GOOD CHEMISTRY,
emma＆Licaxxx.

Firstly, let us know how did you two meet up and become such good friends?

Licaxxx

I think we got closer around the last October since we started hosting SONAR MUSIC at J-WAVE. emma takes charge of Mondays and I do for Wednesdays. Actually, I met her before when I participated in a Gucci’s dinner party in which emma sat right in front of me then.

emma

What!? Did I?? The venue was so full of people, so my memory is unclear… Yet, I definitely recognize you at the radio station when we got closer then, haha. Since we take charge of different days of a week, we haven’t seen each other so many times, but we gradually befriended at its after-parties.

Licaxxx

The Wednesday members often go to drink after our weekly radio broadcasting, but emma usually has an early-morning work next day, so she can rarely come by our dinner on Wednesdays. Thus, I sometimes go to see her when she’s drinking with the members after her broadcasting on Monday and talk with her for the whole night, haha.

emma

Yeah, for the entire night till we get exhausted of chatting, haha. And, our first compotation was held at a Mongolian mutton barbecue as well! By the way, I somewhat have a lot friends who are two years older than me just like Licaxxx is now 25-year-old and I’m 23. I probably feel comfortable with elder friends since I have two older brothers.

What about you, Licaxxx?

Licaxxx

I have a younger sister.

emma

I thought so!

Perhaps, you two feel cozy because of the harmony as the oldest and the youngest sister.

Licaxxx

Also, because of our girl’s school moods! Ogenko~! (A Japanese dead word for greeting used to be prevalent in the past.)

emma

(Laughter!)

Hahaha, that’s what you guys often do on Twitter, right??

Licaxxx

I am one of the generation of Enta no Kamisama (Eng: The God of Entertainment), a legendary popular Japanese comedy show from 2003-10, and the greeting performance was played by Naoya Kato (a Japanese comedian). It’s actually prevalent within J-WAVE workers recently.

emma

Licaxxx is a good mimic.

Licaxxx

Absolutely, hahaha!

Recently, the popularity of radio is gradually raising, especially among the youth, and do you guys have any specific principle when you are operating the radio show?

emma

Honestly, I’m not good at talking, hehe. Yet, I enjoy speaking on the radio show and there are so many things that I can learn from the experience. By the way, Licaxxx and I will broadcast it at Greenroom Festival this year. I’m nervous, but I feel reassured with her.

Licaxxx

Let’s support each other! Based on my work, I acquire both roles as an interviewer and as an interviewee, so I always try to conduct a broadcast in many perspectives since I don’t want the others to think I’m unproductive.

What a mature girl… By the way, has emma ever visited Licaxxx’s DJ performance?

emma

I visited Licaxxx’s event for the first time at LUMINE, and I was so thrilled with her play. I’ve been listening to her mix since she broadcasts it on her channel every Wednesday, but I was so excited to see her live performance then.

Do you wanna play DJ as well?

emma

No, no, no! I cannot do such a technical stuff! Because of my appearance, I was occasionally offered to play DJ, but I’ve even never touched it before.

Licaxxx

(laughter)

emma

And, if I’ll start playing it, I have to work on it real hardly, otherwise, it’s so rude for those who work on it professionally. Anyway, let’s eat!

emma, you seem you’re good at barbequing, aren’t you?

emma

I just love meats!

Do you both cook at home?

Licaxxx

I do. Just as everyone generally does.

emma

Really!? I cannot put much effort for cooking since I live myself. I can make a salad or an easy meal, but I don’t feel like to cook a “dish” unless there is someone else to share it with.

Is there any girl that you two keep your eyes on recently?

Licaxxx

Peggy Gou, a house-music artist. She is a Korean artist who is a year older than me currently living in Berlin, and she has very stylish lifestyles who is recently conspicuous as the next Nina Kraviz. I’m actually meeting her soon.

emma

How do you discover those trendy information?

Licaxxx

I check my favorite labels constantly whether they publish a new record or a mix, and when they do, I dig into it.

emma

Let us know your favorite label!

Licaxxx

In the Britain, I like The Trilogy Tapes in which they held an event with C.E before. In the U.S., L.I.E.S. (Long Island Electrical Systems) is my favorite. In Japan, there are many people who recognize LQQK but not L.I.E.S., yet in the U.S., L.I.E.S. is as famous as LQQK I heard. By the way, it’s not about a label, but a music group called buttechno is also popular, especially in Russia and Ukraine. Moreover, high brands such as Gosha and Vestments are keeping their eyes on the young Russian Techno artists in which the trend is very interesting.

Is there any music event you want to go during this summer?

emma

I wanna go to FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL! Let’s go together!

Licaxxx

That’s gonna be great if we can! I wanna go there for the entire three days. In addition, I also wanna visit SONIC MANIA as well. It’s a hot event for the British artists such as Kasabian or Liam Gallagher, so it’s highly recommended for emma.

emma

Sure! I’ll go!

Licaxxx

I’m really looking forward to it, too. I was a high-school kid in 2007-08, the era of the U.K. rock, so artists like Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, and Kasabian are so nostalgic for me.

I saw you two also went to the retrospective exhibition of David Bowie. How was it?

Licaxxx

Then, I heard the Monday crews including emma and Takumi Fujita were going there to report the exhibition for the radio show, so I joined them. I also love observing art, so I frequently check NTT’s InterCommunication Center.

emma

Usually, I don’t visit art galleries much, but I really desired to see the exhibition of kukkie (Kunihiro Kawashima, a Japanese comedian). Licaxxx, you went there, right? I’m so jealous since he is my most favorite comedian of all.

Licaxxx

Right! He produces a lot of drawings and even publishes his picture books. His creations are very nasty yet so cool which make them addictive.

Licaxxx

By the way emma, didn’t you watch T2 recently?

emma

Yes, I did! What about you? It’s closing soon!

Licaxxx

Yeah, I know. I really wanna watch it, but still couldn’t. However, I already read many articles about it, so I know the most of contents, haha. How was it?

emma

It was awesome! I loved its first story, Transpotting, which successfully presented the time then. Yet, this one was. The movie well displayed the current era, and it adopted my favorite music such as Queen and Iggy Pop. Moreover, fashion in the movie was also so pretty, and there were a lot of inspirations within the story.

You two are so up to date about each other through Instagram, haha. Is there any personal principle when using a social media?

emma

I tend to post ads about my work mostly. On Twitter, I casually post whatever words that came up to my mind.

Licaxxx

I try not to post images of food on Instagram.

emma

Me neither!

Why?

Licaxxx

Merely posting food pics looks boring than it seems.

emma

I think so! Additionally, taking a stylish photo on food is really hard. Yet, Story in Instagram is practical for that.

Licaxxx

Beside Instagram and Twitter, I also have Facebook, SoundCloud, and Mixcloud, since each SNS has its different focus and functionality. On Instagram, I’m always looking for handsome boys, haha. Also, I save plentiful cat’s images on Instagram.

emma

I’m doing it for dogs, haha! I love a Golden Retriever so much, and I follow an oversea account in which I can see the dog’s pic when I wake up every morning.

emma, you became the assistant for A-Studio, and Licaxxx, you manage various medias, so both of you are expanding your fields recently, and is there any influential person or friend whom you met newly?

emma

Definitely, Mr. Tsurube! I really respect him. Even though heis one of the most eminent figure in the Japanese TV world, he is so kind and friendly to everyone. I always learn something new from him. I grasped the current position through an audition, but I actually failed the previous one that was held last year. At the time, I thought Mr. Tsurube didn’t like me much. Thus, I asked him about the past audition after I got the current position, and he said “I don't like selecting and classifying people, so the assistant is always selected by my reliable staffs and once the assistant is chosen, I do my best to help improving her no matter what.” By his words, I was very relieved and today, I’m so honored to sit next and work together with him.

Licaxxx

I also have a lot of people who help me out for my work, especially the store manager of LIQUIDROOM. He knows a lot about music, and I receive abundant advices from him, so if he asks me to go out to drink together, I’ll always go without any hesitation, haha. Beside him, the producer from J-WAVE became like my drink-buddy today. I sometimes see him three times a week.

emma

Really!? The staffs of Sonar Music are all nice people and are fun to stay with.

Licaxxx

Since the old days, I strongly admired J-WAVE and its related staffs including the hosts, Ms. Sascha, Mr. Chris Peppler, Ms. Chris Tomoco, Ms. Mibu Minami, and Mr. Fujita, who is my current partner in the radio show. Nowadays, I can fortunately connect with plentiful inspiring people, not only from the J-WAVE, but everyone whom I’ve been admired for a long time. I really appreciate these opportunities.

I heard emma, you published your style book recently where you directed everything including the content structure to staffing.

Licaxxx

Yeah, I saw it! Everything was awesome. Just so awesome! I was so impressed that you supervised everything.

emma

Thank you! Receiving compliment on the book is my happiest moment nowadays!

Any specific page that is your favorite?

emma

Well… The pages with my family is displaying the “real” me I believe. I inserted images of my family trip to the Britain two year ago and I even incorporated a picture of letters from them as well. My most favorite one is the pic where everyone in my family is looking back but I’m the only one facing in front.

Licaxxx

I personally liked the sexy you which is the image of your swimming fully-clothed.

emma

What?? Swimming fully-clothed?

Licaxxx

(Pointing at the picture where emma wears t-shirts sitting in a bathtub) An evacuation training where you wear clothing but swimming.

emma

(Laughter). It’s not a sexy page and it’s not the evacuation training! Why would hold roses when I evacuate? Haha.

You focused on creating a distinctive book that is not gonna be similar to the others, did you?

emma

Absolutely. I didn't want to adopt the typical structures of a style book, so I insisted that if I cannot supervise everything, I wouldn’t make one. I thought there usually are restrictions and conflicts on contents, so I claimed that I really desire my ideas to be approved. We actually held our very first meeting two years ago. Therefore, I heavily comprehended how tough it is to produce an interesting book.

In general, most of the creators feel troublesome and therefore adopt the ordinary format, so I can tell how serious you were toward the project.

emma

I thought it’s meaningless otherwise. As I was a student at Bunka Fashion College, I like producing something myself. Additionally, I could go to the U.K., Los Angeles, Guam, South Korea, and Spain where all the trips were very inspirational as well.

Licaxxx

Did you select all the staffs by yourself too?

emma

Yup. I had a feeling that I wished to work on the project with the creators in the same generation, so YUGO., the illustrator, and TAMMY VOLPE, the photographer, were both the same ages with me. For Tammy, the catalyst to get closer was when I worked together with her on ViVi, I saw her as a really stylish and bright person, so I wished to befriend with her. So I craved to transmit the power of our generation through the book.

Licaxxx

Yeah, I also think there are many hot artists in our generation. The stylists in our generation such as Koji Oyamada and Shogo Tachibana acquire great tastes in styling. Moreover, they find obscure brands, for example a brand which has only 300 followers on Instagram, so I enjoy discovering new things from them.

emma

Recently, I see so many new faces, especially for the artists, who are younger than me, so I feel I got a bit old today. Few years ago, everyone was older than me though!

Licaxxx

Like when I find out a professional soccer player who is younger than me! (Reading the book) Look at your comment, you said “I started listening to Jamiroquai because of my grandma’s influence. I was told that I should merely listen to Jamiroquai when I was young.” Haha.

emma

Yeah, hahaha. My grandma told me so, so I was like “ok~” and listened to Jamiroquai then. You know it’s so hard to make a comment on music! I forced myself to express something about my favorite songs even though I actually have no specific reasons, so it’s kind of funny when reading it. I wrote a lot in the book that I usually don't mention in the magazine.

I was touched about your story when you initially moved to Tokyo.

emma

I often go back to Hokkaido when I get a long break. Or, I’d rather have an oversea trip even if it’s only for one night. I cannot fully relax staying in Tokyo.

What about you, Licaxxx?

Licaxxx

My family lives in Tokyo, but I go there about once in three months. The place where I can relax the most is probably my room by sitting in front of my computer. In contrast, I definitely love going out, drinking, and listening to music in whatever event at night where I just repeat drinking and listening to music. Moreover, I like to go to a record store as well. Personally, I prefer filling out my schedule rather than staying at home for an entire day.

emma

Great! I’m maybe not like you in which I’ll be in panic when my schedule is too full, haha. I like my work and I appreciate it, but everybody at my workplace is always taking care of me too nicely, so I sometimes feel sorry for them. When I’m too busy, I feel my demand of assimilating new motivations, so I either go back to see my family or go abroad to input fresh influences.

Do you prefer abroad than a domestic trip?

emma

I have a strong desire of embarking on an airplane, going somewhere far away, and forgetting about my daily life, haha. It’s also because I have the gene of my dad who used to be a backpacker.

Licaxxx

On the other hand, for me, I have a lot of inspirations within my daily life. My company adopts the flextime system, and I can choose whoever cameraman and stylist I want when editing Sigmafat, so I usually don’t feel much stress for working. Additionally, I have my career as an artist as well, so my field of work is wide and flexible.

As a model, a DJ, and an editor, you always have to generate the quality that is more than asked, so that’s such a tough task if a person is lack of good taste.

emma

Exactly. I really felt it when I was producing the book and also perceived a tremendous responsibility of a work. When I contemplated too much about the book, another editor told me, “you are the boss emma, and if you don’t lead us, no one can help you so”, and I was depressed of myself then. However, since the project was based on my instruction, I could directly insist what I really crave for, so I could be selfish positively.

emma, you are such a thoughtful person. If two of you will work together on a project, what would it be?

emma

As the book I published was my maiden work and it was mostly about the introduction of myself, so I want to produce another book that I will hire Licaxxx for the model where the shooting will be directed by me. I again want my team to be the young force!

Licaxxx

I’m good at gathering cool people, so I can practically support emma for the human resource. I can introduce whoever she wants once she tells me specific criteria for a person.

emma

Then, filming is also great! Also, an exhibition is nice as well. I wished to do it with the book this time, but I couldn’t.

Licaxxx

I like an exhibition too! I’m also good at scenography.

You wrote the phrase “what’s ordinary?” on the wrapper of your book, and I perceive girls in the city are also strongly wishing to become unique than being ordinary recently.

emma

When I attended Bunka Fashion College, everyone was distinctive, so no one wants to be ordinary, but yeah I feel the other girls in the city try to live commonly. I even feel many models try to be typical. Moreover, everyone applies the same make-ups even though everybody obtains different looks, shapes, and structures of a face. Yet, I know that’s so-called a trend. However, I wanted to claim “what’s ordinary” in my book since that was my creation.

Licaxxx

Your emotion is clearly presented in your book which is stunning. People like us, who live above and in front of the others, have to generate something that could be a message to change their lives even if some of them totally don’t understand it. Gradually, I wanna make it prevalent so.

emma

Thank you, Licaxxx. You’re amazing.

Licaxxx

You too, emma:)