Kouhei Matsunaga took his time into settling into his most recent guise, NHK’Koyxen, as he only took up the name in 2009. After a lengthy run of releases on different aliases and a veritable amount of labels (Tigerbeat6, Deserted Factory, PARA Disc, Important Records, etc.), he has found a home at PAN, a London-based label that aims to expand the experimental world of electronics and beyond in a context that’s proper and progressive at the same time. With releases from Ben Vida and contributions from SND, Matsunaga’s “Dance Classics Vol. 1″ release is an album that engages listeners in his personal viewpoints on dance music and how it should be interpreted. With that said, he has contributed a lengthy mix to URB’s Burnin’ Up series, as well as an interview to accompany it. Check out the mix and interview after the jump.

URB: BURNIN’ UP // NHK’KOYXEN – DOWNLOAD HERE

1- 638 / NHK’Koyxen / PAN 2012
2- Its just slender / Koyxen ft,Sensational / Wordsound 2009
3- 708 / Koyxen ft,Andre Vida / unreleased
4- 701 / NHKyx / unreleased
5- Invite only / Koyxen ft,AthenA / Skam 2011
6- 323 / Sensational meets Koyxen / Skam 2010
7- Mogra / NHK / Important Records 2010
8- 19s / NHKyx / Skam 2011
9- Chrismax324 / Koyxen(NHKyx) ft,google premire / Skam 2011
10- 476 / NHK’Koyxen / PAN 2012
11- Onetwo_rmx / Koyxen ft,Sensational / Important Records 2010
12- 703 / NHK’Koyxen / unreleased
13- 704 / NHK’Koyxen / unreleased
14- 3telephatic 11th June 2008 / Mika Vainio,Kouhei Matsunaga/Sean Booth / Important Records 2010
15- EntireSet / NHK / Raster Noton 2008
16- Pinky / Koyxen(NHKyx) ft, google premire / Important Records 2010
17- 530 / NHK’Koyxen / PAN 2012

NHK’KOYXEN Q&A

URB: Not everyone might know your history, tell us about your musical history up until this point.

NHK’KOYXEN: When was 13 or 14 years old, I was making breakbeats, as the first music that impressed me was hardcore techno and hiphop. But after meeting Merzbow and starting to work with him, I realized that beats limit expression, then I started making experimental and noise music while trying to explore more pure sounds and understanding the core of the sounds. I then went back to making beats.

URB: What are some of your most intriguing musical influences?

N: 50, 60, 70′s electronics experimental music and techno and hiphop… I also like 60′s acid folk, progressive rock and avant garde sounds.

URB: When did your relationship with PAN start and what do you think they provide you as opposed to other labels?

N: I play under many different aliases, like NHK, NHKyx, NHK’Koyxen, Koyxen, Internet Magic etc. Each project differs, and somehow I try to place each in the right context. NHK’Koyxen is a project made exclusively for PAN, trying to relate my more beat oriented side to the label’s experimental aesthetics.

URB: What’s next for NHK’Koyxen? And NHK ? Upcoming DJ sets/live shows?

N: I will be touring in Europe with Sensational (ex, Jungle brothers) from the end of April until mid-May.
This is the schedule: http://ffss.info/Booking/April.htm. Also, Dance Classics Vol. 2 is coming out later in the summer on PAN.

URB: Tell us about the mix you’ve delivered us.

N: I tried to put together a wide selection of different projects and collaborations I did throughout these past years, from dub techno to electronic and even hiphop tracks featuring rappers like Google Premire (internet magic/puppetmastaz) and Sensational. Also included are experimental recordings with Mika Vainio (Pan Sonic) and Sean Booth (Autechre).