In 2007, Akira Kosemura debuted from Australian label with his first solo album “It’s On Everything” while he’s at school. At the same year, he founded own label “Schole Records”, and garner good reviews by releasing various albums of crossover genre music with the sound of Piano, strings, synthesizer, and field recording.
His new album, “In The Dark Woods” is produced under very intimate and personal environment, with combination of electronic and acoustic sound of Piano, Wurlitzer, and Synthesizer with a strings quartet, as similar to the music heard from his previous improvisational solo piano work “One Day” released in 2016. “Treasuring a serene feeling and an intimate conversation with oneself.” is the main concept of his new work, which recalls a vivid emotions, as music goes into one’s body and feels a blood flow deep into a heart. As indicated in the title, an entire album is filled with an obscure darkness and a world of misty sounds never to be feared of, like a comfortable quietness in the dark where a child in the womb is hearing mother’s heartbeat.
FACTS:
1: Silent. It sinks inside of you.
2: As though you can feel the blood stream pulsating forcefully deep inside your heart.
3: Darkness spreads and I search the unknown grounds towards something certain. Only my heart can guide me.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
My inspiration is always all around me. Season’s air, smell, weather, my two years old’ boy, wife, sounds of the trees, laughing voices, the views from the car, noise of the traffic, movies, music, art, book and everything around my life. For me, to make music is all connecting with my life.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I’m a full-time composer. So every morning, I sit at the desk in my office and composing new music. Usually, I have two ways to compose. First is soundtrack work for a movie, theatre, advertise etc. This way is always decided the things I should do for. Because I have a long music list to compose received from the director or producer. Especially, For the soundtrack work, The music list has many kind of the music. So I need to search for what they request to me. Just a little, It’s like a study work in school days, but only the best subject, of course. Second is for my personal work. I debuted from Australian label with my first solo album in 2007 and since then I’ve been releasing 8 solo albums (including the recent one ’In The Dark Woods’) so far. I always have some ideas for my own album, because everyday I’ve been saving the inspirations swelled from the all my life. So I need to release them as my solo album. How to make music, both ways are not difference. I play the piano or some instruments extempore first and when I found out the melody or harmony, something idea I need to compose, I start to compose and arrange the music, will be a inspiring them with new life. This part is always wonderful.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
I don’t have the best 5 ever. If I have 5, I don’t need to make own music any more.
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Actually, I don’t associate anything with Berlin. But I love the movie ‘Victoria’, amazing one take movie.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Movie theater, actually. Tokyo is very busy town. But some parks are very peaceful, I sometimes walk around with my son and wife.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
For me, the sounds of the world is all music. I will listen to the song of the wind.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
Joep Beving – Prehension
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I can’t think of anyone.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
January 29th at Temma Church Osaka in this year. My improvisational perfomance was worked well and it recorded then. ’Stillness Of The Holy Place’ is it and included in my recent album ‘In The Dark Woods’.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
I can make music without the technology but it makes me inspired the fresh ways to make music. I guess it is very important thing for everyone to make something new.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
I have one younger brother and we are good brothers to respect each other.
To listen his new album, “In The Dark Woods”: soundcloud.com/akirakosemura/in-the-dark-woods-original
