Globe-trotting is part and parcel of life for most touring DJs, but for Alex From Tokyo it’s somewhat second nature.

Originally hailing from Paris and currently based in NYC, Alex spent most of his adolescence in the Japanese capital during the late 80s and early 90s, going on to represent Laurent Garnier’s F Communications imprint across the globe. During his time in Tokyo he forged a deep connection with the local scene as evidenced by his vast record collection and his enduring collaboration with Isao Kumano as Tokyo Black Star.

Having linked up with Kumano at around the turn of the millennium, the duo were responsible for some of Innervisions’ most crucial releases throughout the following decade, culminating in 2009’s cerebral Black Ships LP.

Alex has maintained a phenomenal workrate since, contributing to innumerable comps and mixe series before the release last year of Tokyo Black Star sophomore LP Fantasy Live 1999. Described as an “epic 40-minute long meditative live audio painting for your ‘mind, body & soul’ Alex and Kumanno enlisted the help of multi-instrumentalist Kenichi Takagi to recreate a long-lost live session from the vaults of their collective memory.

Alex’s Crack Mix is short but sweet, blending together Technicolor funk, soul, and boogie into a decidedly Summery composition- a fleeting but immensely satisfying glimpse into his hemisphere-spanning record bag.

Alex From Tokyo appears at Sacred Ground festival in Brüssow this weekend