Back to Mine With Qrion

Born and raised in Sapporo, Japan, now based in Austin, Texas, Qrion explores a broad musical realm, encompassing everything from soft rhythms and soul sampling grooves through to driving melodic house. Driven by emotion and life experiences, Qrion communicates her thoughts and feelings through music, opting for melodies over words. With several releases already on Last Night On Earth, Qrion is invited back with her EP ‘Arp Check’. DMCWorld goes Back To Mine with Qrion.

Jacques Greene – Another Girl

The way the vocal chops are used in this track is incredible. I still remember getting goosebumps the first time I heard it. I think the way I use vocal chops in my own music today has been heavily influenced by him.

Floating Points – ARP3

This is the track that first made me a huge fan of Floating Points. I love the dynamics of the song, especially the way it builds from the quiet intro into the main section. I remember being amazed by how dramatic and emotional a track could feel while using so few elements.

TEED – Household Goods

I was really blown away the first time I heard this track. I think I discovered it on Tumblr. I’m still a huge fan of TEED to this day, and this was the track that first got me into his music. It’s still one I come back to and listen to often.

Mall Grab – Pool Party Music

When I was really into lo-fi house, I came across a Mall Grab set on Boiler Room. I love the faster, harder music he makes now too, of course, but this track came right in the middle of the golden era of lo-fi house, and it has remained one of my favourites ever since.

Tchami – Adieu

I first became interested in house music when I moved from Japan to LA. My friends took me to all kinds of clubs, and I was exposed to a lot of EDM during that time. Out of all those tracks, this is still one I come back to again and again; it almost feels like the soundtrack to that younger version of myself. I used to sneak out to clubs from a college apartment I had randomly rented on Craigslist, even though I wasn’t actually going to school there.

Skrillex – With You, Friends (Long Drive)

Skrillex was the first artist who really got me into EDM. His early sound felt like a perfect balance of rock and electronic music, which really clicked with me since I was listening almost exclusively to J-rock at the time. His use of vocal chops was also really distinctive, and I learned a lot from the way he would use different chops from various parts of a vocal, all within the same key.

We Can Do It! – Der Geist in der Muschel

This is a vinyl-only tribal house bootleg that samples the soundtrack from the anime Ghost in the Shell. I first discovered it through a related video on YouTube, and later found an original copy on Yahoo! Auctions Japan and bought it there. It was actually the first record I ever bought through an auction. The track itself is incredible too.

DJ Healer – Planet Lonely

I heard Four Tet play this track on The Lot Radio and immediately Shazam’d it because it was exactly my kind of sound. I found out it was a vinyl-only release called God Creation, so I went straight to Discogs and bought a copy. Out of the tracks on the record, this one is definitely my favourite.

Herbert – I Hadn’t Known (I Only Heard)

Legendary track. I’m pretty sure I discovered this one while digging through records on Discogs. There was a digital version available, so I ended up buying that instead, but to me, this is an absolute house classic.

St Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Masters at Work Dub)

This is another absolute classic. I first discovered the MAW Dub Mix when it came with the original record I bought, and I ended up loving that version so much that it has stayed in my rotation ever since. It’s one of those tracks that can lift my mood and get me excited no matter what kind of day I’m having.