「W」2nd Anniversary @ club DAUGHTER

********************"W" 2ND ANNIVERSARY********************

2006.03.18 22:00 start @ clubDAUGHTER, Nagoya
1500 yen (with flyer)


























DJ KEISUKE (HEXION JP / RUFFBASS / MAS FUEGO)

Profile:

Discovers the wonders of turntablism in 1996 and begins DJ'ing. After crossing over to the U.S. in 1997, Keisuke further hones his skills by becoming friends with the legendary DJ Shorkut and other influential Bay Area DJ's.

His beat-juggling skills make him a regular on the Kansai club circuit, eventually qualifying for the DMC JAPAN finals 3 times. He recently was a guest collaborator on Irma Records' crew i-dep's 2nd album,"Smile Exchange" which was released in July of 2005.



Keisuke has further broadened his musical horizons and focused more on drum'n'bass, incorporating furious turntablist skills with his signature DARK & HEAVY sound. He has also teamed up with DR. VIRUS to create RUFFBASS, a homepage dedicated to original drum'n'bass tracks they have composed.


DJ KEISUKE: ruffbass.com


DJ's & MC's

■ TAHARA [ex.Reload]
□ HASEGAWA [Echoesvillbass]
■ ZIGNINE [MAS FUEGO]
□ MIWA [Mousse]
■ ANDOH [fluid-nagoya]
■ Live: NIJI NORI

□ MC AGO [Artical / XLNTZ]
■ MC YUKAKO
□ MC GOSHIP
■ MC POLYMER

HUNTING WABBITS!!!














Bear with me for a sec as I wax politics…
News from Capitol Hill tends to carry a time lag, especially if you live on
the other side of the Pacific Pond…but not slow enough for this news flash
to reach us!!!

I’m sure most of you have read (and howled) at the headlines:
“Cheney shoots friend while on hunting trip”

C’mon, aiming for quail WITH A SHOTGUN???
Maybe you were hoping for a bigger catch…a moose perhaps???
Sure, his poor buddy had bent down to pick up some other hapless quail
that he had just finished pulverizing, and hadn’t noticed that he was in
the Big Dick’s line-of-sight.

Whatever the reason, Dick is off the hook (no charges filed…you sure as bet I would have!) while his huntin’ buddy convalesces in a hospital, fighting off a heart attack attributed to
“5 to 200” pellets lodged in his head and body.

THIS is the reason why I get the “Do all Americans like yourself walk around with a GUN???” one-liners from my co-workers.
Yeah, and I walk around wearing a Stetson hat, a holster, and chaps on weekends.

Okay, so I’ve probably offended the greater population of Texas with that last admission,
but please, folks…the vice-president should NOT be out hunting on a lark
(or should I say, “quail”).

Could it be that the White House P.R. staff actually doesn’t care anymore?
Does lame-duck Bush Regime status equal an automatic slacking of duties?
New leadership for the Palestinian state…
Iran’s resumption of nuclear development…
Abduction of foreign citizens by North Korea…

Quail-hunting, personally, would be very well the LAST thing on my list of things to do.
Most importantly, my fellow Americans, think of the poor quail!!!
And I’ve heard they DO taste a bit gamey (har har).

THE INFIRMARY

happy belated 2006, everybody!!!
and where has zig-nine been hiding these last few months,
you inquire???

DATELINE: Sunday, Nov. 27th 2005

I blew out the ACL in my right knee playing in a league
basketball game. After being carted off on a stretcher
and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, doctors
confirmed the worst after taking an MRI: a complete tear
which would result in surgery.

After spending a week convalescing to reduce the swelling,
doctors surgically reattached the damaged ligament and
inserted two titanium screws in the bone.
The next 5 weeks were a grueling combination of physical
therapy and weight-lifting.

This meant that I would be out of action for all of
December and January. I had to cancel all of my year-end
gigs (sorry, fellas) and spent a rather quiet New Year's Eve
for the first time in many years.

I'm happy to inform you that I've finally been able to
check out of the hospital. Although I'll be wearing a brace
on my leg for a while and be continuing with the rehab,
the year 2006 brings you a slimmer (lost about 10 pounds,
but still LARGE and IN CHARGE) DJ Zig-Nine.

The screws are in for good...so I'll probably be setting
off metal detectors whenever I get on a plane. I hope the
scar and newly acquired semi-gangsta limp will reassure
airport security that I'm no threat.

In any case, the prognosis is good! Doctors reassured me
that I'll be able to get back on the court in a year...
as for the meantime, my next DJ gigs are scheduled for
March and April.

I hope to see all of you soon, and remember to stretch out
before every game!!!

MAS FUEGO 2005.12.10

■■■■■■■■■■■■MAS FUEGO■■■■■■■■■■■■
drum'n'bass & everything nice...
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

DJ T-AK JAPAN TOUR...
2005.12.10 22:00 start @ becak, sannomiya
1500 yen (1D)

MAS FUEGO continues to bring you the hardest hittin',
soul-groovin', rump-shakin' DNB hits, courtesy of our resident DJ's.
this month, we proudly present guest DJ T-AK, who has been
tearing up the London scene for quite some time, and has a
long-awaited release from Hospital Records due out next spring...























T-AK (HOSPITAL RECORDS / HEXION)

Since relocating to the city in 1998, T-AK has built his
reputation as a drum'n'bass DJ in the London scene. Following the
launch of his "Hexion" night at East London's Herbal club, T-AK
has DJ'd in the the UK and Japan with leading artists such as
London Elektricity, High Contrast, Goldie, and Andy C. Within his
quick, fluid DJ mix style T-AK balances "smooth" and "dark"
elements. He brings the same elements into his production style.
Having connected with London Elektricity's Hospital Records, his
debut tracks are expected on the labe early next year.

DJ T-AK tour info.


RESIDENT DJ's & MC
■ CAN
□ ZIG-NINE
■ KSK (ruffbass.com)
□ BELLA ROCKWELL
■ DR. VIRUS (ruffbass.com)
□ LIL'C
■ MC TEACHA

MAS FUEGO 2005.07.30





























*********************MAS FUEGO*********************
drum'n'bass & everything nice...
***************************************************

2005.07.30 22:00 start @ becak, sannomiya
1500 yen/1 drink for the first 75 customers

RESIDENT DJ's
-Can
-KSK (ruffbass.com)
-Bella Rockwell (MAS FUEGO, Curler)
-Zig-Nine (MAS FUEGO, bendejo productions)
-Dr. Virus (ruffbass.com)
-Lil'C

-MC TEACHA

cranking out the DNB just in time for summer...
come out & join us for some
MAD DRUMS and KILLA BASS 'til the breaka-breaka-dawn...

RELOCATION...



moving house is always a huge deal for people, and the same goes for me as well. in my lifetime, the three biggest changes in location i've experienced were:
1) moving from california to japan in the summer of 1998,

2) transferring from northern hyogo prefecture to kobe in 2001, and...

3) the big jump from kobe to nagoya, spring 2005.
after spending four terrific years in kobe, i've relocated to aichi prefecture, which is located about halfway between osaka and tokyo.




packing my stuff and loading it all onto a truck was a logistical nightmare, especially because i chose to transfer it all without the help of a moving company. fortunately, i have great friends who helped me move for the price of a few beers and some good ol' korean-style BBQ.












on the positive tip, i now reside in a large-by-japanese-standards 3-bedroom apartment just on the outskirts of nagoya city. my neighbors seem to be young married couples along with their kids...of which most probably haven't heard of drum'n'bass or late-night DJ'ing. i've made a promise to myself to sound-proof my new studio as much as possible, although we'll see how long that keeps up!

nagoya is currently on of the fastest rising cities in japan. with a robust economy supported by toyota, nagoya is competing for bragging rights to "2nd largest city." because of this, there seems to be somewhat of a rivalry between nagoya and osaka (currently the second most populous city in this country). it's also home to WORLD EXPO 2005, which started just the other day and runs until september. attractions include a maglev railroad system, the well-preserved head of a woolly mammoth, and high-spec gadgets from around the world.

famous for its chicken wings, miso udon, and golden dragons perched atop a castle, nagoya so far is a drastic change from the rather small and peaceful harbor city of kobe. i haven't had much of a chance to scout out the local eateries and watering holes yet...i've also been told that nagoya is quite the mecca for japanese drum'n'bass.
plus if i get homesick, there's a new airport that runs direct flights to san francisco. kobe and osaka are a mere 2 hours by car, 1 hour by bullet.

as for the meantime, i'm enjoying the last few days of vacation before i buckle down and start working on the 1st of april.
more to come soon!!!

MAS FUEGO 2005.03.12






















*********************MAS FUEGO*********************
drum'n'bass & everything nice...
***************************************************
2005.03.12 22:00 start @ becak, sannomiya
1500 yen/1 drink for the first 75 customers

GUEST DJ's


-KILLA (Kool Eyez, Touchin'Bass, Bambaata)

Well-known across the Kansai area for his ragga/jump-up set selection, DJ Killa heads the Doozy's ENTERTAINMENT crew from Shiga. Currently holds resident DJ spots at clubs MOVE, METRO, and CRUST. Projects for 2005 include his new mix CD, "NEO B-STYLES." (available NOW)

Doozy's ENTERTAINMENT


-KEIKO (Kisaragi, Soundbox, Curler)

DJ Keiko has put together quite an impressive resume within the last few years, participating in drum'n'bass events across Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya. Recent stints include an appearance at drum'n'bass sessions at club UNIT, which has been an integral part of Tokyo's DNB scene. Keiko has performed with international artists such as goldie, blame, a-sides & MC fats, global communication, and makoto. She currently is a resident DJ for Curler, an all-girl DJ event in Osaka.


-OKAME (Correct Sonar, Curler)

DJ Okame began her DJ'ing career in Osaka back in 2002, appearing in gigs such as jumpin' jumpin' and Urban lick. She is the organizer and resident DJ for Curler, an all-girl DJ event at Tocca a te in Osaka.




RESIDENT DJ's
-Keisuke
-Bella Rockwell (MAS FUEGO, Curler)
-Zig-Nine (MAS FUEGO, bendejo productions)
-Dr. Virus
-Lil'C
-MC TEACHA

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

autumn, 1999.
on my way to my first DJ gig in japan, i found myself in need of a thirst-quenching beverage. as my cronies and i pulled into the closest parking lot in search of liquid refreshment, this intriguing sign caught my eye...

okay...so it's not the american version, but look closely.
it's not a rugby ball, it's a giant CAPSULE.
someone upstairs in marketing must've thought this would fly.

i got a stomach-ache from laughing too hard...

DOWN-TIME





having recovered from my ultra-nasty bout with the stomach flu, i ventured straight back to the watering hole to replenish various alcoholic fluids.

activities engaged in this past weekend:







1. rum and lime, on the rocks.
"northern spice" and "lemon hart" are equally tasty.

2. late night bowl-o-rama
never mind the fact that it's been 2 years...sure enough, the rum made my score even worse.

3. a screening of "angel in the box."
independent film produced in hokkaido. nice scenery, and a plot with a warm, fuzzy feeling that was a good way to finish up this weekend...

HE-OF-THE-IRON-STOMACH


woe is me...
having been under heavy duress at the workplace, i haven't had a lot of time recently to do any good ol' home-style cookin'.

this leaves me with few choices:

a) running over to the local diner...
(quite good, but pricey)

b) scoping out the nearest ramen shop...
(your carbohydrate intake's worst nightmare...but terrific for hangovers)



OR...

c) the frozen food section at your nearest convenience store

unlucky me, i decided to choose the frozen stew.
after feeling relatively satisfied and warm, i began to notic a gnawing feeling in my innards. this progressed slowly to a rumbling tummy, a slight fever, and many trips to the can.
several days later, this pain and torture hasn't subsided, and i'm currently waiting for the nearest medical clinic to begin it's afternoon hours.
it's GOTTA be the beef!!!

in the meantime, here's something to keep your digestive juices flowing (you can click on the pic above as well).

PLANET OF THE APES



nope, not even divine intervention will save us from another agonizing 4 years.
just caught the news that the oh-so-festive inauguration will take place today.
the news out here has been following the youngsters on capitol hill recently, hinting that the general population is anxious for change (more power to ya, obama).

KILLA RIDDIMS, DEM!!!












osaka clubs have always been in touch the reggae/dancehall scene, as far as music goes. having gotten in touch with ragga and jump-up through my DJ'ing compadres, i've found myself steering away from the abstract records bins in and digging through the heavier drum'n'bass crates in the back. a lot of the stuff you get out here is U.K.-influenced, quite different from the "domestic" DNB i'd hear back in san francisco.

i'm currently back at the turntables trying to create TURBULENCE, my second attempt at a drum'n'bass mix...of course, prior selections are always available. hit me up with an inquiry and i'd be more than glad to send you a copy.

Zig-Nine's CURRENT HEAVY ROTATION

1. Calibre & High Contrast - Mr. Majestik (Signature Records)
heavy dub sample, coupled with a killa track laid down by Calibre and High Contrast. it's been smashing up the club floors out here for a lil' bit, either on mp3 or vinyl. Hospital Records definitely has some strong artists on its list.


2. craggz & parallel forces - fizzy piglets (VALVE RECORDINGS)
found it in shibuya during a christmas trek up to tokyo. VALVE has DILLINJA and LEMON D at
the controls, among a host of others. craggz and parallel forces come come through with a DJ MARKY-like tune coupling live brazilian guitar with rolling bass and sharp hi-hats. makes me crave that warm summer sunlight!!!


3. Total Science Vs Juju - no murder (C.I.A.)
clean intro. hides the true fury packed behind it. Juju puts together a crowd-ripper from Computer Integrated Audio, AKA Paul Smith and Jason Greenhalgh of london-based Total Science. their latest album "Good Game" has been around on vinyl since the end of last year. Juju spins out at The Phuturo in san francisco...well worth the peep!!!

NEW YEAR, NEW SHOW



with earthquakes and tsunami's, 2005 seems to be off to an ominous start...

as for myself, i was able to brave the streets of tokyo during a visit to see my friends up north. i also ventured into nagoya to look for housing, as i'll be making a move up there in april. i've spent the rest of this winter holiday resting up and partaking in the celebrations of the new year, japan-style.




so what's on the menu tonight???
i'm off to osaka for the third time in three days, this time to see DJ T-AK (in pounding drum'n'bass action tonight at club triangle.

hope things are alright in your neck of the woods!

HAPPY HOLI-DAZE


SEASON'S GREETINGS

wishing all of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS
and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

thanks for your continued support!!!
see y'all in 2005...

love'n'respect,
DJ Zig-Nine

THIS YEAR'S NOMINEE'S

as the year winds down (and GODDAMN, this year was fast), i found that my crates needed a little dusting off.
it also gave me the chance to shuffle through the stacks and reminisce on a 12 months of innovative beats.

drum roll, please.
of course, i'll be happy enough if one head-nodda out there is cluing in on these tracks!!!

BEST ALBUM

AN EVENING WITH THE SOUND PROVIDERS (HIP HOP)

duo from los angeles definitely blew it up the first time around on their debut album, but this one sounds a little more polished, a little more production-savvy. guest appearances by asheru and wee be foolish are notable, but jay and soulo make the best of their talents by far on the instrumental numbers.

amidst all the gunplay and runway models, the sound providers managed to squeeze through the l.a. battlegrounds and establish their own hip hop style.
be on the clue for the crunchy kicks and snares...better known as "the boop bap effect."


best blast from the past album

the roots - do you want more?
has it really been 10 years??? i lent it to a friend of mine last week, and he voted it as his fav of the year.

BEST 12"

DJ FRESH - TWISTER (DRUM 'N' BASS)

off of the RAM RECORDS label.
you can tell a DJ FRESH track from it's nasty synth sub-bass and oh-so-heavy kick and snare pop. just released last week, "twister" has been floating around on mp3's, giving me a chance to check it out before the release.

fresh gets props for giving BreakBeat Kaos the punch that it needs (along with adam f) to mash up the crowd. good track to bring right in the middle of your set and they'll be going crazy for the rest of the night.

will keep you posted of his next tour in japan.


honorable mention

outbroken - spor
released either in november or december. if you get past the quotes from "the matrix," this would have been my 12" pick of the year. i don't want to think of what damage it would do to my eardrums in a club, let alone cause bodily damage to other people!

STICKIN' IT TO THE MAN






it's been a bit since i've watched mindless entertainment.
where was i when this hit the states?

i can imagine the rage that dave chappelle's causing...with a buddy of mine from back home giving me his first season DVD. the rest of undercover brother's cast is full of veterans like
chi mcbride and eddie griffin, not to mention hottie

denise richards.









but what brings the house down is a terrific cameo from the godfather himself, breakin' it down and sayin' it LOUD!!!

worthy of watching while smoking various smokeables...

THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR...

10. that i'm NOT this turkey...or the one standing next to it.

9. that all of my family members are happy and well back home.

8. that i have great friends, regardless of wherever you may be on this planet of ours.

7. for my technics 1200MK3D's, ECLER mixer, and countless records.

6. that japanese tables have heaters under them for those cold wintry nights.

5. that drum'n'bass isn't just a blip on the radar...

4. that although a majority of the u.s. is still being bamboozled by a sheisty gang of leaders, there are people out there willing to encourage change.

3. for convenience stores. where else can you buy rice balls, minute maid orange juice, and tapioca pudding at 3 o'clock in the morning???

2. that the city of kobe resembles san francisco just enough so i can tolerate being away from the bay area for long periods of time.

1. that life's been pretty good up to this point, and the hope that things'll get better for each and every one of us.

happy thanksgiving.

THE VAPORS...


yeah, dubya gets the gas face, but here's something that i learned the hard way.

hope y'all heed my advice.

never, EVER eat a can of chili and a can of refried beans within the same day.
it'll just rip you apart...trust me.

and for those people who just can't stay away from these lethal legumes, here's something that may bail you out of those embarrassing moments.

STOP THE INSANITY!!!



someone, someone PLEASE tell me that this isn't a bad nightmare i'm having...

another 4 years of this guy??? i'm getting sick just thinking about the lame-duck shennanigans dubya has up his sleeve...



but while the rest of america was waiting with baited breath over the results from ohio's voting precincts, i was out in osaka attending more pressing matters, namely giving my eardrums an auditory cleansing.


tuesday night heralded the arrival of the U.K.'s bass-heavy mix masters BAD COMPANY and
DJ FABIO.

k-rate, bella rockwell, and i reached osaka's club triangle at about 2:00 in the morning, just in time to catch the second half of FABIO's set, as well as the sinister sounds of BAD COMPANY's D-Bridge.





after giving our auditory senses a thorough pounding thanks to their respective one-hour sets, our crew came to a decision that while
BAD COMPANY possesses excellent beat-making creativity, DJ Fabio is by far the more skilled artist in terms of track selection and mixing.

all in all, it was good getting a break from all of this election madness.
at least the rerpurcussions of dubya's impending second tour of duty won't numb my senses for a few days...

GHOST SHELLED



it's far and wide between when i get all inspirational and try to put together a track...usually because i don't have enough time (yeah, i know it's a sorry excuse).
my latest creation uses samples pieced together from a beat made by
Yoko Kanno, who is currently the music composer for "stand alone complex," the television series continuation of "ghost in the shell."




an individual often shrouded in mystery, Yoko Kanno has done past work on japanimation projects like "Cowboy Bebop" and "Macross Plus." she has also collaborated with j-pop, jazz, and contemporary music artists alike from around the world.

although she remains fairly enigmatic to the general public, her tracks are very much available through various media outlets. perhaps what makes Yoko Kanno such a talented and well-respected composer is her ability to mesh together musical styles from opposite ends of the spectrum. an excellent example of this is a commercial series that she designed for fuji xerox, where Kanno combined human beat-boxing elements provided by AFRA with the classical chinese erhu, as well as with the violin.

what is arguably her most impressive achievement, however, has been her work in constructing the music soundtrack for the "stand alone complex,", currently in its second season out in japan (airing in november in the states?). her arrangements vary from dark, wet dub tracks and soulful italian ballads to jazzy jam sessions and drum'n'bass heavy tech-step numbers. it helps to define the fast-paced but content-rich storyline of "S.A.C."

at age 40, Yoko Kanno continues to crank out tune after tune, inspiring mutant DJ's like myself and countless other head-noddas worldwide.