Que Sakamoto is a DJ and producer who has become Japan’s latest export to the world. From his deep roots in the Tokyo underground, he finds himself outside Japan most of the year on his relentless tours of Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
From Que’s first international booking in 2014 by 65MQ in Milan, Italy, arose a series of invitations around Europe. Neil Diablo invited him to the U.K. where he played with Craig Richards, Fabric resident, and Dave Harvey, Future Boogie. Then an invitation from Harry James, Snap Crackle & Pop (SC&P), to play at the Waiting Room with Brézier, Ivan Smagghe and Rupert Cross. The U.K. invitations led to Belgium, France, Turkey, Lithuania, and a tour of sorts across Europe was born.
Lithuania plays a pivotal role in Que’s career. Especially his connection to Club Opium and Manfredas, who hammered in a wooden signpost with Que Sakamoto’s name on it in 2020, 2 years after his mythical set at the Ant Bangos festival in 2018 at the Port of Nida, which sky-rocketed his career as an emerging artist. At this festival, he met Joakim who introduced him to New York City where he played at many venues like the Good Room with The Juan McLean and also did a radio show for Tim Sweeney at Beats In Space.
Turkey also played another pivotal role in his career with his special connection to Minimuzikhol in Istanbul. Friend and confidant Tutan invited Que to play at many open to last parties, which inspired him to express himself over longer sets getting deeper into the music while forming that magical connection with the people on the dance floor until the last song. This experience was the basis for Que’s track titled “Minimuzikhol” released on the Princes of Azbu Vol. 2 on Hard Fist.
Que went on from New York City to Mexico where Zombies In Miami made a tour for him where he launched himself to fame at the TOPAZdeluze 11th Anniversary. From Mexico Que was cordially invited to countries throughout South America. His tours of North and South Americas have become a yearly ritual since then.
On the other side of the world, in Australia, Que rose to fame with his set at the Subsonic Festival in 2019 with an international line-up that included Ricardo Villalobos, San Proper, Mathew Johnson, DJ W!LD, and Boris, to name a few.
Que continued his countless radio play over 2020 with shows including Electric Shapes #109 (Lithuania), Belly Dance Services on Year Zero Radio (Istanbul), Radio Alhara (Palestine), 44,100Hz Radio #114 (Canary Islands), Viscera Takeover on Mutant Radio (Georgia), RIOTVAN RADIO #74, IN DARK WE TRUST (Italy), Lyl Radio (France), Dublab LA (US), Not An Animal Podcast (UK), Whereabouts Radio (Mexico), PBR Streetgang’s Show on Rinse FM (UK), Renegade Radio Camp (Russia), Red Axe’s Garzen Jukebox #25, Ransom Note’s The ‘Shine A Light On’ (UK), Katacult Podcast (Ukraine) and more.
Que ended 2020 with a new monthly residency on Mutant Radio with his show Thoughts and Ideas Volume 1, sharing his eclectic taste and other-worldly selections to a world in lockdown.
His numerous live-stream requests over 2020 included The Lot Radio (Tribute To Mike McCurdy) (New York), Test FM (St. Petersburg), Katacult (Kyiv), and Veneno Live (São Paulo), all recorded in Japan by Tune Out Tokyo during the pandemic.
As a producer, he had his first success with his partner NT with their release “Lalo” on Roam in 2017 which reached the top 5 in Beatport’s Nu Disco Chart with remixes by JP Soul & Vulinej and Magic Touch.
From Que’s production came a big international break with his unreleased track “Ninja Wa Sugoi” which was played by Red Axes on Pete Tong’s Radio One Essential Mix in the summer of 2018. They continued to support Que’s track playing it at Opium Club’s Garzen Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania in the same year.
Once the pandemic settles, Que is psyched to take off from where he left off, fulfilling his long-awaited debut at Panorama Bar and at the Fusion Festival, Germany. His heart and mind constantly turn to outside of Japan where he plans to escalate his yearly continental tours. Keep an eye on Que’s 2022 music output as he plans to let loose a series of unreleased tracks on imprints and labels worldwide.
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