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Nobukazu Takemura
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Out of 42 votes - Similar Artists: Tortoise, Aphex Twin, N.LN, Ui, Isotope 217, Terry Riley, Steve Reich
Out of 42 votes
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- Genre: Electronic & Dance » Minimal
Editor's review
If you've seen the movies of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro such as The City of Lost Children, where childlike innocence is usurped by hypnotic (and often disturbing) analog electronics, you'll have a good idea what to expect from Nobukazu Takemura. Themes wind in over pulsating electronics, marrying the rhythmic complexity of Aphex Twin with a refined sense of melody and the sort of deep-bass thump found in hip-hop or dub reggae. Though his music is frequently filed as 'electronic,' that doesn't mean Takemura can't play anything but a laptop. Perhaps a better description of his style is 'electronically manipulated acoustic sounds.'
In both live and studio settings Takemura actually plays all sorts of instruments, digitally chopping the resulting audio into microscopic bits before recombining them into long sustained drones. At times it's reminiscent of the work of minimalists Terry Riley and Steve Reich: Musical phrases fold over themselves, supported by repeating rhythms, minor variations, and childlike melodies floating over the top. At other times, though, Takemura's music is harsh and glitchy, sounding as if he left his finger on the fast-forward button of a CD player.
During the late 1980s, Takemura started out as a hip-hop DJ in his native town of Kyoto, Japan. As his interest in turntable battling faded by the '90s, he gradually shifted behind the scenes, producing downtempo tracks for labels like Mo' Wax; collaborating with other producers such as Yamantaka Eye (in the group Audio Sports); and working on remixes for WEA and Bubblecore Records. His increasingly experimental musical wanderings have also led Takemura into ambitious pairings with artists as diverse as DJ Spooky, Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, and Aphex Twin; he also worked as a sound designer for Sony's robot-toy Aibo and as a composer for Issey Miyake's fashion shows.
Takemura's output falls into a few different categories. First, the playful child-like melodies of 1994's Child's View, 1999's Funfair, and 2003's Songbook. Scope from 1999 and 2002's Water Suite are wildly experimental and not for easy listeners. His best work comes when he combines these two elements of his musical personality, as on 2001's Hoshi No Ko and his recent output for Chicago's Thrill Jockey label. On his 2001 EP Sign, Takemura even added live musicians John McEntire, Douglas McCombs, and Bundy K. Brown, veteran session players from Tortoise and Chicago's post-rock scene. The result was as experimental and vibrant as Tortoise's own recordings, veering toward uncertainty at times but holding together thanks to Takemura's deft studio mastery. 2003's 10th is equally vibrant. Finding a former Japanese battle-DJ on Thrill Jockey, a label known by many for its indie-rock output, may seem odd, but Takemura brings an electro-minimalist sense of grace to the post-rock amblings of label mates like Tortoise and Isotope 217.
In some instances Takemura's songs appear to be perfect for lulling you to sleep, while at others they're like the harshest alarm clock you've ever heard. It's exactly this instability, though, that keeps his output interesting. Will you melt into hypnotic musical waves, or will a murderous cranky robot drill into your eardrum? Either way, Takemura creates new music with skill, precision, and originality.
Biography
Nobukazu Takemura was born in Osaka in August of 1968. His interest in music began with Punk and New Wave at the ripe old age of ten. By the time he reached junior high, Takemura was recording music with keyboards and two tapedecks. Working in a record store, Takemura became exposed to Free Jazz, Contemporary Music and Hip-Hop - the foundation for his music composition and theory for re-mixing. By high school, Nobukazu had several regular dj gigs and was composing music. Creatively, Nobukazu Takemura is inspired by the "impressionist and objective conception" of John Cage, Brian Eno and Africa Bambaata, as well as the free form creativity of John Coltrane and Robert Wyatt.
Nobukazu Takemura is often joined by Aki Tsuyuko on vocals and video manipulation for live shows. She is a truly amazing animator, crucial collaborator and solo artist in her own right.
In the summer of ’99, Thrill Jockey released two works by Nobukazu Takemura, the full length Scope and it’s companion 12" Meteor, both of which were minimalist records noted for their delicate beauty. Takemura’s output in the US up to this point had been limited to imports released under the Child’s View, and Audio Sports Monikers. Shortly before the release of these titles many were introduced to Takemura through his appearance on the Steve Reich tribute CD, Reich Remixed. A subsequent one time only show alongside DJ Spooky, Bang on a Can and Coldcut in support of the Remixed record proved to be a revelation for those in attendance and he was singled out by the New York Times for his "brilliant" performance. Later that year Takemura toured the states with Jim O’Rourke and Brokeback in support of Scope. After the tour he spent an extended time in Chicago in order to collaborate with Ken "Bundy" Brown, Douglas McCombs and John McEntire. These sessions proved to be the cornerstones for what would become Sign. In the time between those recordings and the completion of Sign, Takemura issued another 12" and record (Hoshi No Koe) on Thrill Jockey and toured the US and Canada opening for Tortoise. Hoshi No Koe hinted at the direction Sign would go, which in turn is much different than Scope, and his time on tour proved to be a nightly "coming out" type of experience to many people.
Unlike Scope, which was very much a minimalist affair in the vein of Autechre or Oval, Sign overflows with rich, warm production and showcases Takemura’s unique and charming electronic playfulness. This playfulness was highlighted more recently on 2001’s Hoshi No Koe (Thrill Jockey) and has been most prevalent on many of his Child’s View releases. Takemura has stated that "making music for me is like a child humming," this simple statement belies the complex nature of the music, but also speaks to the heart of the results, playful melodies and whimsical textures and sounds. A great example is the melodically effected, computerized vocals on the title track, "Sign". Takemura amazingly manages to make the computer "vocals" sing. A further example of his playfulness is indicated by the twist of the sing into the title, "Sign".
Over the years Takemura’s music has been considered many things (Minimal Electronic, DJ/Hip-Hop, IDM, Electronica) yet he’s still has managed to defy categorization. His approach to composition is best viewed as a DJ using the computer as a tool much like a turntable, midi, or sampler. "Cogwheel" illustrates his technique well with its blend of a distant heartfelt melody, pleasingly bouncing, lightly dancing over bubbling rhythms and catchy beats, peppered with stutters, slips, trips, and glitches. "Souvenir in Chicago" on the other hand, is the collaborative effort featuring Douglas McCombs, Bundy K. Brown and John McEntire mentioned earlier. The production is perfectly undergirded by tamed guitar feedback/drone and incorporation of resonant tones and electronics that ebb and build within the mix along with McComb’s unique bass hooks/lines, skilled percussion beats, melodica, accordion and electronics. The end result attains an overall epic quality that is resplendent, exquisite and lush. "Meteor," which originally appeared as a 12" single over a year ago and immediately went out of print, is included in it’s glorious extended from. Spin called Takemura an enigma who stitches elegantly guileless symphonies out of a zillion delicate obsessive compulsive ticks." The infectious beats are a splendid way to close out the album.
