“If I didn't do that, I would end up buying music from the artists I already know and like.”
Kojima described his method to avoid becoming musically stagnant: he used to go to Tower Records several times a month (he also frequented HMV and WAVE) and spend two to three hours in the store listening booths on the rock, alternative and movie soundtrack floors, trying almost everything and buying only a few records — he said that otherwise he would end up buying only music by the artists he already knows and likes; that practice is how he keeps finding new bands. After the pandemic he stopped going and began buying on Amazon, and he notices the repertoire does not grow there, only anniversary box sets and remasters from the same artists — for guys in their 50s and 60s, he said, that's kind of embarrassing.
“I go there a few times a month and listen to stuff for 2-3 hours to decide what to buy. […] I'm usually on the rock, alternative, or movie soundtracks floor, and I'll listen to just about everything there. […] I'm not finding new stuff these days […] For guys in their 50s and 60s, that's kind of embarrassing.”