"The way music from America and other Western countries got imported into Japan, the roots are different," says Ayatake Ezaki, keyboardist for Tokyo-based quartet Wonk.
"In Japan, hip-hop is hip-hop, jazz is jazz, soul is soul — that's how they've been received," he continues. "But in actual fact, they're more connected than that. There's more interplay. I think you could say that our generation is the first that's finally able to appreciate black music the way it should be understood."
That's a bold claim, but Wonk's music backs it up. The group — which also comprises singer Kento Nagatsuka, bassist Kan Inoue and drummer Hikaru Arata — moves fluidly from sampler-driven beat instrumentals to sultry neo-soul and uptempo acid jazz, incorporating guest spots by rappers and jazz musicians alike.