TOMOKO IDA on Paving the Way for More Female Music Producers: Billboard Japan Women in Music Interview

Grammy-nominated music producer TOMOKO IDA spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series, featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work.

One of the few female music producers in Japan and abroad, TOMOKO IDA co-produced the first track “obstáculo” on Puerto Rican music producer Tainy’s debut album DATA in 2023, which was nominated for Best Música Urbana Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. As the first Japanese woman to be nominated for a Grammy as a music producer, TOMOKO IDA shared her thoughts on why female producers are in the minority in the music industry.

How did you become a music producer?

My mother was a music teacher and I took piano and dance lessons since I was six years old. When I was in the second or third grade, the (J-pop) dance and vocal group ZOO was popular, and I became interested in 90’s hip-hop and new jack swing. I also longed to go to New York after watching music videos and dreamed of working in the U.S. someday. Time passed and I began DJing, then a few years later, I started performing as a beat maker using a MPC in a two-woman duo. It was rare to see women performing with a sampler at the time, and people were excited to see our shows when we performed overseas. When it was time to find a job after college, I considered working for an ordinary company, but my mother said, “Why not do music?” and encouraged me, so I chose to work part-time and focus on making beats.

Why did you decide to become a music producer rather than an artist that performs in front of an audience, even though you debuted in a duo as a MPC player?

Performing live with a sampler and DJing requires flexibility and instant response on the scene, but I have always loved making things and am better at taking my time to create something. Plus, I hadn’t heard of too many female music producers, so I wanted to spearhead it. By 2016, I started to focus more on producing.

You’ve produced music for famous J-pop artists such as AI, Daichi Miura, SixTONES, and EXILE TRIBE, as well as music for fashion advertisements. Could you tell us what you do as a music producer?

I sense that the definition of a music producer has been changing with the times, and it’s also different from country to country. In Japan, the definition seems to refer to people who produce everything from the concept and selection of members [of an idol group], like Yasushi Akimoto and Tetsuya Komuro, but in the U.S., if someone makes a track, then that person is often called a music producer. In my case, I’m often asked to produce music by artists who’ve already established their careers, so as a music producer I try to produce music that will make those artists shine brighter.

A lot of the songs you produce for Japanese artists are powerful. Do you think there’s a difference in the ideal image of women in Japan and America?

It does feel different depending on the country. For example, I have a feeling Japanese men find fragile women attractive. Maybe that’s why there are lots of songs and lyrics that lean towards that direction. But in the U.S., powerful women are more popular.

You accomplished an extraordinary feat in becoming the first Japanese female producer to work on a Grammy-nominated album. From your position, do you have any thoughts on how things could be improved to make it easier for women to work in the industry?

I still think it’s necessary for forerunners [like us] to pave the way. For example, in Japan’s hip-hop scene, Awich is currently leading the way and doing well as a female rapper. I think opportunities for women will expand if there are more people like her, so I’d also like to do my best as a music producer to make it easier for more women to follow suit. I’d like to see more Japanese people go out into the world because in the community of producers and songwriters in L.A. where I currently live, there are very few of us compared to other Asians.

The skills required for both performing with a sampler and being a music producer don’t seem to be too demanding in a physical sense, so why do you think there aren’t too many women in these fields?

It’s said that female producers make up less than 3% of the total even now. We use machines and computers, so maybe people think it’s mechanical and science-oriented. I don’t think it’s a hard job for women to do, but there are so few women that people seem taken aback to see me in the studio. I also seem to surprise people in a good way for my skill, because apparently Asian women look young for their age.

What advice would you give to yourself in the first year of your career?

I’d say, “Keep making music.” It’s not always easy to get your songs chosen when working as a music producer. Even when you’re personally offered an opportunity, only a few of the songs you write will make the cut. It might seem like a glamorous world, but it takes quite a bit of quiet dedication and you just have to keep at it.

What are your next goals?

I was able to become a Grammy-nominated producer, so I want to become a Grammy-winning producer someday. I don’t know when that will be, but I’ll continue to make music toward that goal.

—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan