Interview to Coppe’ Sweetrice: we love aliens
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The first time I visited San Francisco, I was walking on its streets when suddenly I spotted a small music shop: Rasputin Music. Rasputin was the biggest independent chain of record stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. Coming inside the showroom was a great discovery. It was the first time I nosedive into a new world of music. All kinds of music genres and subgenres were available on Rasputin shelves. Banks of records and DVDs were piled everywhere in the building. I didn’t know where to start, so I went to the electronic music hall and started my search. My craving for new music led me to this pink CD cover with a cardboard paste that popped out to my eyes: Coppe’ Sweetrice. I paid 10 dollars for the CD, left the shop behind, went back to the hotel, rushed into my room, and grabbed my portable CD player. The first track was marvelous!
«I lick my brain in silence» didn’t sound like anything I had heard before. It was a mind-boggling and sensual lick of sounds in my brain, literally! Back in those days, Myspace was the emperor of social networking. I searched for this musical genius and immediately fell in love with her photo profile: a girl with pink-colored hair, a big smile, and a space-like fetus avatar. I grew into a big fan and kept tracking her career. It has been more than ten years since that day, and I still love her.
Coppe’ is a Japanese electronic music singer-songwriter and music producer. She is the producer of her own Mango + Sweetrice label, in which she has produced more than 15 music albums.
She has collaborated with great electronic music artists such as DJ Kensei, Kettel, Ninakoi, Q-Bert, DJ Vadim, Plait, Atom™, Tipsy, Modified Toy Orchestra, Sutekh, Kit Clayton, Peanut Butter Wolf, Barbara Morgenstern, DJ Kensei, Fred moTh, Hifana, Jemapur, Japanese fashion designer Comme des Garçons more.
In 2015, Coppe’ celebrated the 20th anniversary of Mango + Sweetrice with a unique festival of Electronic Music in central London, featuring special guests such as Bola, Kettel, Christ, Barbara Morgenstern Plaid, Kelli Ali, Earth Is Flat, DJ Mixmaster Morris, DJ Nick Luscombe and more.
She is a wild and free soul who creates the most creative sounds and runs wild in the electronic music scene. Last year (2021) she released a CD / Vinyl album titled Mitsu, a sophisticated adventure that plays with classical sounds.
In Teresa Magazine we are so excited for this opportunity to talk with her. I hope our readers enjoy this conversation.
1. Coppe’, thank you so much for this interview. It is really an honor to talk with you. Let’s start from the very beginning: What is the earliest memory related to music from your childhood?
i was writing music when i was born … gyahahahaaaaaaa … almost 🙂 🙂 🙂
well … i had a greatest teacher koji fujika ( well known jazz clarinet performer who passed away years ago sad to say ) + he taught me music theories + harmonies … + gave me a homework assignment every week to complete 3 songs … in any keys + any length … major / minor whatever … needless to say this was my very favorite home works EVER + 1 of the pieces he had me record won a japanese grammy award … i was still an elementary school student back then + the track was called : the peke song : a 7 inch single released from king records back in 1968 🙂
2. What did inspire you to become a musician, and why did you decide to create this unique kind of music?
after i won a japanese grammy award ( record taisho ) , i did loads of TV + radio shows … from home tv variety shows to some drama stuff + gradually it shifted to mostly music related shows like : poppers MTV : ( TBS ) + AJI FM supermixture ( on FM tokyo ) . for these shows i interviewed loads of foreign artists like michael jackson / madonna / stevie wonder / sting / cindy lauper / james brown / bobby caldwell / bryan ferry … u name it … most of famous artists who came in2 japan … it was a lot of fun interviewing all those artists … but eventually i wanted 2 make my own music so i quit all my shows after i got the highest ratings on some of my radio shows … dropped everything + went to AZ / usa + started my own label called : mango + sweetrice : from 1995 🙂 🙂 🙂 i firmly believe that making weird music + fashion + create something completely : coppé : is the reason why i was born here on this planet … my mission + it was a super natural thing to do … no big decision making or anything like that … i simply can not live without creating my kinda music 🙂 🙂 🙂 yes … i am a martian music junkie here 🙂 🙂 🙂
3. What was the first album you ever recorded and how would you describe it?
the 7 inch single which won me a japanese grammy award … called : the peke song : on king records back in 1968 . ♬ pon … kan chin peke peke pon … ♬ … super weirrrrrrrd hahahaaaaaaaa !!!
i firmly believe that making weird music + fashion + create something completely : coppé : is the reason why i was born here on this planet
Coppe’
4. What difficulties or obstacles you had faced during your career?
i have no problems creating new tracks at all … creating / recording is kinda like going shee shees + poo poos if u know what i mean … hahahaaaaaa … like i’ve mentioned b4 i can not live without releasing what i have inside my coppeski bubbly universe … so no difficulties or obstacles i can think off … 🙂
5. Who are your biggest inspirations when it comes to music?
mmm … this is a tough one … can u pick 1 favorite fruit or vegetable … ??? sometimes i love broccolis most … but then the next day avocado wins … it’s almost impossible to decide since it changes everyday … i love bach … i love brian eno … i love aphex twin … today i love satie most 🙂
6. Which is your favorite album from your label Mango + Sweetrice?
all of them 🙂 absolutely all of them 🙂
7. What is the most important thing you have learned about your creative process?
open up all your pores + feel the universe + get inspired 🙂 kona winds … lavender oil … cherry blossoms … everything round u !!! inspirations floating all around u … u just have tune into those see-thru invisible angels humming + listen 2 their melody lines 🙂
8. What words of advice would you share with our Latin-American readers?
smile … give … + love 🙂
9. What are your social media accounts and where we can listen to your music?https://www.facebook.com/coppe.sweetrice/
https://www.facebook.com/mangoandsweetrice/
https://www.instagram.com/coppeski/
https://mangoandsweetrice.bandcamp.com
Featured image by Mijabi
Estudió Letras Inglesas en la UNAM y ESL en Fairfield-Suinsun (California). Es directora de la revista digital Teresa Magazine, escritora y traductora. Ha publicado en diversas revistas literarias. Es aficionada del chocolate y cree que es una de las hermanas Brontë, perdida en una geometría cósmica hecha de diversos mundos posibles, gobernados por lógicas pop no-euclidianas.
