“When I first heard it, I thought to myself, ‘Wait—what is this?’”

That reaction captures what many listeners feel when they encounter Nariaki Obukuro for the first time. Known as a prodigy discovered by Hikaru Utada, Obukuro once imagined a completely ordinary life as a nine-to-five office worker. Instead, a series of unexpected turns led him into music. Even after debuting to major attention, he refused to settle into commercial formulas, choosing instead to immerse himself in London’s music ecosystem. For Kobukuro, music is an autobiography written in sound.

In 2025, he made another startling move: he ran for mayor of his hometown, Saitama City. He did not win but the experience, he says, dramatically sharpened his “resolution” for understanding society. “It made me realise how complex the world really is,” Obukuro reflects. “And it made me even more determined to protect culture.”

Ahead of his upcoming show in Taipei, Billboard conducted an exclusive interview with Obukuro. “Data may disappear one day,” he says. “But as long as the physical object remains, records will keep on living.”

Now returning with his independent new release, ZATTO, Obukuro frames the title—meaning “crowds” or “street bustle”—as the sound of a city: its randomness, its lived-in chaos, the constant movement of people. Blending the jazz and reggae he absorbed in London with his own Japanese poetic sensibility, he set out to create what he calls “the ultimate vinyl record that can be passed down to future generations.”

1. Welcome! this is your first time performing in Taipei. Have you played at any Billboard Live venues elsewhere before? Are you nervous about making your Billboard Live TAIPEI debut?

Obukuro : Thank you. I’ve been to Billboard Live Tokyo many times, just to hang out or to see shows, but this is my first time performing on that stage. That said, I’ve actually never felt nervous when I go onstage.

2. You became widely known through your work with Hikaru Utada, and now you’re bringing your new album to Billboard Live TAIPEI. Is there anything you can share in advance about this performance? Any Taipei-exclusive elements?

Obukuro: During the six years I lived in the UK, I experienced a diversity of music cultures that you simply don’t encounter in the Asian sphere—everything from flamboyant carnivals and massive sound systems, to mysterious late-night raves and small jazz clubs. Those personal experiences fused with the Japanese traditions that are deeply rooted in my body, and that’s how ZATTO came together. For this show, I don’t plan to use any pre-recorded tracks or unnecessary effects. I want to complete the performance using only the sounds that come from the body.

3. You drew a lot of attention right from your debut—some might even call it “peaking at debut.” But instead of staying in that momentum, you moved to London and looked at music with a clearer perspective. Why London?

Obukuro: To me, “success” isn’t defined by sales figures or social media followers. Success means being able to create art in a healthy, creative environment. To get there, personal growth is necessary—and sometimes that even means breaking the status quo with your own hands. London has a deep musical history. It’s both an exposition of world music and a laboratory for experimentation. I felt that jumping into that environment would bring me closer to the kind of “success” I believe in.

4. Building your career outside of Asia, how do you see culture shaping your creativity and your music? Was there a particular idea that helped you?

Obukuro: If my partner didn’t dance salsa, I might not have been able to write “Kagero.” If I hadn’t toured with Mad Professor, I might not have been able to write “Shiranami.” Different cultures and value systems always spark my creativity. I find joy in “creating a new world that no one has ever seen.” I believe that’s the artist’s responsibility.

5. Since this is your first time in Taiwan, have you followed any Taiwanese music or films before? Any artists you particularly like?

Obukuro: “Yùshì (浴室)” by deca joins and “Wúxiàn Dà (無限大)” by skip skip ben ben are both in my saved playlists, and I revisit them regularly. And COLD DEW’s album Liùshén Wúzhǔ (六神無主), released last year, has been my recent favorite.

6. A new year has just begun, have you set any goals for yourself this year?

Obukuro: I want to release a lot of music this year.

On February 7, he will turn the venue into a laboratory of sound—inviting the audience to excavate, together, a lineage of depth and purity within his sonic world.