Chihei Hatakeyama
Encyclopedia
is an electronic music
artist from Tokyo
, Japan
. He released his first full-length album, Minima Moralia on Kranky Records
in 2006. Hatakeyama's music is characteristically very slow, composed by repeatedly processing guitars, pianos, and vibraphones on a laptop
. The result is a mix of droning chords and sparse single instruments rising above the mix. His music may be classified as either post-ambient
experimental music
or New Age music
.
, and very gradual changes to the droning chords which begin the songs, these titles can be seen as something worth contemplating while listening to the sound.
The title of the album refers to German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno
's book Minima Moralia
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He released his first full-length album, Minima Moralia on Kranky Records
Kranky Records
Kranky is an independent record label, located in Chicago, Illinois. It was started in 1993 by Bruce Adams and Joel Leoschke.The bands it houses are noted for combining experimental and often electronic influences with elements of more traditional rock structures, and many of the artists on Kranky...
in 2006. Hatakeyama's music is characteristically very slow, composed by repeatedly processing guitars, pianos, and vibraphones on a laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
. The result is a mix of droning chords and sparse single instruments rising above the mix. His music may be classified as either post-ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
or New Age music
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
.
Minima Moralia
Hatakeyama's debut US album is a meditation on silence. The albums works as a series of vignettes or meditation exercises. Each track title is a specific image (Bonfire in the Field, Beside a Well, etc.), which the music apparently then seeks to replicate. Because each track has a slow tempo, little identifiably possessing a time signatureTime signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, and very gradual changes to the droning chords which begin the songs, these titles can be seen as something worth contemplating while listening to the sound.
The title of the album refers to German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno
Theodor W. Adorno
Theodor W. Adorno was a German sociologist, philosopher, and musicologist known for his critical theory of society....
's book Minima Moralia
Minima Moralia
Minima Moralia: Reflections From Damaged Life is a 1951 seminal text in Critical Theory. Theodor W. Adorno started writing it during World War II, in 1944, while he lived as an exile in America, and completed it in 1949...