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Takemura Nobukazu |
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Takemura Nobukazu |
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Profile |
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As one of the most prolific artists to emerge from Japan's club scene, Takemura Nobukazu's music defines the "defies categorization" label. All cliches aside, Takemura's compositions are frequently dense, long, and punctuated by elements from glitch electronia and free jazz. The resulting works run the gamut from minimalistic to rhythmically complex, but are grounded with a sense of playfulness, a characteristic motif in Takemura's music that often surfaces in his aliases (Child's Play) or album names. If anything his music can be likened to a virus - highly infectious and constantly mutating into new forms.
Takemura hails from Osaka, and took an early shine to music at the age of ten, when he was first exposed to punk and new wave. Working at a record store in his teens, his horizons were broadened by jazz (especially Coltrane) and hip-hop, and he made his entry in the music world during high school as a DJ in Kyoto. In 1988 he joined Audio Sports (which included Yamatsuka Eye of the Boredoms) and performed under the name Spiritual Vibes.
In 1994, Takemura's debut album Child's View showcased his eclecticism with styles ranging from jazz and classical to drum and bass, resulting in a style quite similar to American indie rock experimentalists Tortoise (with whom Takemura later collaborated). With his next recording, 1997's Child & Magic, Takemura's music began to change directions towards more experimental electronica as minimalist influences seeped into his sound.
Takemura emerged in 1999 under the moniker Child's View to release his impressive album Funfair, which also featured two of his creative inspirations in Brian Eno and Robert Wyatt. In the same year he was commissioned to write music for a fashion event, which later appeared as the albums Finale and Milano. His music continued to evolve with the release of Scope and 12-inch Meteor, also in 1999, the former being litterally a collage of sounds and samples, showcasing his increasing affinity for glitch stylings.
Takemura's creative output remained substantial, as he collaborated with Tortoise for 2001's Sign and later designed the sounds for Sony's robot dog Aibo. On 2002's 10th, he experimented with vocals recorded using a "speech synth," a communication tool developed to help the physically handicapped speak. He also recorded with Otomo Yoshihide the next year for Turntables and Computers. The album featured Takemura on the laptop and Otomo on turntables for an expansive jam lasting over 45 minutes. While Takemura hasn't been heard from since 2003's re-release of Songbook, it is highly unlikely the world has seen the last of him.
- James Route (published 2005.02.27, updated Unknown) |
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Links |
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Artist homepage
Childisc
Samples |
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Discography list |
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| Albums |
| TFCC-88312 |
Child's View |
| TFCC-88205 |
Child's View Remix |
| WPC6-8399 |
Child and Magic |
| BC-022 |
Funfair |
| WPC-610017 |
Milano-Nobukazu Takemura for Issay Miyake Men by Naoki Takizawa |
| THRILL 068 |
Scope |
| Unknown |
Finale |
| thrill 094 |
Hoshi no Koe |
| Unknown |
Sign |
| XLTD 005 |
Water's Suite |
| CHCD-030 |
Animate |
| Unknown |
10th |
| BC-041 |
Songbook |
| dat-2/headz14 |
Turntables and Computers |
Singles |
| Thrill 12. 13 |
Meteor |
| B-BOY 004 |
Picnic/Oyasumi |
| B-BOY 008 |
Hiking/Viking |
| Unknown |
Mahou no Hiroba |
| Thrill 12.25 |
Mimic Robot |
EPs |
| CHEP-011 |
Recursion EP |
| CHEP-013 |
Animate EP |
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Sign (Album)
Released: 2001.03.28
Label: Tokuma Japan Communication
Tracklist
1. Into Sign
2. Sign (Japanese Edit)
3. Souvenir in Chicago
4. Cogwheel (Japanese Edit)
5. Resign
6. Variation of Solitary Walker |
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Hoshi no Koe (Album)
Released: 2001.03.27 (thrill 094)
Label: Thrill Jockey
Tracklist
1. One Day
2. Anerometer
3. Honey Comb
4. White Sheep and Small Light
5. Sign (Album Version)
6. A Chrysalis
7. A Theme for Little Animals
8. Trampoline
9. Stairs in the Stars
10. In the Roof-room-wood
11. The Voice of a Fish |
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Picnic/Oyasumi (Single)
Released: 2001 (B-BOY 004)
Label: Bottrop-Boy
Tracklist
1. Picnic
2. Oyasumi |
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Recursion EP (EP)
Released: 2001 (CHEP-011)
Label: Childisc
Tracklist
1. A Lost Treasure
2. Science Fiction (Live Version - Mask At Yellow 99.8.)
3. Sora no Ue
4. Lisp |
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Hiking/Viking (Single)
Released: 2001 (B-BOY 008)
Label: Bottrop-Boy
Tracklist
1. Hiking
2. Viking |
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Finale (Album)
Released: 1999.12.22
Label: Warner Music Japan
Tracklist
1. Overture
2. Manin Hotel
3. Ao no Sekai
4. Minamo no Dance
5. Yoru no Koujou
6. Suizokukan
7. Kagami no Mizuumi
8. Finale |
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Scope (Album)
Released: 1999.06.25 (THRILL 068)
Label: Thrill Jockey
Tracklist
1. On a Balloon
2. Kepler
3. Taw
4. Icefall
5. Tiddler |
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Milano-Nobukazu Takemura for Issay Miyake Men by Naoki Takizawa (Album)
Released: 1999.05.26 (WPC-610017)
Label: Warner Music Japan
Tracklist
1. Tokeidai no Asa
2. Shounen to Roujin
3. Ojiisan no Tenmondai
4. Bambino
5. Mizuumi no Boat kara
6. Muzuumi no Yado kara Taki he no Sanpo |
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