Akira Kosemura

MIRAI

$49.00

MIRAI (means “future” in Japanese) is the highly anticipated new album from Akira Kosemura, renowned composer/pianist & one of the most streamed Asian classical artists, following his successful solo piano album SEASONS. One of his most challenging and compelling albums to date, MIRAI is his first-ever vocal project album with 7 notable singers such as Devendra Banhart, Mr Hudson, Baths, Benjamin Gustafsson & Miyuki Hatakeyama.
Kosemura notes that the concept of this record is to describe the future from his personal perspective with music, for next generations.
Based on his background and experiences as a Japanese and composer, the album unites various elements from Asian traditional instruments, songs of Nagas in Myanmar, film soundtrack to post-rock, neo-classical and electronica, in his one-of-a-kind musicality and several languages, just like post-war Japanese culture developed uniquely with the influence from western countries.
Says Kosemura; “I came up with this project as I felt a sense of division during the COVID pandemic.” As a father raising his son, his focus has been shifted from his inner voices to the message for next generations. Featuring various instruments such as dilruba, erhu, shakuhachi, koto, shamisen and many others, MIRAI is his phantasmal statement for the future, as well as his journey to the utopia of music.

Music composed, arranged & performed by Akira Kosemura

Guest vocalists: Tom Adams, Mr Hudson, Miyuki Hatakeyama, Baths, Saro, Benjamin Gustafsson & Devendra Banhart

Piano technician: Yasuaki Kubota
Recorded by Akira Kosemura at Schole Tokyo
Recorded by Shunroku Hitani at Studio Tanta, Pastoral Sound, 54it Tokyo
Mixed by Shunroku Hitani at 54it Tokyo
Mastered by Zino Mikorey at Zino Mikorey Mastering Berlin

Photographs: Yusuke Abe
Art direction & design: Shin Kikuchi

Produced by Akira Kosemura
Label A&R: Dan Torigoe(Universal Classics & Jazz)
Marketing planner: Nozomi Matsumoto(Universal Classics & Jazz)
Sales planner: Kaoru Abe(UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC)
Editorial: Hitomi Miyamoto, Kieko Suzuki(UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC)

Special thanks to Joel Kazuo Knoernschild, ROLLERS, Koichi Kuriyama, Yuhki Kurihara, Yuma Saito, Keigo Sonoda, All Schole staffs, Assistants, My family, Asami & Sou.

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.