Split Works
The fab four of expat hip-hop look to shake up Shibuya

“There’s a lot of talent in this country, a lot of great music that’s going unheard,” say young underground Tokyo hip-hop group Split Works. “We think it’s pretty much the same situation wherever you go. Acts with financial backing dominate the media. Meanwhile, the artists who really have something to offer in the way of content and creativity are relegated to tiny venues.”

Split Works certainly aren’t lacking in opinions. Their debut album Wide Open, released on their 3000 Worlds label, bursts with hard-hitting flow and dope beats. Provocative songs like “Ghetto Gentrification” and “War of the Wordz” will appeal to followers of alternative hip-hop acts like The Roots, DJ Shadow, Anti-Pop Consortium or DJ Krush (whom Split Works cite as an inspiration).

The group came together, as so many do, when American rapper Drew Houston (a.k.a. Kinesis) met Scottish DJ/producer Huw Williams (a.k.a. Solace) and English keyboardist/producer Ben Anderson (a.k.a. Stevie Barracuda) at a local bar last September. Houston had moved to Tokyo to work at a Japanese film school after studying film at USC in LA. “We started fiddling with some beats, put down a couple of promising tracks, and Split Works was born.” The group is rounded out by Canadian beatbox/percussionist Adam Anderson (a.k.a. Yno).

With a CD in hand, the question was how to promote it. The first answer was 3000 Worlds, which they describe as part production company, part indie record label, and part artists’ collective. The second answer was to launch a new event in the form of Deep Sh!t, which debuts at Shibuya club Game this weekend.

Here’s the hype: “Next month we’re launching a regular event called Deep Sh!t, which is the first stage of the resistance. Deep Sh!t is basically a conscious hip-hop-geared event that will feature some amazing musicians, live painting courtesy of a combination of local and international artists, a dance exhibition and more. If you’re curious about what’s going on in the underground in Tokyo, looking for an eclectic night out, or starving for a real hip-hop show, you don’t want to miss this.”

In addition to one of Split Works’ freestyle sets, the event sports a worldwide cast of artists, including DJ Konsoul from the UK, the Life Penciled Crew from the US and Japan, DJ Audace from France, and Japanese dance crew Las Xicas Locas, with performances that run the gamut of hip-hop culture from beatboxing to MCing to battle DJs to live graffiti art.

Deep Sh!t@Game, Dec 2. See club listings for details.

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