Makoto

Makoto Shimizu is a Tokyo-born drum and bass producer and DJ whose musical background spans classical music, soul, and funk. Hearing film soundtrack music helped turn that interest into a career ambition, and he went on to study acoustic engineering at university.

Introduced to drum and bass through radio, Makoto began making his own tracks and caught the attention of LTJ Bukem. He signed to Good Looking Records in 1999 and released his debut album, Human Elements, in 2003. Its connection to soul music became a defining part of his approach to fast breakbeats.

His later catalogue includes recordings for Hospital Records and a longstanding partnership with DJ Marky. Their collaborations have appeared across several labels, while Makoto's own Human Elements imprint gives him a separate outlet for his music.

The 2022 album Motion of Change brought that melodic approach to a collection of vocal collaborations. He subsequently relaunched Human Elements, releasing new solo material and further work with Marky. Across those different outlets, his production background and early musical influences remain useful starting points for exploring his catalogue.