There has always been a significant connection and exchange of ideas between street culture capitals like Tokyo, London, and New York. The continuous mutual influence spurred all kinds of crossovers and re-interpretation that led to innovation and progress for the global creative scenes - arguably the most prominent disciplines being music and fashion, they go hand in hand.

A perfect illustration for those global axes is the EAST2WEST: Dayz of our Lives project by contemporary, utility-focused menswear label AFFXWRKS and legendary Japanese artist collective, record label, and cultural accelerator MAJOR FORCE. There is quite an overlap between the international foundations of both projects through an intersection of music and fashion and deep personal connections. AFFXWRKS designer and co-founder Taro Ray spent his childhood around MAJOR FORCE members. He grew up with E-WAX, whose photographs fill the photo book. He is also the son of K.U.D.O., one of the founding members of MAJOR FORCE. As a child, he had a curious eye and began documenting the MAJOR FORCE crew from a very young age.

Photo from *EAST2WEST: Dayz of our Lives*

We joined the launch event for the EAST2WEST: Dayz of our Lives photo book at GR8 - a bonafide Tokyo fashion institution with a lot of history on its own. Spanning between early 90s London and Tokyo, it represents a personal snapshot and a brief visual history of the international MAJOR FORCE community. On that occasion, we had the chance to talk to AFFXWKRKS designer Taro Ray, artist/photographer E-WAX, MAJOR FORCE founding members K.U.D.O., and Kan “Kan” Takagi, as well as Shinsuke “Shin” Takizawa of NEIGHBORHOOD fame, who worked at MAJOR FORCE in the early 90s. So let us connect the dots of the history and legacy of MAJOR FORCE with some key insights straight from the source.

In 1988, MAJOR FORCE was founded by Toshio Nakanishi (a.k.a. Tycoon To$h), Masayuki Kudo (a.k.a. K.U.D.O.), Gota Yashiki - another member of Melon - and the Tiny Panx crew consisting of Kan Takagi and Hiroshi Fujiwara. Meeting in Tokyo nightlife, they found they had similar tastes and a compatible pioneering spirit. Founding MAJOR FORCE together was the logical conclusion of those conversations. In retrospect, the naming of the label seems borderline prothetic, as it undoubtedly delivered on its titular mission statement. As a nucleus of Tokyo street culture in the 80s, it was essential in building the foundation of what we admire today. Inspired by dystopian science fiction visions and cyberpunk aesthetics, they re-mixed all their musical and pop cultural influences with their unique Tokyo lens of music and fashion, creating a cohesive and unique identity.

It all started in the early 80s with some kids in Tokyo trying to bring their own buzz to a nightlife scene they found too boring. As K.U.D.O. remembers: “Originally, there wasn't really the club culture as we know it today. It was more about disco, especially in the 1980s. Places like Pithecanthropus (widely recognised as one of Japan’s first clubs, also locally known as Pitecan) had employees as DJs.” Kan Takagi assesses that, “although there was some dancing, it was mostly about drinking.” But with no real dance music culture in place, there was room to do new things and do them freely. One person who took that opportunity with his DJing was Hiroshi Fujiwara - widely recognized as one of the most influential icons in street culture today. In a time when the internet had not yet made most music universally available, he brought loads of records from his trips to New York and London. He wanted to play records no other DJs had and introduced the Tokyo scene to hip-hop music and hip-hop culture at large - fashion, sneakers, art, design, and attitude.

“We used to check airchecks from the radio and the lists of DJs in the back of imported magazines. That was the only way we could get information at that time. In places like Shibuya or Harajuku, there were [also some] video shops and cassette tape stores, including ones that sold bootlegs.“ K.U.D.O. reminds everyone. Hiroshi Fujiwara and Kan Takagi also threw the most popular parties in the Tokyo underground as Tiny Panx and wrote one of the most influential lifestyle columns of all time: LAST ORGY in Takarajima magazine - you know, the predecessor to LAST ORGY 2 by BAPE and Human Made founder NIGO and UNDERCOVER’s Jun Takahashi - which also expanded into a late night TV shows, later. “We got the name LAST ORGY from a video at Hiroshi's house. In his stacked up B-movie collection, there was something titled LAST ORGY and I picked it up from there,” Kan Takagi explains the origin of the seminal column to us.

Another key figure with a highly individualistic approach to music and carving out different niches for himself was Toshio Nakanishi. He made big waves with his post-punk band The Plastics and later founded the hip-hop-inspired dance music formation Melon. “When I came to Tokyo at that time, Toshio Nakanishi was the person I most wanted to see,” says Shinsuke Takizawa. “I was amazed when I saw a photo of him wearing full SEDITIONARIES clothing in a magazine. But you could just run into him on the street, like, ‘Whoa, the real deal is here.’ He was truly an admired figure for me,” he adds. Sharing his memories of Toshio Nakanishi, Kan Takagi remembers: “I was originally a fan of [his], not just a friend but more of a follower. I used to see The Plastics even before their debut record. However, somehow, over time, we ended up making music together. I was definitely influenced a lot by Toshi-chan. [Especially] by his pop sensibility, not only in music but also in his way with words.”

Talking about Nakanishi’s impact on MAJOR FORCE, Kan reckons: “I think [his time with The Plastics] was reflected in the early MAJOR FORCE, especially during the time of Tycoon To$h. It coincided with The Plastics' reunion and we were doing a hip-hop unit and a techno-pop band. The balance at that time was interesting. He [was] a unique person, truly fascinating.“ When talking about The Plastics, K.U.D.O. applauds them as “the original Tokyo culture, you could say, especially with that Harajuku vibe. It felt like music that was within reach.” Shin adds: “At that time, I think we felt that mainstream things were a bit uncool. The Plastics had that slightly offbeat feel that resonated with us.” Kan sums it up: “Everyone around here was a fan of him. We were into The Plastics, not YMO."

After the initial start of MAJOR FORCE, in 1990, K.U.D.O. and Toshio Nakanishi moved to London with plans of recording an album there and connected with Kan. E-WAX was around 5-6 years old and they got closer to Taro’s family when expanding the MAJOR FORCE circle over there. They also met James Lavelle, who besides having founded Unkle and Mo’Wax, was an avid collector and fan of MAJOR FORCE records. So they started MAJOR FORCE West together. It was a key piece of the cross-pollinating counter-cultural axis between Tokyo and London. The music they found in the UK was a great inspiration for MAJOR FORCE: “We got exposed to different genres of music like rare groove because we were in London for so long. Back then, these genres didn’t even have a name to them. But being exposed to them so early, we thought it was exciting, and that kickstarted a lot of things for [us],” Kan remembers.

K.U.D.O. adds: “It felt like eccentric people were gathering in that space. London had a broader perspective, so even if hip-hop was the base, it was an environment where you could incorporate various genres. MAJOR FORCE was originally like that too. We were more inclined towards incorporating various styles.“ Apparently, they leaned more towards rather relaxed sounds. “Around that time, Toshi-chan and I were making music, but we didn't go in [the drum & bass and jungle] direction because we thought it was too loud. Toshi-chan had long hair and a laid-back vibe. Back then, we were more into Neil Young and others,” K.U.D.O. explains.

The London connection brought other perks, too. For example, there was a memorable trip to L.A. with the Unkle crew. Reminiscing about this, K.U.D.O. couldn’t remember if it was Jon Bon Jovi’s or Meat Loaf’s house they stayed in. Clearer are memories of hanging out with graffiti legends Futura 2000 and Eric Haze and barbecuing with the Beastie Boys. Also, there was a rather weird (non) meeting with Money Mark (Beastie Boys producer). While having a few laughs, K.U.D.O. tells a related anecdote: “We all went to Mark’s house, as well. He told us we could stay for the evening, but he just disappeared. We had no idea what to do for dinner. We hopped on the car, in hopes of finding a diner or something. But it was in the middle of nowhere around Cherry Valley. We passed a building that looked like it came from Twin Peaks. That was pretty freaky. We finally came across a Denny’s.“

Another international connection that inspired both sides was their relationship with Public Enemy. “We supported Public Enemy during their tour in Japan. The first time we met, they were surprised. They were shocked when they heard the music, like, 'Why on earth are you doing this?’ Our records ended up getting sampled. In the end, it wasn't so much about hip-hop itself, but more about the interesting things we were doing, and that's how we became friends. Even when they came to Japan, they were like: 'It's a similar vibe here.' So, they found our approach to sound and music interesting. Initially, they might have thought Japanese hip-hop was a bit different, but in the end, they said they connected with the people here,” Kan Takagi remembers while adding that back then, not everything was purely business-driven.

His story speaks to the universality of music and how the sample-based mentality of hip-hop and the idea of progression through crossover and mixing can bring people together across the globe. As K.U.D.O. explains: “Engaging with people from around the world in discussions about music brings us onto the same playing field. Whether in Japan, London, or the United States, when you have that shared perspective on making music, there's a mutual understanding that transcends borders.” He also has fond memories of connecting with Chuck D over their shared fandom of The Beatles and how it led to them working together - looping samples on a cassette player. “We were aiming for the essence of fresh hip-hop, so there was that shared sense of heading towards the same place.“

The group has another avid The Beatles fan among them - Hiroshi Fujiwara. Shinsuke Takizawa remembers that they ran into copyright issues because of that: “We had finished [Hiroshi Fujiwara’s album] from recording to mastering. However, it turned out that the lyrics he was reciting were from The Beatles' songs. We discovered this after everything was done, and of course, we couldn't release it. At that time, the sampling and copyright laws were still relatively lax, or there was some leeway, so there was a feeling of 'Well, it should be okay to use, right?' But in the end, it didn't work out.“ Shin remembers how Fujiwara recruited him to join the MAJOR FORCE company: “When he was starting File records, [he] reached out to me and said, 'We're currently looking for staff.' Although I didn't really understand much about the music business, I was intrigued and decided to join. So, I joined the label as a staff member and began working on everything from sales to PR. It was a busy daily life, but looking back, that experience played a crucial role in shaping who I am today. I gained a deep understanding of the business structure because I was handling everything on my own.“

Always around to some degree, a young E-WAX soaking it all in. When asked if he had an awareness of his extraordinary upbringing, he tells us that he “was just growing up like any other kid having fun.” He expands: “But after hitting the age of 20 to 30, the fact that I speak English directly ties to my past of being in England, and it’s a very special thing. Creativity-wise, seeing all the different things normal people wouldn’t have seen growing up was cool. I never really thought about it back then, but as a creative today, I take a great deal of inspiration from the experiences I had in the 90s.” Taro adds his own perspective: “It’s also cool to see all the pictures from that time, how everyone was dressed so cool. You look at the pictures and all the kids were dressed in these 60s/70s outfits. It looks amazing. You weren’t really aware of it, but fuck me, those were amazing times and an amazing education.”

When asked how MAJOR FORCE influenced his own creative path he answers: “My whole life, I’ve been looking at different subcultures, and always looked up at and remembered all the amazing people that were part of the the subculture I was surrounded by during my childhood, and I always wanted to communicate the impact it had on me, and the impact it had on culture.” Considering that before releasing full-fledged menswear collections, AFFXWRKS started out as KNOW WAVE radio show, with Taro sharing his own mixes with a devoted niche audience, it only makes sense that the alchemical union of music and fashion represented by MAJOR FORCE left a lasting impact. “They’re the coolest group of people I look up to style-wise. That’s a huge impact for me. Music-wise, their references to rare groove were quite new at the time. […] There was a lot of sampling done in ways I hadn’t seen with references to more instrumental music like muzak or soundtrack music, and that was utilized in a way that felt really sophisticated in a genre normally meant to be rebellious. Especially in their work for Skylab, there were things K.U.D.O. would do, like integrate dub into the trickiest tracks that really brought depth and added many levels to the audio quality of the tracks. It was exciting at the time, but if you listen to it now, it still stands the test of time.” Taro elaborates right before K.U.D.O. adds that: “I was heavily influenced by Taro's dad. He was born and raised in the U.K., so the musical foundation between me, a Japanese person, and him was completely different. I received mixtapes and CDs with selected tracks from him, and we even worked together on music for Paul Smith and Alexander McQueen fashion shows with James."

For Taro, showing respect to that was the driving motivation behind the EAST2WEST: Dayz of our Lives book: “It felt like the perfect time to show a world where these two things come together. A group of people who have so much to tell. So many different creative backgrounds living together, doing creative things, and having fun. It felt important to show something as huge of a chapter of all our lives. I [wanted] to showcase the group of people who had changed my life and many others. In times like now, I look back to these pictures, and there was a feeling of harmony of music and community. as you can see from the photo book.“ He still seems very much impressed by the pictures his friend took as a kid. “I really like this series of photos that Eiji (E-WAX) took. [They] were taken from below upwards because, as a kid, [he] was taking pictures of everyone. You see these pictures, and there are all the legends, and here you are with the camera looking up at the center of all of this. We were there,” he reminisces. Just then, a protagonist of the described scenario, Kan, chimes in laughing, stating he was “surprised by how much [he] actually took back then.” E-WAX responds that they “curated a small selection of photos from thousands, and Taro created the layout for the book.” He elaborates that “it spans from pictures from when I was born to when I was in school, but we really curated it down to only a few pictures.”

Having heard stories about the glory days of MAJOR FORCE and realizing how much the label did not only for the founders and members but also for a younger generation that witnessed everything first-hand and felt inspired to embark on their own creative journeys, we asked, what advice Shin, E-WAX, and Taro have for young creatives today. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Shin starts: “Things like expressions and values are constantly changing with the times, so there isn't really any specific advice I can give. What I can share, based on our experiences, is the idea of pursuing one thing—delving deep into it. Repeatedly seeking to understand and respect it. It's not just about absorbing the superficially attractive aspects; it's also about respecting history. Transforming it into something new with your own interpretation is crucial.” Sounds exactly like what E-WAX and Taro did with their photo book. So what was their advice?

E-WAX chooses his words carefully: "I'm not in a position to give advice, but in today's era with an abundance of answers, it's good to be influenced by various things. However, I feel that today's younger generation tends to present things as they are without delving deeper. I think it's essential to chew on and digest things more thoroughly internally. Even in an era where it feels like everything has been done, and it's hard to define truly original, I believe that if you do what you love in your own way, something unique will eventually emerge. Perhaps MAJOR FORCE also didn't set out with the intention of creating a culture like this; it just naturally evolved as a result of passionately pursuing what they loved, digging deep without losing focus.” He adds that “it's true that many people get swayed by the constantly flowing information, so I think sticking to what you love without losing focus is probably the most direct path. It's easy to join a group or play a game someone else created… It's easy to step into this world. But rather than that, you need to create your own game. I think that's what's important.”

After having listened to the others nodding in agreement, Taro formulates his piece of advice: “As someone who has observed the history of music and culture, what I've come to realize is that whenever something has had an impact on me, I think about what it made me feel, and also what it did to better my mind. I think it’s great to look and respect the past, and for me, for anyone to build something new, you have to understand what’s come before you and find a way to make it make sense for today.” After further consideration, he adds: “A lot of things in the culture that had an impact at the time had a lot of sense of rebellion or inquiry that was relevant at the time. I often find that as years go on and culture moves forward, it’s important to respect the past. Think about what they said and re-communicate it. I don’t think there are a lot of new messages, but looking back at the previous messages that have had an impact I think it’s important for us to give it a language that speaks for today. That’s why you should always be looking to the past, and don’t be embarrassed about reutilizing it. Think about what you can do to tell that story for the 21st century.“

Image(s) provided by Abe Selassie

Having dived deep into the first-hand history of such an influential group as MAJOR FORCE and hearing what Taro and E-WAX took from it, both in their personal lives and for their respective creative practices, their advice resonates even more. After all, being open-minded towards different global cultures, collecting and choosing influences, and re-mixing it all with a unique perspective is what MAJOR FORCE did. That they laid the foundation for Japanese street culture and built an untouchable legacy and lineage of creative influence almost seems like an unavoidable by-product. We’re just glad this alchemy happened, and we can still rejoice in it today.