Momiji Tsukada September 22, 2026

Conversations with Momiji Tsukada

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Momiji Tsukada.

Hi Momiji, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved from Japan to the U.S. when I was 19. At the time, especially in Japan, it was still quite difficult to build a career around DJing and making music, and there wasn’t really much of an agency or management system for artists like me yet. I felt like moving to the U.S. would give me more opportunities to pursue music seriously.
I initially lived in San Francisco, and then moved to Austin about six years ago. Four years ago, I went to rehab, and since then I’ve been maintaining a sober lifestyle while continuing to make music and tour as a DJ. It’s been a long journey with a lot of changes, but music has always been the thing that has kept me moving forward.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I hope it’s okay to be honest and vulnerable here. Working in the club scene, alcohol and drugs used to take up a huge part of my life. But through therapy, I came to understand that it wasn’t necessarily the environment itself, it had much more to do with the way I had been living, as well as things I had gone through in the past and unresolved trauma.
Staying sober while continuing to work in this industry can definitely be challenging, but as long as my love for music stays the same, I think I’ll keep going.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I mainly make and release my own music, as well as doing remix work for other artists. I also tour regularly as a DJ, and whenever I have a new album, I usually build a tour around that project and bring the music to different cities around the world.
I think what I’m most proud of is being able to keep creating music that feels personal to me while also sharing it with people through touring. Whether I’m producing, remixing, or DJing, I always try to bring my own perspective and emotion into what I do.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My close friend Spencer Brown has also been a mentor to me. We’ve known each other for about eight years now. We originally met because we were represented by the same agency, and over the years I’ve learned so much from him, from how to stay grounded mentally while touring to different approaches, ideas, and skills when it comes to producing music.

Contact Info:

Music production setup with monitor, keyboard, speakers, and headphones on a desk.

Living room with black sofa, colorful artwork, and two white speakers, illuminated by orange lights, with a window on the right.

Female DJ with blonde hair and headphones performing at a nightclub with a crowd and colorful lights.

Person with platinum blonde hair lying on the floor surrounded by various electronic devices and cables, against a plain white background.

Suggest a Story: VoyageAustin is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.