Akira Kosemura

In The Dark Woods

通常価格 $22.00

本作は、2016年発表のソロピアノによる即興作品「One Day」以降、自らの演奏によるピアノやウーリッツァー、シンセサイザーを中心に、ストリングス・クインテットを用いて、アコースティックとエレクトロニクスを融合させながら、よりパーソナルな環境下で作り上げられた作品です。
“自身との親密な対話による内省的で静謐な感覚を大切にした”という本作は、音楽が体の内側に入り込み、心の奥底で脈々と流れる血流を感じ取る、そんな生々しい感覚を想起させます。タイトルにある通り、アルバム全編に渡り薄暗い闇を覆ったかのような、霧掛かった音像による世界観が展開されていますが、それは決して怖れを感じさせるようなものではなく、胎児が母親の鼓動を聞いているかのような、暗闇のなかにあって、安心できる静けさに満ちています。
楽曲が進むにつれて、その内省的な世界観は段々と広がりを見せ、フレーズの反復によって徐々に構築されていくミニマル・ミュージック的手法と、アコースティックとエレクトロニクスの境界を感じさせない緻密なサウンドメイク、即興的アプローチによるソロピアノなどが組み合わさることで、生命の循環や自然界の摂理など、より大きなスケールのテーマを彷彿とさせる世界観が提示されていきます。
本作のハイライトといえる「In The Dark Woods」とその変奏である「Letter From A Distance」は、そんな内省的な自己の深い森との対話、その先への道筋を垣間見るかのような、深遠な感動と余韻を残してくれることでしょう。

Music Composed & Arranged by Akira Kosemura

Piano, Keyboards & Electronics: Akira Kosemura
1st Violin: Atsuki Yoshida
2nd Violin: Natsumi Okimasu
Viola: Kintaro Hagiya
Cello: Yumi Shimazu
Contrabass: Toru Nishijima

M01-14, 17 Recorded and Mixed by Akira Kosemura
M15 Recorded at Temma Church and Mixed by Hiroshi Iguchi
M16 Recorded at Pastoral Sound and Mixed at 54it by Shunroku Hitani (studio MSR)
Studio Coordination: Keigo Sonoda (Pastoral Sound)
Mastered by Hiromits Shoji
Sales Promotion: Kazumitsu Yoshida, Romain Meril and Matthieu Burel
Art direction, Photographs and Design: Shin Kikuchi
Production Management: SCHOLE INC.
Produced by Akira Kosemura

Akira Kosemura (he/him) is a composer and pianist hailing from Tokyo, Japan. He is a prolific artist, constantly releasing solo albums and composing music for films, TV drama, games, stage, and commercial music.
Akira founded his own label Schole Records early on after his solo album It's on Everything released in 2007 while he was still in school. In 2017 and 2018 Akira's music was ranked in Spotify's "Most Played Japanese Artists/Songs Top 10", and his works have been highly acclaimed on media around the world, including US music media Pitchfork, Australian newspaper THE AGE, French public broadcast FIP, and Canadian public broadcast Ici Musique.
Akira's major score works include Fragments of The Last Will by Takahisa Zeze, the Cannes 2020 featured film True Mothers (Asa Ga Kuru) directed by Naomi Kawase, Hollywood produced drama series Love Is__, the Nintendo Switch game Jack Jeanne produced by Sui Ishida, the TBS drama series Chugakusei Nikki, the contemporary ballet piece MANON, and the Japan Pavilion in Milano EXPO. His music pieces were also featured in the Amazon original movie Jonas Brothers' CHASING HAPPINESS, the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion awarded director Audrey Diwan's debut film Mais vous etes fous (Losing It), and the Toho movie Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare.
In recent years, he has worked on projects in different media such as SK-II STUDIO's documentary The Center Lane (featuring Rikako Ikee), directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, the runway music for a collection from apparel brand TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist., as well as music for LA MER BLUE HEART, LAND ROVER, and L'OCCITANE. Akira has also co-produced a song with American musician Devendra Banhart.
In addition to his versatility and diverse portfolio, Akira has been working on a world scale. In 2022 he signed a contract with prestigious Decca Records, and the EP Pause (almost equal to) Play was released worldwide. Akira's music was also sampled in John Legend's song "The Other Ones feat. Rhapsody" included in his new album Legend Act I & II. And Akira's first major album SEASONS was released on Decca Records (UMG) on June 30, 2023.

“It feels impossible to get tired of, circumscribed and boundless at once.”
by Pitchfork

“Fantastic stuff.”
by Gilles Peterson

“Peaceful, evocative music”
by Fact Magazine