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There is no 45 DJ better than Japan’s Koco Shimokita

His latest is another masterpiece in manipulating music

LiFTED | Marcus Aurelius | 16 Apr 2022


For the past 50 years, Technics has built the strongest and sturdiest turntables in the world. When they announced their 50th anniversary by releasing a bunch of new colorways for their turntables, people who love vinyl celebrated. During these anniversary celebrations, they also released the beast.

Japan’s DJ Koco Shimokita, the one-eyed vinyl assassin, shows off his skills with 45s in a Boiler Room set recorded live at Jazzy Spot, one of the dopest record stores in Tokyo. Where to even start when discussing what Koco can do with 7-inch records. Besides being small, 45s are a pain to move, scratch with, and manipulate. Koco flips through records with such ease that he’s undeniably the best DJ to ever play 45s, and it’s not even close.

Koco labels himself a vinyl otaku [nerd], and that he’s always out trying to find weird and offbeat selections to throw into the mix. In Wax Poetics, a Hip Hop lover’s bible, he says that learning to DJ with Serato, USBs, or a controller just doesn’t appeal to him. “​​The biggest reason is because I just love vinyl. I’m not good at learning all types of different formats, so I’m sticking to what I’m good at, and trying to master those skills.”

A masterclass is what Koco puts on in this Boiler Room set. His song selection, skills, flow, and programming are unparalleled. He goes from Japanese Hip Hop to a Biggie sample to City Pop to Deep Funk effortlessly, while looking flyAF in his trademark overalls.

Need an hour of amazing background music? This is for you. Want to watch an hour of the greatest DJ to ever play 45s in the history of recorded music? This is for you, too.

Check outDJ Koco Shimokita celebrating 50 years of the SL-1200 below.