COVERCHORD CULTURE
Leading creative personalities share their winter playlists
WINTER TRACKS
We asked leading professionals from various fields to share
a mini playlist with the theme ‘Winter’
We are into December and temperatures are rapidly dropping.
With shorter and colder days ahead and the festive season around the corner, COVERCHORD asked five creatives to share their favorite tunes with the theme ‘Winter’.
From nostalgic tunes to seasonal hits, a wide range of tracks have been nominated for winter listening.
Check out the winter playlists below and enjoy the winter season ahead.
DJ
Prins Thomas
1_Sometimes It Snows In April / Prince
2_Fade Into You / Mazzy Star
3_ Habitual Love / Okay Kaya
4_Tombola 9 (Funky Loffe Remix) / Dina ôgon
5_Regard / Mr. YT
For my winter-themed playlist, I've picked some songs that keep me warm in the cold months, and also a couple of picks from my walkman days when I was younger, when I had to walk through the snow to school in -20 celsius temperatures.
1_A truly beautiful ballad from one of my all-time musical heroes and one that soundtracked my youth.
2_Another emotional soul-warmer from the walkman days.
3_A relatively new name to me and a Norwegian artist that I really love.
4_I’ve listened to this debut album over and over through spring and summer. This slightly bouncier take on one of my album favorites will ensure it'll be on my playlist for a few more winter months.
5_An all-time favorite which I received as a white label years ago, which I played for years without knowing who it was.
Prins Thomas
DJ ／Producer
Started DJing at a young age and played in numerous bands. Joined forces with Hans-Peter Lindstrøm in 2003, creating music described as "space disco", with influences including electro, krautrock, psychedelia, and prog. They also share a passion for collecting records and run their own labels Feedelity, Full Pupp and Internasjonal.
Website_linktr.ee/prinsthomas
Instagram_@prinsthomas
PRINS THOMAS JAPAN TOUR 2022 Supported by Flor de Cana
Tokyo
12.3(SAT) - DISKO KLUBB - at VENT
Website_ vent-tokyo.net
Osaka
12.4(SUN) - PRINS THOMAS JAPAN TOUR 2022 - at Compufunk Records
Website_compufunk.com
KOWGA
Kasumi Kouga
1_Sega / Awich
2_Keep It Lo / Ojerime, Mura Masa
3_Wildfires / SAULT
4_Born to be blue / UA, 菊地成孔
5_I Need You so Much (feat. Roberta Sweed) / Moodymann, Roberta Sweet
I chose songs that I want to listen to them while driving in the cold winter, still with my jacket on.
I like techno and house music too, but in the winter I like more relaxing music, so I chose songs with a jazzy feel and emo atmosphere.
Kasumi Kouga
KOWGA designer
Born in Shizuoka in 1996, Kouga started her own brand "KOWGA" from the Fall Winter 2021 collection. Selected as one of four women to be featured in Jordan Brand's "Unexpected Creativity" project.
Instagram_@kasumi.kouga
Chef
Kyohei Nishi
1_Worm / Satan Club
2_Hard Drive / Cassandra Jenkins
3_BABY / Onyx Collective
4_Please Love Me / Liam Bailey
5_Flatiron / Suzanne Kraft
I chose tracks to listen to while gathered around a warm dining table with friends, drinking wine.
Kyohei Nishi
Chef
Graduate of the Kyoto Culinary Institute, specializing in confectionery.
Spent a year studying in Alsace, France before returning to Japan and working at Michel Troisgros, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo.
Became chef de partie of Bistro Rojiura in Shibuya in 2014.
Opened Neki, a French restaurant in Nihonbashi which won a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Tokyo, in 2020. Opened his second restaurant, Songbook, a wood-fired restaurant in Setagaya Daita in November 2022.
Instagram_@kyohei.nishi
Instagram_@neki_tokyo
Instagram_@songbook_tokyo
Musician
Julia Shortreed
1_Kith / Hilary Woods
2_Saudade / Ólafur Arnalds
3_Winter Variation / Meredith Monk
4_Sun / Hania Roni
5_Like someone In Love / Chet Baker
I chose five songs I’d want to listen to while taking a cold, winter walk.
Julia Shortreed
Musician
Singer songwriter from Japan and Canada, living in Tokyo.
Sang in the movie "Umimachi diary" and the drama "Watashi wo hanasanaide”. Formed the Black Boi unit with Utena Kobayashi and ermhoi in 2018. Has released various singles and an album in 2021 as a solo artist.
Instagram_@juliashortreed
eye_C magazine
Martin Hoye
1_Fleeting Future / Akusmi
2_Ninjarous / Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, MF DOOM
3_Endless / Portico Quartet
4_Swimmers / Zero 7, Jem Cooke
5_Varkala / Maribou State
All of these are on the top of my winter playlist. Fitting when working at the office or from home while the snow is falling or on the crisp minus 0 mornings.
Martin Hoye
Editor-in-chief of eye_C mag, photographer and stylist
Worked in fashion since the age of 16. Founder and editor-in-chief of eye_C magazine, since 2017. Prior to this, he worked as a freelance photographer and as a webmaster at different fashion stores. Obsessed with magazines both new and old. Loves cats.
Instagram_@mhooye
Instagram_@eyecmag
kit gallery
Gakuji "Chabe" Matsuda
1_Disenchanted / Everything But The Girl
2_Wild Mountainside / Eddi Reader
3_White Days / Nozomi Nobody
4_Crystal Brook / Fruupp
5_It Never Entered My Mind / Miles Davis Quintet
“Blanket songs” is a term I made up to describe music that I like to listen to wrapped up on a cold winter night, or music that makes you feel as if you are wrapped in music. Here are some of my blanket songs, which I have loved listening to for a long time. I’m sometimes moved to tears when I listen to these songs.
Gakuji "Chabe" Matsuda
President of KIT GALLERY / Band member
Born in Hiroshima in 1970. Matsuda is active as a solo artist under the name CUBISMO GRAFICO, while also producing music for various artists. Plays in a band called LEARNERS. In addition to his musical activities, he runs kit gallery, in Harajuku, Tokyo.
Website_kit-gallery.com
Instagram_@cbsmgrfc
Creative director
haru.
1_Winter Solstice / phoenix
2_Wonder / Hitsujibungaku
3_Love The Past / Nariaki Obukuro
4_my future / Billie Eilish
5_New Year / Beach House
I chose songs that I would like to listen to while gazing at the stars alone on a very cold day.
I hope you enjoy the songs and wish you a wonderful winter.
haru.
Creative director
Born in 1995. Launched independent magazine HIGH(er) magazine with friends while a student at Tokyo University of the Arts, acting as editor-in-chief. Established HUG Inc. in June 2019.
Website_h-u-g.co.jp/
Instagram_@hahaharu777
BEDWIN & THE HEARTBREAKERS
Masafumi Watanabe
1_Heartbeats / José Gonzáles
2_If I Ain’t Got You / Alicia Keys
3_Winter Wonderland / Tony Bennett
4_ Winter riviera / Shinichi Mori
5_California Dreamin' / The Mamas & The Papas
Winter is the season that I spend more time listening to music as I am often at home or in the studio. I like listening to music to set the mood for events, such as Christmas or New Year's. When my favorite song comes on while driving in the winter, I can't help but get excited. Winter music is the best.
Masafumi Watanabe
Creative director
BEDWIN & THE HEARTBREAKERS / DAYZ / GOAT
Instagram_@bedwinner
Illustration_Tim Kojima
