Sunday, March 2, 2014

Kazuhisa Uchihasi 13 Questions



Kazuhisa Uchihashi (内橋和久, Uchihashi Kazuhisa) began to play the guitar at age 12, playing in various rock bands, though he later studied jazz music. In 1988 he joined the band the First Edition, and in 1990 formed the band Altered States. He was also a member of Otomo Yoshihide's Ground Zero from 1994 to 1997.



Uchihashi also plays daxophone, and in addition to his role as a free improviser, Uchihashi has been the musical director for Osaka theatre group Ishinha, has held improvisation workshops (a project known as New Music Action) in various cities in Japan, as well as London, Oslo, and currently in Vienna also. Uchihashi has set up his own record label, Innocent Records a.k.a. Zenbei Records, had held a music festival annually since 1996 Festival BEYOND INNOCENCE.



Since 1983 he has devoted himself intensively to free improvised music. He experimented thouroughly with many different kinds of machines and sound-devices to expand the expression possibilities of the electric guitar.
He also composed music for films, theatre plays, dance. Among them, he has been working with Japanese Thertre group "ISHINHA" for more than 25 years.



He made a name for himself in Japan in concerts with such improvising musicians as Hans Reichel, Fred Frith, Tom Cora, Ned Rothenberg, Barre Phillips, Kan Tae Fwan, Peter Brotzman, Derek Bailey, Samm Bennett, Steve Beresford, Jon Rose, Zeena Parkins, Elliott Sharp, Eugene Chadbourne, Henry Kaiser, Chris Cutler, Charles Hayward, Han Bennink, Shelley Hirsch, Fred Frith, Gene Coleman, GURU GURU, Franz Hautzinger, Roger Turner, Bobby Previte, Wayne Horvitz, Mani Neumeier, Chiristian Marclay, Mark Feldman, Joelle Leandre, Carl Stone, Burkhard Stangle and others.

Photo: 改訂版。
ウッチー(ベルリン在住。くるり、UAなどのプロデュース、 Altered States主催など)が京都でやるのは稀な事ですよ。
観ないと損するよ〜!
内橋>ダクソフォン、ギター、エフェクト
中村>ギター、エフェクト、他。

He has been conducting his rock-oriented powerful improvised band "Altered States" for 19 years and continues to create his own new guitar music in solo as well as in "Altered States". He is also known by playing with Otomo Yoshihide's GROUND ZERO for long years .



Since 1995 he has been starting to direct "New Music Action Workshop" for young Improviser in KOBE every month, and now he is going to keep it in Tokyo and other area. Since 1996 he has also been organizing the New Music festival "BEYOND INNOCENCE" in Osaka every year untill 2007. He organized NPO Beyond Innocence in Osaka in 2001 to produce new music .
He is also known for being the only one daxophone player in Japan.



What do you remember about your first guitar? 

My first guitar was a cheap acoustic steel string guitar branded Morris. Not bad and not good. I had no idea if it was good or not because it was my first guitar. That guitar became my standard. I tried to get a better one since then.



Why do you need music?

Because I can't do anything but music.



Why do you love the guitar?

It looks easy to play but it's not easy to learn


Which work of your own are you most proud of?

My solo work. Because I can feel more my own originality than in other stuff.



What led you to improvisation?

I can learn a lot of things from improvising. That's why I need to keep on improvising to find something in myself.



Do you play electric and acoustic, do you approach the two differently? 

I play mainly electric. I really like to play guitar with some pedals.



What was the first solo you learned from a record — and can you still play it?

Narciso Yepes 「Romance」 Maybe I've played it one time in the last 20 years



What’s the difference between a good guitar and a bad guitar? 

If It can provide the sounds I like, I can say it's a good guitar.



What are the challenges and benefits of today's digital music scene?

Only Downsizing. Big analog equipment comes to just plug in. Digital technology makes everything compact .



Define the sound you're still looking for.

Talking Sounds


Lighting Takayuki Fujimoto / Sound Kazuhisa Uchihashi / dance Yukio suzuki

Why and how do you use extended techniques in guitar? 

It depends on what I want to play. I am losing lots of normal techniques these 30 years. But in the other hand I learned lots of strange techniques



Which living artist would you like to collaborate with? 

With some Asian traditional music players



What dead artist would you like to have collaborated with?

Taro Okamoto

Tarō Okamoto (岡本 太郎 Okamoto Tarō, February 26, 1911 – January 7, 1996) was a Japanese artist noted for his abstract and avant-garde paintings and sculptur



What’s your next project about?

Collaboration with Sekkyo-bushi (sermon ballads)
This is Japanese old traditional in 16th century.




Discography

solo
  • Uchihashi Kazuhisa. Flect II. Innocent, icr-013, 2009.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa. Flect. Innocent, icr-009, 2003.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa. Crazy Bubbles. CD-R. Psycho, psycho-0108, 2000.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa. Phosphorescence: Guitar Solo 2. Zenbei, ZEN-004, 1997.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa. Steam: Solo Performance at Shinjuku Pit Inn. Videocassette. Trigram, TR-P905, 1994.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa. Guitar Solo. Zenbei, ZEN-002, 1994.
 

duo
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Improvisations 4. DVD. Magaibutsu, MGMV-01, 2012.
  • Reichel, Hans, and Uchihashi Kazuhisa. King Pawns: Live in Berlin 2006. Innocent, ICR-020, 2012.
  • Takahashi, Yuji, and Uchihashi Kazuhisa. U9. Innocent, ICR-019, 2012.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Takayuki Kato. Duo. Fulldesign, FDR-2014, 2012.
  • Hirsch, Shelley, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Duets: 10 Years After. Innocent, ICR-016, 2011.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Improvisations 3. DVD + CD set. Magaibutsu, MGCDV-01, 2009.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Improvisations 2. 3-CD set. Magaibutsu, MGC-30/31/32, 2007.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Hercules' Icy Club. Tone Industria, TI 011, 2005.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Improvisations. 2-CD set. Magaibutsu, MGC-24/25, 2005.
  • Hirsch, Shelley, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Duets. Innocent, ICR-008, 2002.
  • Otani, Yasuhiro, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Mr. Summer Time. PaleBlue, MA-1024, 2002.
  • Bennett, Samm, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Cold Blowaway Sizeup. CD-R. Psycho, psycho-0107, 2000. 
 
  • Kang Tae Hwan, Yoshimitsu Ichiraku, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Clearness. 2-CD-R set. Psycho, psycho-0103-4, 2000.
  • Chino, Shuichi, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. f/w. CD-R. Psycho, psycho-0102, 2000.
  • Ichiraku, Yoshimitsu, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Cynical Athlete. CD-R. Psycho, psycho-0101, 2000.
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Hans Reichel. King Pawns. Zenbei, ZEN-006, 1998.
  • Uchihashi, Kojima Duo/ Iwata, Kawabata Duo. Audiocassette. New Music Action Live Series 3. Action Cassette / Innocent, Action Cassette Vol. 3, 1997.
  • Reichel, Hans, Fred Frith, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Stop Complainning / Sundown. FMP, CD 36, 1991.
 

trio
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, Tatsuya Yoshida, and Satoshi Mishiba. Deposition & Erosion. MGC-43, 2012.
  • Combopiano. Combopiano. P-Vine, PCD-25116, 2010.
  • Kochan Uchihashi Hautzinger Trio. Ruth Send a SMS. Tone Industria, TI 025, 2008.
  • Palme, Pia, JSX, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Subitized. ein_klang, ekr_017, 2007. 
 
  • Comfort of Madness. Thixotrop. Innocent, icr-010, 2004.
  • Larner, Brett, Joëlle Léandre, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. No Day Rising. Spool, SPL121, 2003.
  • Ruins, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Ruins + Kazuhisa Uchihashi. F.M.N. Sound Factory, FMC-028, 2002.
  • Rothenberg, Ned, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, and Samm Bennett. Are You Be. Animul, ANI 103, 2002.
  • Otani, Uchihashi, Ogata Trio / Katori Unit. Audiocassette. New Music Action Live Series 15. Action Cassette / Innocent, Action Cassette Vol. 15, 1998.
  • Sakiyama, Ezaki, Uchihashi Trio + Katori, Wada Duo/ Funabashi, Kawabata, Katori Trio + Inada, Iwasaki Duo. Audiocassette. New Music Action Live Series 4. Action Cassette / Innocent, Action Cassette Vol. 4, 1997.
 

as leader / co-leader
  • Makigami, Koichi, Kazuto Shimizu, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Sorites Paradox. Magaibutsu, MGC-38, 2011.
  • Kanon. Beauty Is the Thing Doubtmusic, dmf-141, 2011.
  • Hayashi, Eiichi, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Akira Sotoyama, and Ryojiro Furusawa. 2006.8.26. Otoyakintoki. Test, Test-0001, 2008. 
 
  • Uchihashi, Kazuhisa, and Tatsuya Yoshida. Improvisations 2. 3-CD set. Magaibutsu, MGC-30/31/32, 2007.
  • Mutant. EQ. CD-R. Psycho, psycho-0109, 2001.
  • The Comforts of Madness. Röhren. Charhizma, Charhizma 004, 1999.
  • The Comforts of Madness. Autism. Durian, Durian 008-2, 1999.
  • Kam-pas-nel-la. Kam-pas-nel-la. Festival Beyond Innocence Live Performance Series Vol. 1. FBI Works / Innocent, INN-101, 1998.
 

with Phantasmagoria
  • Phantasmagoria. Phantasmagoria. Innocent, ICR-007, 2000.
  • Phantasmagoria. Cantata. CD-R. Psycho, psycho-0105, 2000.
  • Inada, Nishiura Duo/ Phantasmagoria. Audiocassette. New Music Action Live Series 7. Action Cassette / Innocent, Action Cassette Vol. 7, 1997.
 

with Altered States
 


with Ground Zero
 

with Otomo Yoshihide
  • Bond, Justin, Bob Ostertag, and Yoshihide Otomo. Panty Christ. Seeland, seeland 510, 1999.
  • Otomo, Yoshihide, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Kichen. Dir. Yim Ho. Toshiba EMI, 1997.
  • Otomo, Yoshihide, and Masahiko Shimada. My Dear Mummy. Sank-ohso / Creativeman, CMDD-00034, 1997.
  • Otomo, Yoshihide. Hu-du-men. Dir. Shu Kei. a Kim Workshop / Sound Factory, STK-005, 1996.
 
  • Otomo, Yoshihide, and Jon Rose. Tatakiuri. Sank-ohso / Creativeman, CMDD-00017, 1995.
  • Otomo, Yoshihide. Summer Snow. Dir. Ann Hui. Sound Factory, STK 003 / King International, KKCP-79, 1995.
  • Otomo, Yoshihide. The Day the Sun Turned Cold. Dir. Yim Ho. BMG Victor, BVCP799, 1995.
  • Otomo, Yoshihide. The Blue Kite. Dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang. Trigram, S&T-001, 1993.
 

with Hideaki Sasaki
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6opO-e7dh58

With Shizuru Ohtaka
  • Ohtaka, Shizuru and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Tetto Musashinosen Soundtrack. VAP, VPCD-81206.
  • Ohtaka, Shizuru. Voice Bathing. King, KICS 626, 1997.
  • Ohtaka, Shizuru. Love Tune. King, KICS 608, 1997.
  • Ohtaka, Shizuru. Repeat Performance 3. King, KICS 481, 1995.
  • Ohtaka, Shizuru. Nostalgia. King, KICS 447, 1994.
  • Ohtaka, Shizuru. Repeat Performance 2. 1993.
 

with other artists
 
  • Haco. Happiness Proof. P-Vine, PCD-5558, 1999.
  • Goshima, Yoshiko. Shian no Hane. Polystar, PSCR-5726, 1999.
  • Hayward, Charles. Near + Far. Live in Japan Vol. 3. Locus Solus, LSR 003, 1999.
  • Nadege. Purification. WEA Japan, WPCR-2340, 1998.
  • Suyama, Kumiko. Eisler Songs. OPR-9804, 1998.
  • Nadege. Aromes. WEA Japan, WPCR-1649, 1998.
  • Suyama, Kumiko. La Pomme. OPR-9703, 1997.
  • Nadege. Terre-neuve. WEA Japan, WPCR-1300, 1997.
  • Kazmi with Rickies. Mittsu no Mute. 5" single CD. Toshiba EMI, TOCT-9923, 1997.
  • Wawa. Wawa. GR 001, 1996.
  • Honzi. One. Polystar, PSCR-5529, 1996.
  • Carmen Maki. Unison. PICL-1135, 1996.
  • Nadege. Aquatique. Victor, VICP-5730, 1996. 

Photo: 開演8時,2500円。
ポーランドの達人たちとの共演。ワクワクっ!
Maciej Obaraさんは 今度ECMからリーダーアルバム出すらしいです。
書き忘れた。ZAC BARANはこちら。京都です。
http://www.zacbaran.net/about.html
  • Takemura, Nobukazu. Child's View. Bellissima! / Toys Factory, TFCC-88312, 1994.
  • Audio Sports. Strange Fruits. All Access, AACD-004, 1994.
  • Nadege. Nadege Meets Nadege. Samson, SMCL-1011, 1994.
  • Sugaya, Masahiro. The Bush of Ghosts. SAY PAD-8012, 1993.
  • Spiritual Vibes. Spiritual Vibes. Toys Factory, TFCC-88304, 1993.
  • Taguchi, Tomoro. Bachikarist. WEA Music, WMC3-26, 1992.
  • Hurdy Gurdy Orchestra. Hurdy Gurdy Orchestra. 1991.


compilations


Taro Okamoto Painting 

http://www.innocentrecord.com/