Max Mackee, Vice President of Business Development at origami, a mobile commerce app released in 2013, worked as a lawyer in Japan and the UK for 10 years before graduating from business school in France and launching origami. A well-known music activist and record collector, we spoke to Mackee about the appeal of these records.

Record Collection and DJ Activities

--You have a large record collection. When do you usually buy them?

I've been busy lately, so I've been buying more online. Ideally, I'd make friends with record store staff and have them introduce me to new records. Japan has quite a few record stores. Foreign DJs often buy records in Japan. I often go to places like Lighthouse Records in Shibuya.

--What genre is your current main record collection?

In the past, I mostly listened to house and techno, but now I'm into electronic and jazz. For something a little more unusual, I also like drone and ambient-like sounds. Old disco and rock, too. I listen to a variety of genres.

--What do you look for when deciding on a record to buy?

I usually decide by actually listening to the song. Some vinyl (LP) albums have really great artwork, but when I concentrate on the visuals, I can't hear the sound.

--When did you start collecting?

Since my university days. I've been involved with music since high school.

--I heard you're also a DJ.

I became interested in DJing in my university days, and bought turntables. Before I started working as a lawyer, I traveled the world for about a year and a half, during which time I DJed in various places, and in Japan I performed under the name maxxrelax.


Max Mackee is the vice president of business development at origami, a mobile commerce app released in 2013. Next, we spoke with Mackee, a DJ, about the appeal of music and his personal life.

--I heard you also DJ at Fuji Rock Festival.

Between the hotel near the venue and the entrance, there's a circus-like spot called "Palace of Wonder," produced by Joe Strummer of The Clash. I've been DJing there for over 10 years, along with Nomura Kunichi and Shioi Ruri of Tripsu. I even DJed there with The Chemical Brothers. Artists often come to drink at this bar, like Basement Jaxx.

We also get a lot of fashion-related visitors. Last year, WWD came and snapped him with the president of Louis Vuitton. Teams from Undercover and Hysteric Glamour also visited. You don't need a ticket to come to the Palace of Wonder, so be sure to check it out!

Weekends in the Countryside and the Music of Nature

--Has anything changed in your personal life recently?

I recently bought a small villa deep in the mountains in the Kanto region. It's in the middle of nowhere. All you can hear is the sound of the river and the mountains, and no human sounds at all. I love that about it. I'm currently setting it up and planning to get some good speakers and amplifiers. I'm particular about the sound, and I'd like to spend as many weekends as possible here.

In other countries, people start wanting to leave the city around their 30s. It's also a great place to start a family, with spacious houses and land available at low cost. Japanese people tend not to want to move to the countryside, but I grew up overseas. In Japan's vacation areas, houses are close together and there's a supermarket nearby. Foreigners, however, prefer to build their homes in the middle of nowhere, so the area where I have my vacation home is home to many of theirs.

I was once obsessed with field recording. I love mountain climbing, so I would set up a microphone and wear headphones to capture the sounds of the mountains in places like Nepal. I would create music from those sounds and incorporate them into my mixes. Now, I find the sounds of nature at my vacation home refreshing. I love music, of course, but perhaps the best music is the sounds that come from nature.


■About Origami

Origami provides a shopping platform that connects businesses and consumers. By providing services that transcend the boundaries between online and offline, we build more seamless connections and redefine the future of shopping. On October 1st, we released the beta version of "Origami Payment," a new feature that connects businesses and consumers in-store, and "Shop Rewards Program," in order to provide innovative services in areas such as FinTech, omni-channel, and O2O.