Four years after the release of his 2021 original album 'ONE WORLD,' DJ Kawasaki returns with a brand-new track on 7' vinyl. This exquisite instrumental boogie fusion single features vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu-Taiwan-born and now based in New York-and Tsuoshi 'TICO" Habu, steel pan player of Japan's leading instrumental dub band LITTLE TEMPO.Side A presents the original version, featuring the beautiful vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu, who pays homage to Roy Ayers. Her cover of Roy Ayers' 'We Live in Brooklyn Baby,' included on her 2020 debut 'The Path,' garnered major attention. Here, her thrilling yet contemporary and ambient-tinged luxury performance elevates DJ Kawasaki's melody into a sophisticated, mature sound.Side B includes an exclusive version featuring steel pan player Tsuoshi 'TICO" Habu of LITTLE TEMPO, a band celebrated at festivals and live stages both in Japan and abroad. His profound and nuanced steel pan tones transform the jazzy, fusion-based original into a tropical, breezy summer boogie that evokes the Caribbean seas between Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.The project is co-produced by Shuya Okino (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE / KYOTO JAZZ SEXTET), whom DJ Kawasaki cites as his mentor. The fresh, seasonally inspired artwork is designed by fellow DJ and collaborator Yusuke Yoshinaga (solla Inc.).The musicians contributing to the recording include:Rhodes: Arata NakamuraPercussion: Hidero Nishioka (CENTRAL / VenueVincent)Bass: Leo Nanjo (CENTRAL / tropico)Guitar: Tetta OdateDrums: Soki-Sosei Kimura (Osaka Monaurail)These longtime collaborators not only enrich the studio recording but also support DJ Kawasaki's live band style.Mixing and mastering were handled by DJ Kawasaki himself. Both versions are being released on 7' vinyl ahead of their digital release. The result is a dancefloor-ready tune that captures DJ Kawasaki's current sound in it's most forward-looking form.About Chien Chien LuChien Chien Lu is a jazz vibraphonist, contemporary percussionist, and composer whose Taiwanese heritage, classical training, and love of groove define her fresh approach to contemporary jazz. She began classical piano at six and percussion at ten, later performing with the world-renowned Ju Percussion Group for five years and touring Asia before shifting her focus to jazz in 2015.Raised in Taiwan's classical tradition, Lu mastered precision and discipline but longed for a freer voice. That search led her to the United States, where she discovered jazz and improvisation as a true form of self-expression.Her artistry has since gained international recognition. Named one of DownBeat Magazine's '25 for the Future" and the Recording Academy's '10 Emerging Jazz Artists of 2023," Lu has become a dynamic force in today's jazz scene. Her collaborative album with bassist Richie Goods, CONNECTED, won Best Instrumental Album at the 34th Golden Melody Awards.Lu's debut album The Path (2020) spent 20 weeks in the JazzWeek Top 20, won Best Jazz Song at the Golden Indie Music Awards, and received multiple Golden Melody and Golden Indie nominations. She was also voted a vibraphone rising star in DownBeat Magazine's 69th Annual Critics Poll. Her group has performed at major festivals including Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, and across Europe, Asia, and the U.S.Her transition to jazz accelerated at the 2017 Banff Jazz Residency under Vijay Iyer, where she met trumpet icon Jeremy Pelt, later joining his quintet. Her second album Built In System (2023) was praised by The Times of London as one of the best jazz and world albums of the year.Lu's earlier classical career featured solo recitals at Taipei Novel Hall and acclaimed performances of Ching-Mei Lin's six-mallet marimba concerto Pulsing Wave, earning recognition as an 'Emerging Young Artist" in 2014. This classical sensibility continues to shape her unique sound.Currently, Lu focuses on CONNECTED with Richie Goods, which has appeared at Monterey Jazz Festival, Stanford Jazz Festival, and Taipei International Percussion Convention. Upcoming highlights include SFJAZZ (2025), the National Concert Hall Jazz Festival in Taiwan (2025), and a new collaboration with the WDR Big Band (2026). CONNECTED Vol. 2 is set for release soon.About Takeshi 'TICO" TokiSteelpan player from Kunitachi City, Tokyo.As a member of groups such as LITTLE TEMPO, MACROBIOTICTS, Chieko Beauty & Nyahmans, Mame Daifuku, and Timamoo, he continues to perform throughout Japan, sharing the unique sound of the steelpan and spreading it's joy to audiences everywhere
