Sound and lights are two essential elements that have always made up the club scene. Now there is a third element to the club culture in Japan that has come to be just as evident as the DJ. The VJ. And within this fast growing field of visual delight, one group stands high above the rest in creating and displaying the visuals demanded by club kids abroad: E-MALE.

I would like to thank Eriko Hase of Futique Management for setting the interview up and for being so helpful with the translation and everything else.

For booking and additional info please contact E-MALE's management at:

Futique Management
#814 Lions Plaza
1-2-10 Ohashi, Meguro, Tokyo
153-0044 Japan
e-mail: info@futic.com
Tel. +81- (0)3-3780-0044
Fax. +81- (0)3-3780-3784

Brent Csutoras
May 2000

The following interview was conducted by Brent Csutoras in May 2000:

What are your names and where are you from?

Hideo Takashima: Hideo Takashima and I am from Miyazaki, part of the southern island Kyushu.

Kazuhiro Takimoto: Kazuhiro Takimoto and I was born in Osaka, the second largest city in Japan.

What is VJing?

E-MALE: Two fundamental elements in a club have always been sound and lights. Now we have brought a new element, visuals. Before clubs had visuals they only had sound and lights to entertain with, but now visuals have become a part of the club experience too. Actually we might be more of a fourth element. Drag Queens are actually the third. When we started VJing it was always at gay parties and so we have worked with many Drag Queens so it is Lights, Sound, Drag Queens, and then VJing.

So how did you end up creating graphics?

Takimoto: I first got started in drawing. I really enjoyed drawing. I thought computer graphics was the most likely field to develop and progress in the future, so that's where I went with my art. I first touched graphics when I went to the Osaka University of Arts. Before that I had never done graphics because all the equipment was professional.

Hideo: I also really liked drawing. I knew that I could not be a regular businessman, who has to wear a suit and tie and sit in an office all day, so I wanted to try graphics. I went to the Kyushu Arts and Technology University where I also first got the opportunity to touch computers. After that I got into making computer games and that is where it all started.

Hideo and Takimoto first met working together for a big computer game company. As colleagues they really connected and although Hideo works freelance they still remain E-MALE, as well as good friends.

When you made games, did you make full games or just segments?

Hideo: When we start on a game it's more like a title. We work as one project team, so we all do a little part for the title. For example I may do a water scene while Takimoto might do a land scene. We just stick with one title until we finish the project. Then we go to arcades and watch people playing our games. The pleasure comes from seeing people enjoying our games and being really happy.

Takimoto: It's kind of the same for when we are VJing. We make all the visuals and computer graphics for the club so when we see the crowd enjoying themselves, it makes us happy.

Hideo: The one thing we really try to do is make visuals that attract people who come without any intentions or expectations. To catch their eyes and amaze them. It's like when people go to the arcade. They have no expectations and see hundreds of games to choose from. If they choose one of ours, it may be because they think the graphics are really good or something must have caught their eye.

When did you start VJing?

Hideo: About 4 years ago this organization group threw a house party and we talked to them about doing visuals. They said they were putting together a party and wanted visuals so we could try our stuff there. Back then, there was not a lot of VJ's because people really didn't think about VJ's for parties. So we thought this would be something new so we decided to do it.

Is there any special equipment used in VJing?

E-MALE: We use two video mixers at the same time. We also use about five video projectors and our original screens, which we hand made. The main materials are in our videotapes, but sometimes we use Windows to operate our visuals.

How did you come up with the name E-MALE?

E-MALE: The first party we ever did was a gay party so when we were thinking of a name we wanted male to be in it. Then since we were doing computer graphics we added an E like in e-mail. So we had E-MALE.

Have you ever done VJing outside of Japan?

E-MALE: The end of 1999 we did a pretty big party at Kuala Lampur International Airport for the New Year's countdown.

Do you have any memories of VJing that stand out above the rest?

E-MALE: When all of the elements at a club come together at one time. When the music is building and the lights, smoke, and drums come together with our visuals perfectly. That is the moment we feel we could just faint.

So is VJing gonna stay in your life forever?

Hideo: VJing has become a part of my lifestyle.

Takimoto: If I was not VJing then something would be missing in my life. I have become VJ. It is in me. We really love it.

Have you ever ventured into making visual movies?

E-MALE: We have been VJing for 4 years now but we still do things on the side. We just recently finished making an underground sex culture film titled I.K.U., which is to be screened at the Sundance Film Festival for the first time.

Do you have any dreams you would like to accomplish in VJing?

E-MALE: We have done some really large parties with one to two thousand people before. We would really like to do a party outside and possibly play our show on the clouds or maybe a waterfall. That would be really great.

Thanks for this interview!