DJing at popular clubs in the center of Shibuya, Tokyo, or other party sectors of the city. Originally from Yokosuka, a city southern to the borders of the big metropolis, he had an eventful upbringing with lots of fascination towards punk rock music and tattoos. In fact, his father had a pretty artistic streak: he was part of a rock band and initiated Fuji Trill to the Sex Pistols among others, and, being a retired tattoo artist, inked his son’s arm for his 20th birthday. It is at this age that he decided to pursue a musical career, and his first DJ gigs happened around 2004.
Artistically, he’s multifaceted: heavily involved in the hip hop scene of Japan, Fuji Trill also produces, and occasionally models, thanks to his signature look of straight long hair, a handful of silver custom jewelry, and leather-plaid, all-black attire, which goes without saying that his numerous tattoos and piercings certainly make him memorable.
He’s part of the OVER KILL group, which he and artist KNUX is part of, and they often collaborate with local rappers such as Jin Dogg and Red Eye. Drill, hardcore, trap, and punk rock are essential to Fuji Trill, and his interest in the occult, alternative spirituality, and gothic fashion makes him seem like an intimidating and rebellious artist, but he’s known to be well-rounded, absolutely magnetic, and a pioneer of obscure hip-hop. Violence, death, and psychedelics are prevalent themes in his art and music videos, and his inspirations swing between emo and gory hip-hop, enabling the creation of a bridge between two musical genres that seldom meet.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
