Guests: JUN TANAKA (JPN)

All shows at Northcote Theatre are standing room unless otherwise specified
All shows at Northcote Theatre are licensed and strictly 18+

The Operatives present
DJ KOCO AKA SHIMOKITA
(JPN)

In the backstreets of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo — where vintage vinyl shops meet next-gen creativity — lives a selector whose turntables know no borders. DJ KOCO aka SHIMOKITA is a name whispered with reverence in vinyl circles and shouted out loud in DJ booths from Tokyo to the Bronx. A true 7-inch assassin, KOCO’s weapon of choice is the 45, and his style? Pure alchemy.

Armed with razor-sharp skills and a crate-digger’s instinct that feels more spiritual than studied, DJ KOCO has elevated the art of DJing into a genre-defying, global spectacle. His sets move like stories — soulful, precise, unpredictable — crossing boundaries of age, race, and nationality. It’s hip hop at its most elemental, its most joyful.

The world took notice when he popped up on DJ Scratch’s iconic “ScratchVision” in 2016. Not long after, he was making noise at the Park Jam Series in the Bronx, repping Tokyo in the birthplace of hip hop. By 2019, KOCO was the lone Japanese representative at Technics 7th in Las Vegas, spinning alongside legends like Cut Chemist, Kenny Dope, and Derrick May. That same summer, he hit the road with DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Scratch for the Vinyl Destination tour, blessing over ten cities across the U.S. with his signature sound.

Back home, KOCO’s become a staple at top-tier Japanese festivals like Rainbow Disco Club, Asagiri Jam, Ringo Ongakusai, Local Green Festival, and the Far East Reggae Cruise hosted by Mighty Crown. But his reach doesn’t stop there. From We Out Here with Gilles Peterson to the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, and the global stage of Red Bull BC One World Final, KOCO’s vinyl journey has no off switch.

Recent years saw him tear it up in Brazil (2023) and Australia (2024), with even more international tours on the horizon. DJ KOCO aka SHIMOKITA isn’t just spinning records — he’s spinning culture, memory, and movement into something timeless.