What is the unique appeal of GTC for artists?
READY FOR OPEN AIR #2
GROW THE CULTURE continues its candid interview series with the people who have been part of every edition, featuring Frankie $, Dx and Velocity as they share their thoughts and experiences with GTC.
Event
[No. 002]
What is the unique appeal of GTC for artists?
READY FOR OPEN AIR #2
GROW THE CULTURE promotes underground dance music culture from Tokyo, inspired by the UK soundsystem culture.
Ahead of GROW THE CULTURE OPEN AIR 2026, which will finally be held tomorrow, November 7th,
we invited Frankie $, Dx, and Velocity—who have performed at every single edition—to speak candidly about their thoughts on GTC.
PART 1
→ (Part 1) Creating a Community Experience Beyond Events and Genres
Q1. This marks the 4th appearance for all of you; could you share your thoughts on how you feel right now?
Velocity: I feel like, "Wow, it's already been held four times?" so it feels like it went by pretty fast. The first time was in 2022, right? I was told beforehand that it would be cold so I should bundle up, but I remember surprisingly everyone was dressed lightly and I was the only fluffy, bundled-up one.
Dx: Everyone was saying they were going to freeze to death. (laughs)
Frankie $: Doing an outdoor event in November is interesting in itself. I like cold weather; it has a survival feel to it, which is fun. House music suits the summer, but when it's cold, I feel like darker music fits better.
maidable: Many festivals, like in Izu, are held during the warmer months like May or June. So on the flip side, we chose this time of year partly because we wanted to create a solid vibe in a harsh environment. Also, autumn and winter fashion has a lot of variety, which is fun. Some people wear outerwear, some don't, and some are even dancing in short sleeves.
Velocity: That's true, there are many performers whose playing style suits the cold climate.
Frankie $: They do say that sound was born in the UK precisely because of the bad weather.
Dx: In the 2000s, I used to go to summer outdoor raves a lot, but I hadn't gone in the last 10 years. So, in the midst of COVID, I got interested in this outdoor rave organized by young people about two generations younger than me. Plus, the name "GROW THE CULTURE" was really striking.
Velocity: When I first heard it, I thought, "What an intense name!" (laughs)
Dx: I felt that it wasn't just a one-off party, but that they were doing it with a forward-looking vision. And conversely, because the name is so big, it felt like they were raising the bar for themselves.
Q2. Could you tell us how you came to perform at GROW THE CULTURE for the first time?
Velocity: Until I performed at GTC, I wasn't good with outdoor events—I was definitely a club person. When I was around 20, a summer party I was supposed to play at was ruined by a typhoon and ran a massive deficit, plus international artists cancelled last minute, so I had this kind of outdoor phobia. GTC might have been the catalyst that changed my mindset rather than just my playing, leading me to go hang out at and perform at outdoor events.
Dx: People used to refer to me as a member of Soi Productions or BS0, but lately, more and more people recognize me as someone who performs at GTC. I think that's a great example showing how GTC's presence has grown.
Frankie $: Not just the first time, but every time, I might be leaning towards a slightly spiritual, tricky play unique to being in nature, unlike playing in a club. Last time I played a lot of spiritual dubstep, and that felt like it clicked the most. But instead of doing that 100%, I mix in a bit of Grime essence and things like that.
I think what I've learned from my usual house and techno sets really functions best outdoors. It feels like I can bring out things outdoors that I can't express 100% in a club. Precisely because I don't usually perform outdoors often, I consider outdoor gigs a valuable opportunity to grow.
Q3. Looking back at your past performances, were there any sets or moments that particularly stood out to you?
Velocity: I’m conscious of the fact that my style is relatively catchy compared to the other performers. When I played my own track, Velocity - Bird Theme, early in the morning, birds began chirping along with it, and feeling that sense of openness was truly memorable.
I also clearly remember that last time, Yukimatsu-san went on right after me. Watching him look at the waveform and mix seamlessly made me admire how he’s a DJ who connects tracks through their natural flow.
Dx: I feel like I've talked about last year's incident all over the place, but I'll bring it up again. I think it was right after the CDJ-3000 had an OS update. Maybe it was because I put tracks onto a USB without running them through rekordbox or setting CUE points, but the tracks completely stopped loading.
Velocity: When I went to check on him, the entire tracklist was gone, and the song he was playing just kept looping endlessly. (laughs)
Dx: Even the backup USB wouldn't read, so a single track ended up looping continuously for 15 minutes. I remember it turning into this strange music that felt almost like prog rock. I had brought vinyl records as a backup, thinking, "I didn't expect to be using these so early!" as I dropped them in. Everyone's reaction afterward was like, "Great effort hanging in there!" (laughs) Also, someone from AlphaTheta who was there said they wanted to analyze the issue, so I just handed the USB over to them.
Velocity: I remember the crowd going wild the moment it switched to vinyl after that continuous looping.
Frankie $: Speaking for my own sets, I think the morning jungle set the second time around was really good.
Velocity: That was amazing! I was reflecting on my time attending the event for this interview, and I realized I had posted on Instagram two days in a row talking about how incredible Frankie's Jungle set was, lol.
Frankie $: Compared to the genres I usually play, I don't own that many Jungle records. And a lot of them were ambient-leaning. I think ambient jungle is best enjoyed outdoors. It was early morning, the sunlight was filtering through the trees, and it was just a perfect fit. I hadn't slept at all back then, so I wasn't feeling great at first, but I remember feeling better and better as I played.
maidable: It was deeper than the typical "morning jungle" people talk about, and it had a unique, distinct appeal.
Q4. While continuing to perform at each edition, were there any hardships or challenges you had to overcome?
Dx: Definitely the issue of getting back home. Last time, before I realized it, almost all the other performers and guests were gone. I tried to head back with the remaining staff, but the car was packed to the brim with luggage and there was no room for me, so I remember walking back, lol.
Frankie $: The trip back was tough for me too, since I carry vinyl. Across the long event hours, I actually never slept even once. I remember feeling a bit cold at times, but I had a blast the entire time.
Velocity: I don't think I slept a wink either. I feel like I pretty much powered through on alcohol.
dx I also want to tell the people in tents or bungalows that sleeping is a waste of time! (laughs) Though, of course, when it gets cold, you really should warm up.
Velocity: During the first edition, was it a rest area? There were people DJing in a gymnasium-like space, right? From the second edition onwards, it became a dedicated rest area, so I think it's great that people can go there to reset and take a break. Even a short nap makes a world of difference.
Q4. Is there anything in particular you're looking forward to or want to focus on regarding this lineup and venue?
Velocity: Fracture is probably visiting Japan for the first time, right? I'm really looking forward to it. I think when I saw him at SUN AND BASS in Italy, he was working together with Neptune, but it was also impressive how things quieted down for a bit after that and then he became active again when Footwork started trending.
Velocity: Within the lineup, I'm on the relatively catchier side, so I want people to just listen without overthinking it. I think my style is different from everyone else's, so while I could lean more towards the deeper side, I don't want to do that. I want to play liquid-style tracks too, and I want to stick to doing what I've always done.
Dx: Looking at this lineup, I get the impression that it's somehow quite cohesive. Seeing Dayzero and karnage side by side feels linked to BS0 as well. Though it might just be that there are many people I know personally. On the other hand, there are Jungle/Drum and Bass artists like mileZ and submerse, and maybe quite a few veterans like Oyubi. Demographically, it feels like the layer around their 30s is particularly thick.
maidable: This time, there are many people who often perform overseas, like Stones Taro and Karnage.
Frankie $: Once again, I want to see everyone, so I probably won't find time to sleep in the end. (laughs) Also, it's the kind of lineup where you can almost picture the timetable already. Speaking of my own set, I get a different request each time, so I'm excited to see what it will be this time. For big gigs, I always buy records to prepare, but for the second Ambient Jungle Set, out of about 90,000 yen worth of records I bought, I only ended up using about 5,000 yen worth, and the rest were records I already owned.
Dx: Speaking of my own set, I select tracks best suited for the time slot. When it was during the daytime, I played exclusively percussion-heavy tracks to match Oba's environment of forests and mountains. (laughs)
Frankie $: There are already artists on the lineup who play Dubstep and Grime, so I'm thinking it'd be great if I could fill the gaps by playing the Techno or Electro sounds that I've been doing recently.
Velocity: Unlike clubs, the passage of time shifts naturally, which makes it interesting. My impression of Frankie $'s first set was great, playing right around sunset.
Dx: Come to think of it, I also looked up the sunrise and sunset times myself.
Velocity: Thinking about possibilities like rain, and given Japan's climate, I have a feeling autumn and winter raves will increase going forward. Summer is just too hot. (laughs)
Q5. If you could summarize the appeal of this event in one word to someone who has never experienced GROW THE CULTURE, what would you say?
Velocity: Speaking from my own experience, it's the party that got me hooked even though I wasn't big on outdoor events, so I think that says it all. If you haven't been, just go and you'll discover something—it's really fun. Besides, listening to music on a big sound system outside is just naturally a great time.
Dx: Unlike in a club, it's great that you can see everyone around you. Because the space is so open, your field of view naturally broadens too, in a way.
Velocity: I feel like it's an environment where you can have fun even if you don't know many people. Last time, a friend came who only knew me, and they told me they had an absolute blast.
Dx: Totally. Being in that space somehow makes you friendlier than usual. Even without talking, you feel like you're sharing the same space and the same experience together.
Frankie $: (Oba Camp Village) isn't just a campsite; it has the vibe of a secret hideout. It feels properly distanced from society. So first-timers are blown away by the environment, but there's also a comfort to the location. Even for seasoned festival-goers, an event specializing purely in bass music is pretty rare. Going nonstop for 20 hours lets everyone share that experience, creating a real sense of unity. At other festivals, with multiple booths scattered around, people often end up having completely separate experiences.
Dx: Like I said earlier, being able to take everything in at what feels like arm's reach is great. The bonfires and everything were an amazing idea too.
Frankie $: And having delicious food out in the cold is great, too.
Dx: Speaking of food, the tonjiru (pork miso soup) sold by Dousler was also wonderful. They started selling that after midnight, right? The mapo tofu from the second edition and the jerk chicken from the last one were delicious as well.
maidable: Thank you. On the flip side, do you have any thoughts on what kind of food you'd like to see?
Velocity: Personally, I'd love something like french fries.
Dx: Finger food you can eat with one hand, or bar snacks like that. That sounds good. Also, personally, I'd want noodles (laughs).
Velocity: If they had those, I'd definitely eat them too. (laughs)
