Even now, I break out in a cold sweat thinking about it—the recklessness of youth.
It was the first time I went surfing with Kaoru Ohno, after he kindly let me stay at his home. After we got out of the ocean, I told him, as you would any senior:
"You're pretty good at surfing, Kaoru-san."
He almost fell over laughing and replied, "You idiot! I'm a professional surfer!"
"Huh????" I had no idea of the legend he was.
At the time, I had contributed music to Claude Maki (a.k.a. Aktion)’s surf video, Surf Food (VHS back then, nostalgic, right?). Because of that, I admired surfing and "technically" owned a board that a friend had given me.
That's how I met Kaoru Ohno, through acquaintances at Fine magazine's editorial department. For some reason, he took a liking to me, often let me stay at his place, and we started going to the ocean together.
The Music and the Infectious Grooves Connection
While I was completely amateurish at surfing, Kaoru-san and I deeply connected through music and culture. I’m proud to say that when Infectious Grooves, a side project of Suicidal Tendencies (whom Kaoru-san was close with), came to Japan, my band was honored to open for them.
Then, in 1998, I invited Kaoru-san to record with my band, Happy Tribe. He spoke his famous line from Fine magazine's advice column:
"Samba na Rhythmu de~~~" (In a samba rhythm~~~!)
We recorded it and released it on CD.
I had always wanted to release a remix of that song, and now, 27 years later, I've released a modern Dub arrangement.
In today's suffocating "White Society" (referring to suffocating conformity), Kaoru-san's spirit of freedom is something deeply missed. Perhaps it's a moment for everyone to remember that ethos.
I recently heard the news that Kaoru-san's photobook, Badfish, is being released. The timing of my remix release is a complete coincidence—I have no connection to the photobook's production team. But it feels like Kaoru-san gave me a pat on the back, saying, "Hey, you're still at it, aren't you?"
If you have a chance, please listen to my song—which features his voice—while looking at his photobook. It might feel especially nostalgic and new to those who watched Surf Food back in the day.
▶ Where to Listen & Learn More
Bandcamp/Streaming Section: You can listen on subscription services like Amazon and Apple, but I recommend Bandcamp. You can listen to a free preview, and purchase a high-quality WAV file for download. Kaoru-san’s voice appears around the 2:20 mark.
