To start his late Sunday afternoon set, Iengaga was resplendent in an open collared shirt, a shell necklace, and a sombrero sized straw hat. It was pure Carribean style and we might as well have been on a white sand beach as some good vibrations were surely set to be unleashed. The island vibe was appreciated giving the gloom of rain which washed over the festival the previous day, and festivalgoers were definitely eager to loosen their rain gear and cut up some more underfoot turf.

At the start it was the bracing shot “Tequila” by the Champs circa 1958. This band never had another hit, but they probably didn’t need to either considering the decades this track has ben played at parties and frat houses around the world.

Ienega concluded the track by saying “No more rain, sunshine and tequila. Let’s move on to more music now as he cued the godfather of soul, James Brown. It was definitely “Make it Funky” as the godfather has been a godsend all mashup djs who never fail to drop one of hi signature riffs every 5th song. James Brown is an artist to love and become familiar with as his reputation being the hardest working man in show business has led him to put out, or say 50 dynamic records.

And from there Ienega was just grabbing at tracks an rhythms, like a forklift operator moving cartons of vinyl around the warehouse. He utterly surprised many by going with Beastie Boy jam “Intergalactic” which got the crowd mashing the well worn sod in front of the Dj booth.

For the second half of his set, a luxury that few Djs are afforded at the Blue Galaxy, he went to his comfort zone, hitting the audience with some groovy reggae such as the tune “Stop that Train” by Clint Eastwood and General Saint”. And then it was some hard, hard dub reggae slapping ya right int he face, something he clearly relishes and reinforced with some powerful hand movements. And for Naoki’s final number, confirmed via Facebook Messenger, it was, “Who Knows” by Chronixx and Protojie. It was an island vibe for real, leaving everyone in the crowd thoroughly entertained and ready for the final night of Fuji Rock.

Few other vinyl Djs would have the gumption to wear a t-shirt advertising another medium…um.. CDs. This is the type of antagonism Kitazawa relishes. It’s even his signature go to garb when performing high profile events like Fuji Rock.

“A few years ago he was wearing a t-shirt saying ‘I want to buy vinyl! I don’t think he was serious about it, but that’s the irony I love about him,” says Jim West.

West says he rarely comments on the skills or techniques of other DJs but he believes Kitazawa is well practiced in “the chop” or the cutting off a song without cross-mixing or fading. To do this well, one needs to spend hours practicing and learning the rhythm and groove of each song. It also helps if one is a trained acupuncturist like Kitazawa who is expert at the quick insertion needles into patient’s meridian points each day.

“He’s not prejudiced in his music, playing hot spring bands and other music which he blends so well. You can tell he practices by his jumps and slices,” says West. Precision is his forte, though DJing is a medium that can be cluttered and messy.

It takes time and practice to develop such skills and Kitazawa has been active for over 20 years now, performing at big outdoor events, community centers, and a wide range of ages and tastes. This is what has given him to confidence to play songs such as “In Between Days” ahead of tonight’s Green Stage headliner, The Cure. He also peppers his set list with obscure tracks and rock and roll classics. This goes to show Kitazawa is a free swinging DJs who just wants to expose more people to good music. Here is his set-list. Enjoy

PEE WEE HUNT / SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL
GORO NAKAGAWA / KOROSHIYA NO BLUES YUUKADAN
OSOUJI OBACHAN IZUMI YUKIMURA
SEVENTEEN WHISTLE BAIT / DAYDREAM BELIEVER
IGGY POP / LUST FOR LIFE
GEORGE BAKER SELECTION / LITTLE GREEN BAG
ROCKPILE / HEART
JOHNATHAN RICHMAN & THE MODERN LOVERS / ICE CREAM MAN
PAUL ANKA / BRASIL
THIRD EYE BLIND / SEMI CHARMED LIFE
THE CURE / IN BETWEEN DAYS