Yeah, I've seen that it's available in some spots online, but the album is only available in Japan right now, correct?

Yeah, it's only in Japan and it's coming out in Australia soon. Braille has a label called Hip Hop IS Music and we've been pretty much licensing it to them to put out in these territories. We're waiting for something solid to happen for the States or he might end up letting them put it out. [Braille's] been busy right now finishing up his fourth solo record as well as we've got some new Lightheaded tracks and plans to get done for our next record at least. So he's been busy and it's limited to Japan and Australia right now.

Okay. I've noticed that a lot of hip-hop albums are going overseas first and/or exclusively. Braille's done a few and The Procussions have done some. . .

 Yeah.  

Now, as someone who likes to always get the latest hip-hop, what's up with that? 

(laughs) 

Do I need to find some friends in Japan who can set me up with the albums? Is it cheaper to do it over there or what?

Well, I think what it comes down to is just the market. Japan is such a small island, but a great influence from technology and styles and certain trends that are going on - especially in electronics and gaming. But when it comes to fashion and music, people sway really big to something and you have your little niches where a certain amount of people like this thing or there's other people who really like the mainstream stuff. But there's a ton of people who are just craving a certain sound and when they hear it, they just love it and it spreads like wildfire. So people are requesting it, they're wanting it and, since the demand is there, the labels that are able to grab from even independent artists that have never been on a label, but have something that sounds and works good. They might just pick them up and put it out over there. And there are people who are just running a small career just putting out records in Japan.

Cool.

Not saying that's the way to do it, but some people are getting by like that.

Hey, if it helps support the industry, that's good.

Yeah, exactly. It's just like, that's kind of the reason. There's just a big demand for a certain sound like that there. Even in Europe, people have called it a second wind region because artists that were big stars in the 80s that have been long gone in our eyes, if you look them up, you might find out that they've been touring in Europe for the last ten years or so.

I think that even the masses that like the mainstream in whatever capacity that looks like, they still enjoy quality music and not just because it's old or it's a fad, they're just looking for the next big thing that's coming out now. If it's a new artist that they've never heard of, but they like the sound, cool. But I think they're just a lot more into a certain quality of music, where as in the States there's just so much of everything and sometimes too little of things that have real quality and potency. I just think it's a lot more - at least the sound of stuff that we do (Lightheaded and myself and even others that have a similar sound) - I think that Europeans and the Japanese market just really appreciate the music and seek out more things like that where as here it's kind of overlooked. [People say] it's old, it's throwback, it's whatever. Yeah, that's not for the clubs.