More slacker style on TRS. Love it!
Here’s the thing about slacker style – the whole point of it is two-fold: First to convey a sense of indifference, disaffectedness, unconcerned nonchalance. Two: to actually HAVE indifference, disaffectedness, unconcerned nonchalance, cuz really, who CAN be bothered. But you see, it is a bit a paradox, cuz on one hand it requires much thoughtful consideration, such as how holey or stained can jeans be before they’re trying to hard, how tattered or ironic can a graphic t-shirt or trucker hat be before it’s makes fun of itself, at one time of day is it appropriate to wear socks with sandals for it to look supremely cool and not like summer German tourists (sorry German friends). You see, for slack style to look pimp, it’s a fine line that requires a very well-honed sense, and it most often comes second nature to the connoisseurs of used and disused culture, the purveyors of plaid, the 2nd hand specialist and wearers of the worn. The bottom line is that, “Slackers aint slackin” and, as Big Daddy Kane puts it, “Pimpin aint easy.”
So respect to Chris here, whose digs I dug, and who I caught up with in Shimokitazawa, who, after an extended stint as a snowboard and ski bum up in Hokkaido (yeah, that tracks), has been living between Tokyo and his hometown in Melbourne for nearly a decade, sourcing and curating select vintage Japanese goods here and selling them through his select shops and brand, 690. When I spotted him on the street, he had scored some old school records, cassettes, and CDs, not all for him, some for his shop and others for his personal collection. When I asked him about his general tastes in music he replied saying they varied quite a lot, from Electronica to Techno, from Hip Hop to old Japanese Showa era tracks, great for sampling. Chris mentioned that he used to produce music for over 5 years when he was permanently based in Melbourne, but not much anymore…
“These days I am constantly searching for older records & cassette tapes to sell & showcase in my stores. I love collecting old school early edition records. My favorite record stores are small curated Oji-San stores that sell mainly older Japanese records. But I also spend hours sifting through Disk Union, Manhattan Records, and whatnot, looking for great deals that you can only find here.”
Nice to meet you Chris. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to seeing more of your curated selections both in music and fashion. Hope to see you out there on the streets of Tokyo again soon! Until then…
More Tokyo Record Style on the way!
Eazy-E – Just Tah Let U Know
Label: Ruthless Records – 88561-5532-1, Relativity – 88561-5532-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, Limited Edition
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: Gangsta
https://www.discogs.com/release/502350-Eazy-E-Just-Tah-Let-U-Know
The Notorious BIG – One More Chance
Label: Bad Boy Entertainment – 78612-79032-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: Hip Hop
https://www.discogs.com/release/226607-The-Notorious-BIG-One-More-Chance
Various – Whiteboys (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Label: TVT Soundtrax – TVT 8310-4, Offline Music – TVT 8310-4
Format: Cassette, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1999
Genre: Hip Hop, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack
https://www.discogs.com/release/7988024-Various-Whiteboys-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack-
DJ Envy – Cruisin part 2 R&B Music
Label: Playground Entertainment
Format: Cassette, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Hip Hop, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack
https://www.discogs.com/artist/181010-DJ-Envy
Snoop Dogg – Bush
Label: Capitol Records – TOCP-66485
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Japan
Released: 2005
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: RnB/Swing, Gangsta
https://www.discogs.com/release/6987961-Snoop-Dogg-Bush
Snoop Dogg – The Best Of Snoop Dogg
Label: Capitol Records – TOCP-66485
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Japan
Released: 2005
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: RnB/Swing, Gangsta
https://www.discogs.com/release/6747605-Snoop-Dogg-The-Best-Of-Snoop-Dogg
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