When artist Takashi Murakami coined the term "superflat" in 2001 as a title for an exhibition to be held in Tokyo and Nagoya, he was initially referring to a Japanese art aesthetic based on two-dimensionality. He eventually used it to describe the interrelation between post-modern Japanese graphic art and the hyper-consumer culture in which he lived.

Wieden + Kennedy, Tokyo motion/interactive designer Shane Lester references the concept when he describes the place of W+K Tokyo Lab, a "hybrid" music label created in 2003 by W+K Tokyo CD Eric Cruz and ECD John Jay, in Japanese youth culture.

"The public in no way looks down at the idea of the same company that creates Nike ad campaigns getting itself involved in underground hip-hop and street culture from the inside out," he maintains. "On the contrary, I would say Japanese people embrace and respect W+K more because of it."

The idea for the Lab was borne out of work done by the agency's Tokyo office for the Nike Presto Japan/Asia Pacific launch, which paired DJs and musicians with visual artists including The Barnstormers and Motion Theory to create audio-visual content. Once the limited edition DVDs created for the promotion made the rounds at Tokyo clubs, major label Polystar approached W+K Tokyo to create its own imprint. The result is seven releases to date from four artists: audiovisual artist Tagaki Masakatsu, DJ Uppercut, breakbeat duo Hifana and beatboxer Afra. A new live DVD/CD from Hifana is due soon.

The Lab also collaborated with national broadcaster NHK earlier this year on Tokyo Now, a series of mini-programs that re-launched its Pop Jam Deluxe broadcast. Producing the series themselves, the Lab team, including Lester, Cruz and art director Gino Woo, shot nine episodes. This time they teamed Tokyo music and visual talent with international collaborators to reflect on themes such as "Identity", "Perception" or "Obsession" and how they influence Japanese life.

"The compact nature of space in Japan literally forces the concept of cultural collision," says Cruz. "Our goal is to broadcast the creativity happening in Tokyo now."

W+K Tokyo Lab http://www.wktokyolab.com
Tokyo Now http://www.tokyonow.tv