Residents at Tokyo’s legendary Womb, Drunken Kong has notched up a string of quality releases on labels including Tronic, Terminal M and Octopus over the years, reinforcing themselves as one of Japan’s most treasured techno acts.

The duo has a distinct sound signature, as dreamy melodic and vocal elements rub shoulders with the pair’s trademark groove-orientated rhythms to create hypnotic techno outings that span the breadth of the genre, from heads down rollers to peak-time pleasure.

Their maiden outing on Drumcode ‘I Want To See’ is an inspiring four-track work that lays down this sonic manifesto, with each track built around different vocal samples used to skilful effect. Find out more about the release and this techno duo in the interview below.

It’s a pleasure to have you here with us Drunken Kong. How has the first half of 2023 been for you and where are you answering this interview from?

Thanks for having us.  First half of 2023 has been great and we are answering this interview from Tokyo, Japan.

Please can you introduce yourselves for our readers?

We are Drunken Kong.  We are based in Tokyo and we have been producing techno and have released on labels such as Tronic, Terminal M, Still Vor Talent and more.

Huge congratulations on the release of your EP debut on Drumcode.  Can you tell us more about the package and what fans can expect?

Thank you so much.  We are very happy with our upcoming release on Drumcode.  Its a 4 track EP and it was released on June 16th! Each track has a different concept and we feel each track works well for different timing and settings.

Going back to your formative years, who or what were your biggest musical influences and inspirations growing up?

Growing up, definitely The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy were our biggest influence.  It really opened up a new door for us. Being raised in Japan, game music also had a big part, which made it easier for us to get interested in electronic music.

What was the electronic music scene like in Japan when you first started going out?

The electronic music scene was great here in Tokyo.  The scene was just starting with electronic music and there were tons of parties every weekend and the mind set was very free.

What were some of the best clubs / events that you attended?

There are so many good clubs and festivals that its really difficult to say which was the best but ADE was really mind blowing!  We still remember the first time we went, we were amazed everyday going to different parties and meeting people from the industry.

If you could collaborate with any artist in the scene right now, who would it be and why?

We would love to collaborate with someone from a different style of music.  Maybe an vocalist or a traditional Japanese instrumentalist would be great to fuse a different style with techno.

What are the top 3 favourite records you love to play in your sets at the moment? 

Our ‘I Want To See’ EP for sure.  hahaha

We also really like the Switch remix from Alex Stein and Christian Smith`s remix of the classic G.T.O. track.

After the release of your ‘I Want To See’ EP, what else have you got planned for 2023? 

We have a track coming out from KD Raw for their 100th release special VA.  We are currently working on more things which hopefully will be released towards the end of year or early next year.   Stay tuned!

What advice would you give to young artists looking to break into the music industry?

Never give up and think outside the box when producing. Make tracks that stand out from others.  Originality we feel is the key in the long run.

Do you have any final words for our readers?

Thanks for reading our interview.  We hope you enjoy our EP!

Drunken Kong – I Want To See EP is out now via Drumcode. Grab it here!