It's been two years since Asia's premiere DJ, Ken Ishii (right), dropped into town and the techno maestro is hoping things have changed. 'When I came two years ago I was shocked to find how into trance they were,' he says from his Tokyo studio. 'Hopefully it will be a bit different this time. I want them back into techno and stuff which is more musical.' But Ishii, who played Hong Kong in 1997 and 1999, was at least impressed by the scale of the club movement last time around. 'For a city with a population of seven million, the scene is growing really fast,' he says. In fact, having played Korea, Beijing and Shanghai, he is pleased with the growth in clubbing across the region. 'They can't afford to buy records, but they are coming along to parties,' he says. The Internet, therefore, is playing a key role in the spread of underground music, through music-file sharing, which puts Ishii in a quandary. 'I'm a fan of hi-tech culture, but I'm an artist and I have to sell records,' he says. 'However, it was the same 30 years ago with the advent of the cassette tape. Time solves these problems.' Ishii has spent the past few months DJing in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. It's a change from long stints in the studio and has proved inspirational. 'I have met a lot of people, been handed a lot of promos and I've visited a lot of historical places, like museums.' He filters his experiences into his music. 'I was in Istanbul and listened to Turkish pop music. I hated it, but I found interesting elements in it - instruments and sounds which could be good to use.' Back in Japan, Ishii is working on a new series of Nike ads with the likes of DJ Krush. Is he selling his music out? 'Not at all. I'm doing exclusive tracks, providing them with underground tracks. I'm enjoying this project very much.' It's also a chance to spread the techno gospel. 'Some people know techno, but there are still some that don't, so this gives them a chance to hear it.' Ishii works closely with graphic artists and he's appearing in Hong Kong with Kazuma Morino, who made the futuristic video for his latest single Iceblink. 'Visual aids work well at clubs, combined with the music and lights. It's a far better experience than watching a music video,' he enthuses. Which brings us back to tomorrow night (April 28). 'I really hope it's not so trancey now,' Ishii says. DJ Lulu (left) is not just sharing the bill with Ken Ishii, she has a lot in common with the man too. Besides being into video and graphic art, she also prefers deep techno sets to playing hard. An entrepreneurial DJ - who played the Electronic Music Festival at Kai Tak last December - Lulu runs Digital Disco in Cambridge, England, where video and graphic art plays an important part on the night. 'When people go inside they feel warm and fluffy,' she says. The video installations alone cost #1,500 (HK$17,000) for a night. Lulu also plays at Ultimate Bass with the likes of Carl Cox and recently married DJ and producer Jim Masters, going on a chill-out honeymoon to Ibiza. Earlier this month she played with Ishii (of whom she's a big fan) at The End in London. Also on the bill was Detroit's No 1 son, Derrick May, and Talvin Singh. The price for the night - #13 (HK$150). Hong Kong promoters take note.
