DIGGIN'THRU JAPAN
Music Documentary · Antakly Projects · 2021
Diggin'
Thru Japan
Damien & Gautier Barras
A four-part documentary series exploring Japan's underground music scenes — seen through the lens of record stores and the artists who orbit them.
Five years in the making. Five cities. Thirteen record stores. One profound question: what does it mean to keep a scene alive? Damien and Gautier Barras went to Japan to find out — and came back with something none of them expected.
Diggin' Thru is the exploration of musical cultures seen through the lens of record stores and the artists who gravitate around them. On May 10th, brothers Damien and Gautier Barras released Diggin' Thru Japan — their first take on the subject. A four-part documentary series providing a unique look at some of Japan's most vital underground scenes.
So guys — why Japan? What inspired you most, and what were the highlights?
We decided to film in Japan because it seemed like the most far-out country to us. We knew about the passion they have for records and the culture has always been a fascination. Luckily, we knew people who live and are from there. It really came through thanks to our friend Shingo Suwa, who was our host and who introduced us to a world that none of us knew existed — and Jeremy Rubier, who shot the documentary.
Japan is incredible and the passion they have for music goes far. The attention to detail is of course like no other, and the communities are tightly knit. The fight for survival was also a strong theme. Every scene we documented has been under constant pressure from the fueiho law.
"The attention to detail is like no other and the communities are tightly knit. The fight for survival was a strong theme — every scene we documented has been under constant pressure."
Is this going to be a continuous series — and if so, where next?
Who knows? It definitely was an amazing experience and we got to learn a lot in the process.
Why did it take five years to make?
Haha, well… let's say things took an unexpected turn and then life took over. We finally decided to release it during these hard times because we all feel the need to escape and travel. We hope it inspires people to stay creative.
Musically — your greatest inspirations and influences right now?
Lately we've been listening to a lot of music and enjoying the sounds of Ernest Ranglin, Rhythm & Sound, and Arthur Verocai. We're influenced by a wide range of music and the documentary's soundtrack is a good testament to that. Every track has either been found during the trip or is from one of the artists we interviewed.
- Technique
- Flash Disc Ranch
- LightHouse Records
- Noah Lewis
- Coco Isle Market
- Roots Records
- Fresh Air Records
- Records Records
- Compufunk
- Revelation Time
- Out Records
- Pigeon Records
- Apollo Records
A pioneering Japanese DJ, producer, and the founder of the influential Crue-l Records label — active for over two decades at the heart of Japan's underground dance scene. Known for eclectic, Balearic, and spacey disco sets, Takimi has been described as a "New Romantic DJ," weaving together house, spacey disco, and records that defy easy classification. He has remixed artists including Nina Kraviz, Cornelius, and Sébastien Tellier — bridging Japanese and global dance music with effortless authority.
Antakly Projects — originally conceived as Ninu Nina in 2003 — is not unlike Diggin' Thru. We dig. Through archives. Through conversations. Through two decades of artist interviews, music features, visual essays, and ideas that never quite fit anywhere else.
The point has always been the same: to preserve a little bit of perspective. The artist's perspective. Because in a world that moves fast and forgets faster, those voices deserve a place to breathe.
Explore the full archive at ninunina.com — and if you find something that moves you, that's exactly why it's there.
Music Interviews | 20 Years of Artist Conversations →
The crates are deep. Keep digging. 🎶
