After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Shuta Hasunuma has moved from Brooklyn, NY to Tokyo. In addition to his activities with the Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra, he has been active both in Japan and overseas, being active in diverse field of art, from exhibiting fine art works to accompaniment to films, dramas, and TV programs. In the midst of his breakthrough, he had continued to work on his album with “his music purely for himself” at his own pace.
During the five years of production, Shuta Hasunuma's own sounds played, collected sounds, memories of places and people, and recordings are all gathered. The sounds range from instrumental sounds to non-instrumental and electronic sounds to field recordings. By treating all sounds equally, the work "unpeople" has been put together as art music.
Hasunuma's sound work, which can be said to be a memory of recent years, shines with a variety of artists, including guitarist Jeff Parker, who is known for releasing works from International Anthem and Nonsuch Records, and Keigo Oyamada (aka Cornelius), who has performed with him live. Keiji Haino, who continues to collaborate from time to time with Hasunuma, playing various instruments, New York drummer Greg Fox, KOM_I's generous and warm voice, and Aragaki Mutsumi, who lives in Okinawa and plays the SANSHIN and SANBA of the traditional instruments in Okinawa. Guitarist Shuta Ishizuka, who is also active in Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra, and Otonashi Fumiya of Japanese traditional instrument SHO are participating as guest players. The sound of various musicians with different activity areas and musicality gathers, raising the contrast of the sound of this album.
The sound work, which includes techno, ambient, jazz, post-classical, and even contemporary music, is difficult to identify in sync with Shuta Hasunuma's own wide-ranging activities. However, it is this unspecified nature that creates the sounds of free and airy sounds.
It is the first studio recording album in seven years since the singing work "Melodies” (2016). It will be the first release in 15 years since "POP OOGA" (2008) as an instrumental work, and it will be a long-awaited release.
In terms of production, the album's core instruments were recorded and mixed at private studios in Hasunuma's Brooklyn and Tokyo. The sounds were co-mixed with Hasunuma's ally engineer Toshihiko Kasai. Mastered by Guy Davie (Electric Mastering). They pursue solid acoustics in collaboration with trusted engineers.
The artwork of the album entitled "unpoeple", which may make you feel the non-existence of humans, is composed of art direction by a photographer, Riku Ikeya and a graphic designer, Seri Tanaka. Hasunuma, Ikeya, and Tanaka have been collaborating on 9 tracks which have been released since September, 2022. Thus, the album artwork can be acknowledged as the final of their continued collaborations.
From September 1st, at the art book store and gallery “POST” in Ebisu Tokyo, an exhibition with the same title "unpeople" will also start. From music to art, from art to music. This is where the development of new possibilities for the art begins.
TRACKS
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unpeople
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Emergence
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Pierrepont
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Irie
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Postpone
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Selves
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Sando
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Vanish, Memoria
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Lunar Mare
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Fairlight Bright
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Hypha
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Wirkraum
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Weather
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Chroma
Guest Players：
Jeff Parker, Cornelius, KOM_I, Fumiya Otonashi, Greg Fox, Shuta Ishizuka, Mutsumi Aragaki, and Keiji Haino
