Mastermind作为Jazzy Sport的国内数字版权合作伙伴，很荣幸能邀请到Jazzy Sport旗下的头牌艺人DJ Mitsu the Beats，以及几个月前刚刚发行新专辑的旗下Afrobeat“新”秀★.A/NAOITO，来到北京、上海、深圳三个城市，为大家呈现Jazzy Sport Label Party！这是DJ Mitsu the Beats首次在北京亮相，也是★.A/NAOITO的中国首秀！

DJ Mitsu The Beats

Hip-Hop / DJ Set

2003年，DJ Mitsu the Beats发表首张个人专辑《New Awakening》后便迅速打响了自己在日本Hip-Hop界的名声。此后他便一直忙于自己参与的说唱团体GAGLE的紧密创作中，直到2009年才发布自己的第二张个人专辑。不过到了今天，勤奋的DJ Mitsu the Beats已经发表了10张个人专辑和几十张单曲/EP/Mixes，GAGLE也于2018年发布了第六张全长专辑，今年DJ Mitsu the Beats的全新个人专辑《ALL THIS LOVE》也即将发行。

作为日本Underground Hip-Hop的中流砥柱，DJ Mitsu the Beats在日本之外也有着巨大的人气，积极地开展各种合作。就连名气响当当的美国Hip-Hop大厂Stones Throw发行厂牌十周年纪念日版合辑时，都不忘和这位日本铁瓷合作来提升合辑价值。Mitsu与同门师兄Grooveman Spot一并成为这张合辑中仅有的两位Stones Throw之外的人，而这张专辑的CD2，是由Mitsu亲自操刀mix的一段60分钟的Stones Throw作品剪辑。

早在2004年，他就被洛杉矶的音乐杂志《URB》选为最值得期待的100名音乐人之一，也是其中唯一的日本音乐人。除了美国和欧洲区的大量巡演之外，DJ Mitsu the Beats在亚洲区也取得了不小的成功，极大地提高了自己的人气和知名度。时间快进到2014年，他在舞曲界指标性直播平台Boiler Room的演出视频也获得了在当年史无前例的50万+点击率。

DJ Mitsu the Beats on Boiler Room

对中国乐迷来说，DJ Mitsu the Beats那首脍炙人口的《Promise In Love》正好被一股Jazzy Hip-Hop风潮一并卷来，而近期他为日剧《DELE》创作的原声音乐也是大量听众认识他的窗口。然而想真正了解他的音乐内核，还是要属他制作的那些Boom Bap RAW Beats和说唱团体GAGLE的歌曲。

“嗯，直到现在我的音乐里也一直用到爵士的元素，因为这样的原因被拿来和Jazzy Hip-Hop音乐人相提并论也是没有办法的事情，但我有我的自信，那就是我的音乐要比那些音乐人更加深邃。”

——DJ Mitsu the Beats 谈到日本Jazzy Hip-Hop风潮时无奈地说道。

“嗯，直到现在我的音乐里也一直用到爵士的元素，因为这样的原因被拿来和Jazzy Hip-Hop音乐人相提并论也是没有办法的事情，但我有我的自信，那就是我的音乐要比那些音乐人更加深邃。”

——DJ Mitsu the Beats 谈到日本Jazzy Hip-Hop风潮时无奈地说道。

DJ Mitsu the Beats 制作的歌曲

《My Simple》《孤独少年》

Amongst all the world renown Japanese DJs and beatmakers such as DJ Krush, DJ Honda, Muro and Kentaro, another talent who’s made a name for himself worldwide in the last few years has to be MITSU THE BEATS - the alias of a diminutive yet very talented Sendai City native who stormed everyone’s favourite charts with his first solo LP, “A New Awakening”, and his group GAGLE’s first album. Signed to the Jazzy Sport label in Japan, Mitsu the Beats soon found himself being name checked by the likes of Pete Rock, Gilles Peterson, Rich Medina and DJ Spinna after releasing his LP. His success and reputation also brought the attention of many international music labels who called on him for remix and production duties - including Chocolate Industries, Blue Note, Ubiquity and Universal and artists such as Jazzy Jeff, Madlib, Kero One, PPP and Diverse etc.

In 2009 May 27th , he just released long awaited his 2nd solo album [ Word To The Wise ] featuring Jose James, Maspyke, Mathematik, Elzhi, Black Spade, Grap Luva, LMNO, etc With the 3RD ALBUM “UNIVERSAL FORCE” set to drop in AUG 2010, as well as more upcoming collaborations with a variety of international artists, Mitsu is set to keep on knocking shit out and rep his home country worldwide!

★.A/NAOITO

Afrobeat / full set band

NAOITO既曾带过如同军队一般人数浩浩荡荡的大编制Afrobeat乐队演出，也以个人名义，用世界游客的姿态于2010和2011年发表过两张专辑。19岁就去了美国的他，之后还在包括牙买加，尼泊尔，巴西等地留下过足迹，并接受过加纳传奇鼓手Aja Addy的打击乐秘密特训。

KINGDOM☆AFROCKS / Tony Allen

他的KINGDOM☆AFROCKS乐队在日本无疑是支无比珍贵的本土Afrobeat乐队，他们不仅和祖师爷Tony Allen一起录音演出，还被邀请到Gilles Peterson组织的Worldwide Showcase以及The Roots首脑QuestLove策划的Okayafrica活动中，一举成为了日本当时最有国际影响力的乐队之一。

然而就在乐队顺风顺水的发展到高潮阶段时，NAOITO忽然宣布乐队解散，搬到镰仓与一位出色的老木匠拜师学艺，想以这样动手实践的方式找到人生的新意义，完成自己的蜕变。

NAOITO 曾在木工阶段经历了前乐队成员和身边挚友的去世，在那段难过的时光里，鼓和 Afrobeat 重新触动了 NAOITO并再次给了他方向感。在经过7年的时间后，属于他的全新专辑和经过阵容衍变的新乐团 "☆.A" (dotA) 就这样诞生了。

我们曾在《Mastermind 2018年度荐碟》中这样形容NAOITO的这次蜕变：

在继承了 Fela Kuti 式 Afrobeat 精华的前提下，NAOITO 这次还在音乐中融入了犹如 Miles Davis 电声时期感觉的键盘点缀和爵士乐感，而他的 Afrobeat 式吟唱也在诸乐手们老辣演奏的衬托下完全没有显出任何突兀感，算得上是用日本的甘蔗榨出了非洲的汁水，成就了一张从头到尾都蔓延着迷踪步般鬼魅律动的神作。

在继承了 Fela Kuti 式 Afrobeat 精华的前提下，NAOITO 这次还在音乐中融入了犹如 Miles Davis 电声时期感觉的键盘点缀和爵士乐感，而他的 Afrobeat 式吟唱也在诸乐手们老辣演奏的衬托下完全没有显出任何突兀感，算得上是用日本的甘蔗榨出了非洲的汁水，成就了一张从头到尾都蔓延着迷踪步般鬼魅律动的神作。

《Kaixo deat. Chop》

Formed in Tokyo, Japan in September 2006, KINGDOM AFROCKS is an Afrobeat band consisting of eight unique members with extensive international experience, particularly in Senegal, Cuba, Brazil, and New Orleans,U.S.

Co-recording and performing live with the legendary drummer Tony Allen, who supported the founding era of Afro beat with Fela Kuti, made KINGDOM AFROCKS the No.1 Afro beat band, both in name and reality.The band has established their own style of music that incorporates jazz, Brazilian, Latin and rock into Afro beat.

They have performed at various outdoor music festivals in Japan, including FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL and SUNSET LIVE, and at events such as TOKYO JAZZ CIRCUIT and Gilles Peterson presents WORLDWIDE SHOWCASE.

After the sudden break up of KINGDOM AFROCKS in the end of 2014, Former front man ☆.A/NAOITO took a break from music and retreated to Kamakura, where he worked as a woodworker. But even though he gave up on music , the music never give up on him , after meeting likeminded musicians in Kamakura, reunited with some of his former bandmates in KINGDOM AFROCKS, and with the help from the prestigious music label Jazzy Sport, ☆.A/NAOITO is to be able to send messages to the world via music again, all documented in last year’s stunning solo album. Having set on the goal of bring organic and techno together in his music , the unstoppable groove of ☆.A/NAOITO is waiting for the whole world to get down to !

Mastermind Presents

Jazzy Sport Label Party

DJ Mitsu the Beats

★.A/NAOITO

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6/21 Fri Shenzhen HouLive

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6/22 Sat Shanghai YYT Park

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6/23 Sun Beijing YUE Space