DJ Jim (Jim West) has been performing at Fuji Rock for 13 consecutive years. And if you’ve ever stopped by the World Court there’s a good chance you might see him spinning 45’s at Jim’s Vinyl-nasium. He’s undoubtedly the most active DJ at Fuji Rock and closing out the festival used to be an honor that he presided over though this year he swapped the closing slot for a set just before the Cabarat Cat’s Revue with JVC FORCE TYO.

It wasn’t a big crowd but they were bopping, and mostly having a good time while waiting for the last hour of the festival to pass. Jim effortlessly switches between 45’s with great panache, even jumping between different styles and eras.

West’s true talent is his dedication to vinyl, personally amassing a massive collection which he has previously described to me as 97 meters of vinyl stored at his home in New Zealand. Recently, he shipped part of this collection, mentioning it to me earlier in the week, but I forgot the volume and destination.

A record collector since 1969 and a DJ since 1972, West’s main loves range from soul, funk, ska, Latin, African, and beyond. Don’t expect him to play requests from recent artists, but if its a classic or something stretching way back to early 20th century he might have it. What you can count on is the fact that he will have the crowd bopping very late into the night.