O-PERRY

O-PERRY a.k.a. DJ O-CHANG was born and raised in downtown Tokyo, Japan in a family associated with traditional festivals and rituals. When he was in elementary school, he used to invite his friends over to his house and dance while playing records. In high school, he worked part-time at a disco. Through this experience, he was exposed to the soul, disco, hip-hop, electro, and hi-nrg music and came to know the drama of overnight music. In 1987, O-PERRY's (DJ O-CHANG) career began in earnest when he met DJ GEE of GTS, a pioneer in the Japanese house scene. DJ GEE soon offered him a regular DJ position every Wednesday. He was also selected as the second room DJ for the Tokyo leg of the "Harmony Tour" of LARRY LEVAN and FRANCOIS K., who later became a major influence on O-PERRY. He also assisted fashion designer KOSHIN SATOH, who has strong connections with DJs in New York, with his fashion show. There, he obtained many valuable mixtapes of big-name DJs such as LARRY LEVAN and DAVID MORALES. One day, O-PERRY (DJ O-CHANG) is introduced to an organizer by "DANCER", a member of Paradise Garage and a close friend of LARRY LEVAN. The organizer organized a gay party for foreigners living in Japan and booked O-PERRY (then DJ O-CHANG). His mix of NY and UK house music and disco classics made the party a huge success.