Akira Kosemura

Love Is__ (Music From The Original TV Series)

$36.00

Akira Kosemura scored American TV series "Love Is __" which premiered on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in 2018. This is the original television soundtrack album under exclusive license to Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Michele Weaver and Will Catlett star in OWN’s new romantic drama Love Is___, from award-winning producers Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane, The Game) and Salim Akil (Black Lightning). Set primarily in 1990s Los Angeles against the backdrop of Black Hollywood, Love Is___ follows Nuri (Michele Weaver) and Yasir (Will Catlett), a couple from seemingly opposite worlds, as they chase their dreams and learn to follow their hearts. Told from the perspective of the couple’s present-day selves, the romantic drama also revisits the social issues and vibrant black culture of that time reflecting on how it all aligned to shape the couple they have become nearly 20 years later—a power couple navigating a complex set of social codes while also balancing successful careers and a beautiful family.
Drawing inspiration from creators Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil’s own relationship journey, the series explores the highs, the lows, and the magic of falling (and staying) in love.
Mara had been listening Akira's music when she was writing the script, that's why the collaboration is realized.

Music Composed, Arranged and Produced by Akira Kosemura

Executive Album Producers
Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil

Executive in Charge of Music for Warner Bros. Television
Bronwyn Savasta

Executive in Charge of Music for WaterTower Music
Jason Linn

Music Supervisor: Kier Lehman
Music Coordinator: Miles Cowan
Music Editor: Cory Milano

Recording Engineers: Akira Kosemura, Shunroku Hitani
Score Mixed by Shunroku Hitani at 54it, Tokyo

Piano, Keyboards, Electronics & Programming: Akira Kosemura
Violins: Atsuki Yoshida, Natsumi Okimasu
Viola: Atsuki Yoshida, Mei Mishina
Cello: Yumi Shimazu
Contrabass: Toru Nishijima
Guitars: Muneki Takasaka

Strings Recorded at Pastoral Sound & 54it, Tokyo Album Mastered by Hiromitsu Shoji

Soundtrack Album Package and Design: Shin Kikuchi

Manufactured by Schole Inc.
Love Is_ and all related characters and elements are TM and © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

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