Published in 1991, Simulation by the art critic Noi Sawaragi defined the development of Japanese pop culture as a process of destruction and reconstruction of western influences. His book critiqued the technique of sampling in depth, extolling its value as a contemporary art form. Sawaragi argued that sampling provided the tool for a repositioning of Japanese pop culture, as had already been affected by the advent of house music in the US. He further maintained that this process of reinterpretation was itself a signature aspect of Japanese pop.
The transition of the underground scene towards techno was fuelled by the significance of clubs such as Tokyo’s Bank, creating an environment into which venues like Cave and mega-club Gold would emerge at the beginning of the 1990s. It was here that parties aimed at fans of house and techno were established, leading to the opening of the soon-to-be-legendary Space Lab Yellow in 1992.
Conceived by promoter Daizo Murata, Space Lab Yellow (a name chosen to overtly reclaim the western slur) accommodated three dance floors and was meticulously curated to mix genres across its schedule. Yokota regularly attended with DJ Toby, Makoto and Manabu Yamazaki.
DJ Miku would go on to release Yokota’s Stevia and Anima Mundi projects on his Newstage label in 1996. These were arguably the first signs of Yokota’s transition towards more ‘poetic electronica’, as described by journalist Tsutomu Noda.