DOKA DOKA BIG BAND JAZZ / Ryoma Maeda
A sonic big band explosion that breaks through genres and eras alike!
Blending the classic jazz big band sound with the tension of electro, punk, and video game music, Ryoma Maeda delivers a one-of-a-kind ensemble that could only come from his imagination.
Thundering drums, wildly soaring synthesizers, and an epic soundscape reminiscent of traditional big bands come together to create a universe uniquely Ryoma’s.
Amid the chaos lies a distinct beauty and meticulously calculated madness—this is the true essence of “precision punk.”
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Ryoma Maeda Interview
Q: How did you come up with the bold title “DOKA DOKA BIG BAND JAZZ”?
Ryoma Maeda: I’ve been a huge fan of RC Succession since my teenage years, and as you might guess, the title is inspired by their song “Dokadoka Urusai R&R Band.”
Although the genre is completely different, the phrase “dokadoka urusai” (roughly meaning “loud and noisy”) has always stuck with me. I’ve long wanted to use that wording in one of my own works.
This time, the track just happened to turn out dokadoka urusai in the best possible way—so I knew there was no better title than “DOKA DOKA BIG BAND JAZZ.”
Q: There are many memorable shifts in the track. What was your approach to structuring the composition?
Ryoma Maeda: This track started as a project in Fujii Takeshi’s online music school “Poppo,” where I told him I wanted to try creating a big band jazz piece.
Fujii gave me some great advice on the bassline and beat patterns, and I built the structure of the track around those elements.
That said, I’m not from a jazz background—so naturally, some electronic elements crept in. In the end, it turned into a wonderfully chaotic piece that feels very true to my own musical identity.
Q: Can you tell us about the software instruments, gear, and production environment you used?
Ryoma Maeda: I mainly used Logic Pro X for this track, and most of the instruments and plugins are built-in.
The only external plugin I used was Xfer Serum, for the synth riff.
It’s a pretty simple setup, but I find it gives me plenty of room to play and be creative.
Q: Did you experience any personal growth or new discoveries during the production process?
Ryoma Maeda: This was actually the first time I consciously tried to create something with a “jazz-like” feel, so I learned a lot—especially in terms of arrangement.
It also made me realize, “Hey, I can make this kind of music too.” It was a refreshing discovery.
Q: Is there a particular situation or setting where you’d like people to listen to this track?
Ryoma Maeda: Not really—I’d just love for people to listen whenever they feel like it.
But if it lifts your spirits even a little, that would make me really happy.
