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youtube algorithm blessed me with recommending a 1.5h-long english-language interview with peter barakan about how he became what he is. this is fascinating, i'm about half an hour in, i'm loving it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54rNB0RWHs
i know about him of course because of Begin Japanology, but at least the first half an hour has been more about music, which makes sense (as i recall he has been a radio dj among other things). he namedrops someone very famous in japanese music at the 20-something minute mark :)
imagine studying japanese because you don't know what else to do and it just seems vaguely interesting, then somehow end up in japan at a record company, then one job later you keep being the βguy who speaks englishβ who [incredibly influential japanese musical act] consult
βwhat makes an album or a song, for you, worthy to be played?β
βif it's blatantly commercial, that turns me offβ
:)
feels really telling that the first time he says the words ζΌ«η» and γ’γγ‘ it's in a carefully enunciated broadcast japanese pronunciation, not anglicised
really love the impression i get of him from this interview. he seems to be a bit of a musical omnivore who deeply cares about authenticity. and in that respect i feel a bit of kinship