Tone Glow 168: Asa-Chang

Asa-Chang is a Japanese composer and percussionist best known for founding the groups Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and Asa-Chang & Junray. The latter act began in the late 1990s after Asa-Chang became deeply interested in the emergence of “world music.” He sought to create his own fusion of electronic and folk styles, and the group found a hit in their single “Hana.” The track was released in Japan before getting issued in the UK, where it was regularly played on pirate radio stations before getting spun by John Peel. The group finds its name from the “Junray Tronics” soundsystem that Asa-Chang created, with Junray itself being derived from the Japanese word for “pilgrimage.” Asa-Chang started the group with Hidehiko Urayama, releasing the Tabla Magma Bongo EP in 1998. They would add the tabla player U-Zhaan to their group and release Hana (2001) and Tsu Gi Ne Pu (2002) in the years that followed. They have since gone through more lineup changes, with Yoshihiro Goseki and Anzu Suhara rounding out the current iteration. They released their latest studio album, 事件, in 2020. Recently, Asa-Chang & Junray embarked on their first US tour, playing two shows: one in New York at ISSUE Project Room, and one in Philadelphia at the Asian Arts Initiative.

Joshua Minsoo Kim spoke with Asa-Chang in three different iterations: via Zoom on October 15th, 2024; in person at the Asian Arts Initiative for a public seminar on October 25th, 2024; and through email correspondence. The following interview is an edited collation of these conversations. Thank you to Junko Okada, Tina Hashimoto, and Ann Adachi-Tasch for help with interpretation and translation. This interview is supported by the Asian Arts Initiative.

Written by Joshua Minsoo Kim.

Read the full interview on Tone Glow