Why Joe Hisaishi’s Music for Studio Ghibli Tugs at Our Heartstrings
A personal reflection on the power of composer Joe Hisaishi’s music, combined with Studio Ghibli’s stories, to enchant and touch the viewer.
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Talking Points: Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto Explain Working with Images and Sound
In this edition of “Talking Points,” composers and electronic artists Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto discuss the nature of collaboration and improvisation.
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Meet Takeo Ischi: Germany’s Virtuosic Chicken Yodeler
In a world fraught with political turmoil, broken up by war, and torn apart by loss, the absurd, lighthearted mountain music of Takeo Ischi more poignant and essential than ever. I mean, if the news has got you down (and how can it not), just take a break and watch this. You’ll feel much better,…
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10 Rediscovered Minimalist Masterpieces from Japan, Thanks to YouTube
+ Learning about synthesis? Soundfly’s got a definitive new course called Advanced Synths and Patch Design! Preview for free and subscribe for access. Without the internet around to provide an unbroken timeline of artistic events to a potentially endless landscape of wandering eyes, records that couldn’t achieve access to a viable fanbase in the 1980s have mostly, inevitably…
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The True Story Behind Japanese ‘Lawsuit’ Guitars
Welcome to 6String Minutes. In this segment, we’ll uncover the truth about Japanese “lawsuit” guitars imported to the United States from the mid-1970s on. Gear hunters and enthusiasts around the world all claim to have seen them, but the true story may shock you.* (* If you happen to be plugged into an ungrounded amplifier and…
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Loud Silence & Quiet Sound: The Illuminating Music of Toru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) was arguably the most well-known and influential Japanese composer of the 20th century. In addition to composing prolifically for the orchestra, Takemitsu wrote many chamber works, solo guitar music, electro-acoustic pieces (incorporating the use of magnetic tape loops and found sounds), a number of pieces that feature soloists playing traditional Japanese instruments…
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The Peculiar Sonic Possibilities of a Strange Japanese Toy Instrument
What do you do when a bizarre, anthropomorphic plastic music note shows up at your door? See what kind of music you can make with it, duh.
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The COMPASS: Kyoto, Japan
By Marihiko Hara I love how time flows in Kyoto, not too rapidly and not too slowly. A five minute walk will lead me through streets, temples, and gardens, where I can feel that I am in ancient spaces. To know where I stand, all I have to do is find out which direction points north.…
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What the Heck Is a Shakuhachi?
Like many historically significant Japanese things (Zen Buddhism, character writing, the kimono, temple architecture), the shakuhachi originated in China. And while, like the parenthetically aforementioned items on this list, the shakuhachi can claim Chinese origin, over the course of its history, it has diverged and evolved quite differently from its Chinese relative, the xiao. The shakuhachi is an…
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The Musician’s Guide to Touring Japan
Japan is one of the best places to share your music. If you weren’t already planning your tour there when this article popped up, you might as well start now! I just got off the plane not three hours ago, and looking back it was the best tour of my life. Let me share with…
