New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Akira Kosemura, the renowned composer/pianist & one of the most streamed Asian classical artists, releases his new EP Pause (almost equal to) Play, out today on Decca Records / Universal Music.
This four-track EP is a collection of the songs featured on 2022
Spring & Summer Collection of TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist., the acclaimed fashion house based in Tokyo. Featuring the string quartet, programming, and synthesizers as well as his notable felt piano, it showcases the diversity and dynamics of his musical talent which covers from acoustic ensemble to electronica.
"I wrote these pieces at a time when I had to stop and look back at myself" says Kosemura. "Mr. Miyashita helped me a lot to do my best for his project. The music that was created by stopping was filled with a sense of what was to come for me."
"For me, too, it was a collection that made me look at myself once again" Takahiro Miyashita, the founder of the brand recalls. "I was always thinking about Akira's music, thus it was very natural for me to ask him to compose a piece for my project, and he delivered a very beautiful gift."
The music of Kosemura has been highly renowned worldwide not only for his own works, but also for numerous well-known films, TV series, video games, and commercials including American TV series "
Love Is" and "Morning Comes" (directed by Naomi Kawase), an official selection of the Cannes International Film Festival. His talent has been enthusiastically supported by eminent artists such as Devendra Banhart, Giles Peterson, M83 and many others.
This EP, Pause (almost equal to) Play is another great collaboration with one of the finest brands and a musical journey to a new phase.
"It was like we both took a new step forward at the same time" says Miyashita. "When I look back on my life someday, I would be able to say with confidence that I could be myself with this beautiful gift."
Pause (almost equal to) Play Track Listing:
vi (almost equal to) ix
elbis.reverri
lanrete
pause (almost equal to) play
Born in Tokyo in 1985, Japanese composer Akira Kosemura (he/him) debuted his first solo album, "It's On Everything", on an Australian label in 2007 while he was still in school. That same year, he founded his own label, Schole Records, and garnered good reviews by releasing various albums of crossover genre music featuring the sounds of piano, strings, winds, synthesizers, and field recordings.
Akira has composed music for film, stage, game and commercials, including the Cannes 2020 feature film True Mothers (Asa Ga Kuru) directed by Naomi Kawase, the OWN series Love Is__ produced by Mara Brock Akil, Nintendo
Switch game JACKJEANNE produced by Sui Ishida, TBS series Chugakusei Nikki, a contemporary ballet piece MANON choreographed by Kimiho Hulbert, and Japan Pavilion in
Milano EXPO. Also the Amazon original movie
Jonas Brothers Chasing Happiness and Golden Lion winning French director Audrey Diwan's debut feature film Mais vous êtes fous (Losing It) used Akira's catalogue. In recent years, he has worked collaboratively with international brands such as Palme d'Or winning Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda's current documentary film "The Center Lane" by SK-Ⅱ STUDIO, TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. SS22 collection runway, some commercials of La Mer Blue Heart, Land Rover, L'Occitane, Nikon, Rado, IKEA and Kinfolk. Akira also featured Devendra Banhart on a single titled "
Someday". His works have received high acclaim from media outlets around the world, including Pitchfork in the US.