Akira Kosemura

In The Dark Woods

Regular price $22.00

This album 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.
As the music goes on, it gradually begin to widen an introspective worldview. The combined sounds of repeated phrases as seen in minimal music method, a sophisticated crossover sound in between acoustics and electronics, and an improvisational solo piano will present the worldview suggestive of a broad theme, such as a circulation of life or the law of nature.
The highlights of the album “In The Dark Woods” and its variations “Letter From A Distance” will leave the listeners with deep emotions and afterglow, as one sees a glimpse of a path beyond the darkness found in inner deep woods after an inward conversation.

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