Interview: Akemi Uokai A pianist leading Japan’s new generation of jazz releases an album with a new trio – CDJournal CDJ PUSH

There are parts of the world we live in that are exquisitely beautiful and lyrical, and parts that are somehow disturbing and full of tension. The two coexist without mixing, creating a mysterious hue. That’s how I felt after listening to jazz pianist Akemi Uokai’s latest work, “Irumasu,” over and over again. I think this is a piece that has the power to connect casual everyday life with the profoundness of music.

Toshihide is a young artist who graduated from the composition department of Tokyo University of the Arts and is leading the new generation of jazz in Japan. In recent years, he has also been active in the field of film music, and the movie “Between the White Key and the Black Key” (starring Sosuke Ikematsu), which will be released in 2023, has received high praise from various quarters. For Uogaeshi, this is his third piano trio album and his first in six years. The trio members have been changed from the previous work. With Riku Takahashi (b) and Kaito Nakamura (ds), they are presenting a completely new sound image. What has changed in these six years? We took a close look at the process that led to this work, which can be called a new frontier.

–This is your first piano trio work in six years since 2018’s “Embrace the Ladder.” This time’s “Irumasu” has a new lineup, but did you have any concept for the album?

“No, I wasn’t particularly conscious of it. The current trio started playing constantly around 2020. Over the past four years, the number of original songs has increased, and the three of us have been performing well as a result of playing live shows. I’ve gotten better at it, so I wanted to preserve my current sound as a recording.So, if I had been more selective with my existing repertoire, I could have created a clear story as an album. But rather than that, I’m prioritizing the current momentum and the atmosphere of the band. However, most of the songs recorded were created after the coronavirus pandemic, so I felt like I was in the mood during that period. This may be reflected in the total.”

–When you announced your previous work, you said in an interview that you felt a sense of accomplishment as a composer. It’s true that the ensemble with Kusui Satsuki (b) and Ishiwaka Shun (drums) was very refreshing, but was it an attempt to reset and explore a new development?

“Yes, a sense of accomplishment sounds good, but to be honest, at that point I felt like I was at a bit of a dead end.Then, my previous band disbanded and I formed a duo with guitarist Inoue Mei-kun for a while. However, for a jazz pianist, the trio is inevitable, so I decided to go back to the most basic style, based on my experiences during that time.

–What exactly does it mean to feel stuck?

“This is completely my problem. In the process of writing songs with two members in mind, I gradually lost flexibility. I think I had an idea of ​​the sound that this trio should produce. I think I became constrained by it unconsciously. Kusui-san and Ishiyo-kun were both young people, but they had much more experience than me, and they were great musicians. Now that I think about it, I feel like there were parts where I stretched myself under pressure.The current trio is quite the opposite.I wonder why…The performance expanded in a direction that the composer never expected. Or should I say go?”

――Has your performance become more open-minded now that you’re less constrained by how it has to be?

“I think so.In the end, I guess what I’m looking for in music has changed.I’ve come to find it enjoyable when the members suddenly play an unexpected phrase or when an unexpected development suddenly begins.” I want to listen more carefully to the other person’s sound.I want to listen to each delicate nuance with my whole body, and I want to play the piano in a way that resonates with them. In that sense, I think the experience of teaming up with Mei-kun and dedicating ourselves to a slightly unusual lineup of guitar and piano was also a big factor, as we were unable to perform live for a while due to the coronavirus pandemic. ”

――The freedom that is released from the framework was strongly conveyed through this album called “Irumasu”. How did you form the trio with Riku Takahashi on bass and Kaito Nakamura on drums?

“We’ve known each other for quite some time. Riku-kun is five years younger than me. He used to come to the jazz bar where I used to host sessions since I was around 20 years old. I think he was still in high school when we first met. Then, around 2018, he joined the band I was in as a bass player. When the members played together, they were really on the same wavelength.As a musician, Riku dislikes predetermined harmony, but he doesn’t like the unspoken rules of jazz. He’s the type of person who prioritizes things and ideas. And it’s not like he’s self-contained. There’s a sense that he’s confused by the sounds he makes impulsively (lol).

–I see (lol). In this album as well, the part where the bass was running wild and singing was very attractive. Drummer Nakamura-san was born in 2001. He is the youngest, 10 years younger than Uogaeshi.

“Kaito-kun has been coming to see our previous trio’s live performances since he was in junior high school. That’s where we first met. He was already skilled as a session host in the live scene of his hometown, Gunma. I’ve even been invited to play as a guest.What’s great about his drumming is that it has both a sense of speed and softness, and I tend to lean forward when playing the piano. There is a sense of security in being surrounded by people. I thought that with these two, we would be able to perform in a way that was different from the previous trio, and that I would like to invite them to join us during the coronavirus pandemic. Since around 2020, I have been gradually increasing my opportunities to perform.”

–Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Nakamura also participated in the soundtrack of the movie “Between the White Key and the Black Key” (2023), for which Mr. Uogaeshi composed the music. The relationship has matured through various scenes, mainly live performances.

“I think the intimacy of instantaneous interactions on stage, so-called interplay, has improved considerably.I myself am inspired on many levels, and even when I’m performing, I don’t feel like I’m staying in one place. That’s exactly what I want to hear from these two. I want to listen to them with all my might, and create new sounds myself by responding to their vivid sounds. Riku-kun and Kaito-kun’s relationship makes me think that way. I think they probably find this kind of trio interesting.”

–In that sense, the title number of this work, “Illuminate,” is symbolic. This song doesn’t have a catchy or clear melody line. Mr. Uogaeshi himself wrote in the song description in the liner notes that he imagined it as “a light about the size of a small flashlight.”

“Hahahaha (lol), you wrote that.”

–Certainly, the piano in this song somehow reminds me of a blurred outline of light. This unique sound resonates with the swaying bass and the ripple-like drums. Weaving a lyrical image of the world. Although it is over 10 minutes long, it maintains a pleasant tension throughout, drawing the listener in.

“If you feel that way, then I’m really happy. This song actually had a clearer structure when it was conceived. The beat was constant, and it had a more powerful image. But I imagined the two of us playing it. As I continued to refine it, the rhythm began to fluctuate, and in the end I ended up with the somewhat fluid shape I have now.Well, I’ve always been more drawn to lights that dimly illuminate the darkness than bright sunlight. (laughs) I think that kind of my own personality probably oozes out unconsciously.”

–The image of a dim light in the darkness is also the motif of this jacket. Was the empty vending machine late at night your idea?

“No, this was suggested to me by a designer friend of mine. I had told him the titles of the songs in advance. I think he probably thought of it from there and came up with the illustrations. It’s true that the content of this album is… I feel like it resonates with me perfectly, and I really like it.”

–The light from a vending machine is the most neglected light in this world. Usually, very few people pay attention to it. But it’s definitely there, illuminating the streets without anyone knowing.

“Oh yeah, that’s right.”

――I feel like that kind of modest warmth, a tone of hope hidden in the midst of uneasiness, is actually the underlying theme of this entire album called “Iru”.

“Yes, I think the reverberations of the coronavirus pandemic that I talked about at the beginning are connected to that after all.In fact, if you look closely at this illustration, you can see a 100-yen coin falling on the street.The pale light of a vending machine. Personally, I feel like there’s a form of communication in that (lol). Even though I’m shy, I feel like I can connect with other people from the sounds of the musicians around me. I want to change myself by feeling and accepting more things.Since the coronavirus pandemic, I feel like this mindset has become more prevalent in my compositions and performances. The song “Illuminate” has a short storytelling unit.It seems to waver in an amorphous way, but it is actually made up of repeated short refrains. It’s an image of a whirlpool of sound getting bigger. This is probably the trend of this album as a whole, not just “Iru.”

–Compared to the previous trio’s works, all the songs have a generally minimalist structure. Has that also changed naturally to suit the player’s personality?

“That’s right. I think jazz is ultimately a music of loops, but the shorter the minimum unit, the easier it is to take advantage of the momentary inspiration. If an idea comes to you while you’re playing, try it right away in the next turn. For example, what was said in 32 bars in the previous album is condensed into 16 bars or 8 bars.I think that is a big part of the current trio’s unique story. From a gender perspective, it feels more like primitive roots music. You might even dare to call it blues-like.”

–It is interesting. Sound-wise, it doesn’t really smell like blues. Rather, it gives the impression that they are far apart.

“We usually play using chords that are completely different from the so-called blues chords, so you might not think of it as such. I think it’s getting closer to that.The same goes for the first song, “Cloudy Sky.”In this song, various chords and harmonies are applied one after another to a simple melody.For some reason, one actor is always on stage. It’s like standing there and only the lighting is changing endlessly.”

–I see. Therein lies the interesting blues-like structure.

“For example, if there is something like a strong magnetic field at the center of a song.If the fun of the blues lies in moving closer and further away from that field, then I think the music we’re doing now is completely like that.” No matter how far away you are from the center, the magnetic field itself never disappears. I think Riku and Kaito share this feeling in their own words. I’ve never confirmed it though.”

–Do you not talk about things like that much within the trio?

“I don’t. It’s a rough way to say it, but all three members have clumsy personalities. If we say it in words, it will take on a life of its own, and there will probably be more lies. So I think it’s better to talk about it through performances. (lol)”

–The fourth song, “Alcohol Gel,” is a number that reminds you of “the sticky feel of gel-type disinfectant,” according to Uogaeshi. The throbbing rhythm and muddy chords somehow remind me of Thelonious Monk.

“Only the introductory part of this song was pre-determined, and everything after that was completely improvised. In a sense, this is the song where each player’s individuality most directly clashes. The refrain element in the introductory part is also the best on this album. I think it’s short. In that sense, it’s a number with a strong primitive feel. There are some improvisations that make your blood boil, and before you know it, the ground you were standing on has disappeared (lol). I tried it.”

–The 6th track “Thorn” and the 7th track “Normal Temperature”, which can be said to be the climax of the album, sounded like a series of suites. From the introduction with a sense of scale, the song flows into a song full of tension and speed, with an impressive bass bridge in between.

“At first, we performed it as a separate song, but I would say that “Thorns” has a weak blues structure in the sense that I mentioned earlier.If it were recorded as an independent number, it would have been a little out of place on this album. That’s why I decided to position it as a prelude to Normal Temperature.”

–In the introduction to “Normal Temperature,” five notes are repeated relentlessly. Throughout the 8-minute performance, there is a sense of the three of them struggling to escape from the five-note shackles. What I get is a feeling that is almost the opposite of normal heat.

“I wrote this song in the summer of 2021, a time when everyone had no choice but to be conscious of living in a normal temperature.The sense of discomfort and discomfort I felt at that time is the basis of the composition. Maybe that’s connected to a feeling of being trapped in a prison, and a sense of impatience that makes you want to escape from there.”

–The excitement in the second half of the album was amazing. I really wanted to see it live. A national tour is also planned, starting with a pit stop in Shinjuku, Tokyo on Sunday, April 28th. What kind of activities would you like to do as a trio in the future?

“My idea is very simple: I want to write more and more songs for this trio and develop them through live performances.The three of us will accumulate experience so that we can create exciting music in any situation. However, as a band, we feel like we’ve finally made it to the starting line. We’d like to complete our national tour first, and then move forward with the next album. I’m really happy to be able to perform now.”

Interview and text by Takayuki Otani