Tatsuya Nakatani
-Percussionist-
Tatsuya Nakatani Biography:
Tatsuya Nakatani is a creative percussionist originally from Osaka, Japan.
He has been residing in the USA since 1994 and is currently based in Easton, PA.Since the late 1990s, Mr. Nakatani has released over sixty recordings in the USA and Europe and has performed countless solo percussion concerts through intensive touring. He has also collaborated with hundreds of other artists internationally and presented masterclasses, workshops and lectures across the USA and around the world.
Nakatani's approach to music is visceral, non-linear and intuitively primitive, expressing an unusually strong spirit while avoiding any categorization. He creates sound via both traditional and extended percussion techniques, utilizing drums, bowed gongs, cymbals, singing bowls, metal objects and bells, as well as various sticks, kitchen tools and homemade bows, all of which manifest in anintense and organic music that represents a very personal sonic world. His approach is steeped in the sensibilities of free improvisation, experimental music, jazz, rock, and noise, and yet retains the sense of space and quiet beauty found in traditional Japanese folk music. His percussion instruments can imitate the sounds of a trumpet, a stringed instrumentor an electronic device to the extent that it becomes difficult to recognize the source of the sound. He has devoted himself to a musical aesthetic where rhythm gives way to pulse, often in a way that is not always audible or visible, in currents that incorporate silence and texture.Nakatani’s primary music activities include
solo percussion performance, N.G.O. (Nakatani Gong Orchestra) and collaborations with musicians and dancers both in live performance and recordings.
Tatsuya Nakatani has spent the past several years traveling and performing extensively throughout the United States and beyond. His constant touring fosters the raw and fresh quality in his music, which can only survive through an open willingness to share energy, culture, music and self on a global human scale. He has toured and performed in Japan, China, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland,Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, Chile, Israel and across the USA, coast to coast. While touring, he also conducts master classes and workshops at schools and universities, emphasizing his unique musical approach and philosophy.
Tatsuya collaborates and performs with a wide range of artists, from internationally renowned musicians to students of all ages, occupations and musical skill levels.
Nakatani has performed in all sorts of venues worldwide, from international musicfestivals to local community centers, artist lofts to university concert halls, including a recent performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He values and appreciatesgrass-roots organized shows set up and promoted by local musicians and promoters in all types of settings - independent artist organizations, clubs and bars, private lofts, squat houses, coffee shops and even packed houseshows run by enthusiastic college kids.
Nakatani also works as a sound designer for film and television and heads his own H&H Production, an independent record label and recording studio based in Easton, Pennsylvania.
He was selected as a performing artist for the Pennsylvania Performing Artist on Tour (PennPat) roster and was also awarded a Bronx Arts Council Individual Artist grant.
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS:
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington D.C., USA)
N.G.O. Nakatani Gong Orchestra and Solo percussion.
Koji Kakinuma (Caligraphy) and Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese Flute)
Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA)
Improvised music score for silent film "The Water Magician"
(1933, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi) part of the Hiroshi Sugimoto exhibition.
Chicago Cultural Center (Chicago, IL, USA)
Solo percussion
Duo Performance with Ken Vandermark (reeds)
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Omaha, NE, USA)
N.G.O. Nakatani Gong Orchestra
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (TX, USA)
Solo Performance
Indianapolis Museum of Art (IN, USA)
Solo Performance
National Music Museum (SD, USA)
Solo Performance
Museo de Arte Moderno y la Alianza Francesa de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Solo Performance
Museo de arte mederno (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Duo Performance with Leonel Kaplan (Trumpet)
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico)
Lecture, Workshop and performance
Matucana 100 (Santiago, Chile)
Performance and workshops
Japan Society (New York, NY)
New York Butoh festival performance
Rubin Museum of Art (New York, NY)
Kataru Performance
Oakland Museum of California (Oakland, CA)
thingamajigs pacific exchange
Krannert Art Museum (Champaign, IL, USA)
The Erie Art Museum (Erie, PA)
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (Buffalo, NY)
Farm Lab (Los Angeles, CA)
I.C.A. Boston (Boston, MA, USA)
Musee d'art moderne et contemporaine (Strasbourg, France)
Le Carre Bleu Les Couronneries (Poiters, France)
Le Crime (Lille, France)
Fylkingen (Stockholm, Sweden)
Kunstencentrum (Belgium)
Farol de Sta. Marta (Cascais, Portugal)
Culturgest (Lisbon, Portugal)
Bimhuis (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Art Spaces/ Clubs -
The Stone, Roulette, Knitting Factory, CBGB, Blue Note (New York, NY) The Elastic Arts Fundation, Empty Bottle, Hot House (Chicago, IL) Instants Chavire (Paris, France) Pit Inn, Super delux (Tokyo, Japan) Levontin 7 (Tel Aviv, Israel) South Gate Space 798 Dashanzi Art District (Beijing, China)
SCHOOL APPEARANCE － residencies/lectures/performance:
University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
University of Georgia (Athens, GA)
University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE)
University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)
University of California, San Diego (San Diego, CA)
University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa (Tuscaloosa, AL)
University of Louisiana (Baton Rouge LA)
University of Kentucky (Louisville, KY)
University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY)
University of Denver (Denver, CO)
Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL)
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Carbondale, IL)
Boston University (Boston, MA)
St. Petersburg college (St. Petersburg, FL)
Kent State University at Stark (Canton OH)
Witman College (Walla Walla, WA)
Arizona State University (Phoenix AZ)
The University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA)
Bennington College (Bennington VT)
Muhlenberg College (Allentown PA)
Nalopa University (Boulder, CO)
Widener University (Chester, PA)
Princeton University (Prinston NJ)
Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)
Youngstown State University (Youngstown, Ohio)
College of Santa Fe (Santa Fe, NM)
Bakersfield College (Bakersfielf, CA)
The Rivers Music School (Weston, MA)
Warwick Public School (Warwick, RI)
Cheston Public School (Easton, PA)
Milby High School (Houston, TX)
Bel Aire High school (Houston, TX)
Madison High school (Houston, TX)
MECA (Houston, TX)
Eastwood High School (El Paso, TX)
Melody school (Bloomington IN)
Stuk (Leuven, Belgium)
St. Lukas Art Institute (Brussels, Belgium)
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
Jaotong University (Shanghai, China)
Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico)
DISCOGRAPHY:
2012 "Valley Tangents" Blues Control -Drag City
2012 "RITUAL INSCRIPTION"Tatsuya Nakatani+Kris Tiner+Jeremy Drake - Epigraph
2011 "The cosmic birth and journey of shinju tnt"Akron/Family - Dead Ocrenas
2011 "SPACE ELEMENTS VOL. III" Rafael Toral -Staubgold
2011 "Bigger Country Boobs" Eugene Chadbourne and Tatsuya Nakatani - House of Chadula
2010 “Ritual Joy” Gary Hassay+Dan DeChellis+Tatsuya Nakatani - Konnex Records
2010 "Kanata" Oir trio: Frank Gratkowski+Sebastian Gramss+Tatsuya Nakatani - not two records
2010 "Whitestone Black Lamp" Tatsuya Nakatani and MIchel Doneda - Kobo
2010 "Michiyuki" Tatsuya Nakatani and Kaoru Watanabe - Kobo
2010 "Abiogenesis" Tatsuya Nakatani Solo percussion -H&H
2010 "Favor Dream" MAP w/ Mary Halvorson,Reuben Radding -Taiga Records 2X Vinyl
2010 "Essences" Forbes Graham -Blaq Lghtn 002
2009 "GN54 Entre Nous" Aporias Trio -Iorram Records
2009 "FreeJazz from the Sanctuary DVD" from between trio
2008 "Solt Goes(live at Geiger)" Munthe, Grip, Nakatani - insubordinations netlabel
2007 "Hear Here Now" Rhythm Section Tatsuya Nakatani: percussion Peter Jacquemyn: double bass Fred Van Hove: piano, accordion (K-RAA-K)3 K055
2007 "Primal Communication" Tatsuya Nakatani Solo percussion, H&H
2007 "Scientists levitate small animals" Zepubicle
2007 "live from the devil's triangle" Thollem Mcdonas, Compilation of KFJC FM
2007 "Above & Beyond" Billy Bang Quintet -Justin Time
2007 "Beauty" HDN Trio -Konnex
2007 "HDN Trio Vinyl Release"-Foreign Frequency
2007 "Connections" Fenette 4-Fuller Street
2007 "Aporias" -Creative Source
2007 "in a trice" Onnyk -Bishop Records
2006 "The Enigma Carlos" -Highzero Festival, Baltimore, MD
2006 "gaping maw" -archive CD
2006 "No Stranger to The Air" from Between Trio-Sprout
2005 "Solitude"assif tsahar -Hopscotch
2005 "acombinatiofevents" John Dikeman-Archive
2005 "Limn" Nakatani-Chen Duo - H&H Producion
2005 "Mott Haven" Yukijurushi - H&H Producion
2005 "N.R.A." -103 point 9 Record
2005 "Un titled" N.R.A. - H&H Producion
2005 "Lovely Hazel" Blue Collar -Public Eye Sore
2004 "New York Underground Orchestra"-Hopscotch
2004 "Masashi Harada Condanction Ensemble" - Emanem
2004 "Ayu Statim?" Kumi Nagao - H&H Producion
2004 "___is an apparition" Blue Collar -Rusbin
2004 "From Between"Doneda, Wright, Nakatani - SOS Edition
2004 "MAP" Second Press from previous release- H&H Production
2004 "Green Report 12" Solo percussion - H&H Production
2003 "Come Sunday" duet with Assif Tsahar -Hopscotch
2003 "13 definitions of truth" duet with Peter Kowald -Quakebasket
2003 "Orchestra Sommambulist" Laura Andel composer -Red Toucan
2003 "The Psychic paramount"Drew St.Ivany, Ben Armstrong
2003 "MAP" w/Mary Halvorson, Clayton Thomas-H&H Production
2003 "Yukijurushi" -H&H Production
2002 "the labyrinth New York Underground Orchestra"-Hopscotch
2001 "Bowed Metal Orchestra" -Self Released
2001 "Zuihitsu"James Coleman -Sedimental
2000 "this is nmperign's second cd" - Twisted Village
2000 "Fetish" Dave Gross, Michael Bullock- Tautology
1999 "there the eye goes not" Michael Bullock -Tautology
1999 "a-un" duet with Kenta Nagai -Self Released
1999 "Field Recordings, volume one:Birthday" -Intransitive
1998 "nmperign" w/ Greg Kelley,Bhob Rainey Twisted Village
1998 "Real Time"Dan DeChhellis,Phil Tomasic -Sachimay
1998 "Saturnalia" -Sublingual
1997 "a-un"improvisation on a street,w/kenta Nagai, Cassette -Self Released
1997-2002 "Green Report #1 to #11" hand made cassette and CD-R
PAST/PRESENT COLLABORATORS:
From USA -
Assif Tsahar, Eugene Chadbourne, Phillip Greenlief, Mark Dresser, Bert Turetzky, Kris Tiner, Jeremy Drake, Villy Golia
Mark Weaver, David Dove, Jeff Albert, Mary Halvorson, Chris Bates, Adam Linz, Janet Feder, Seth Olinsky, Jim Baker, Joshua Abrams
Reuben Radding, Joe Morris, Joe McPhee, Marc Ribot, Sabir Mateen, Cooper-Moore, Rob Cambre, Ken Vandermark, Billy Bang, Frank Lowe
Ed Wilkerson, Jr.,Joe Maneri, Mat Maneri, Jack Wright, Gary Hassay, Donald Millar, LaDonna Smith
Davery Williams, Kaoru Watanabe, Adam Rudolph, Omar Tamez and Etc...
Dance/movement : Chris Ferris, Ximena Garnica, Zack Fuller, Claire Barratt, Oguri, Roxanne Steinberg, Vanessa Skantze and Etc...
From Europe -
Peter Kowald, Peter Brotzmann, Michel Doneda, Barre Phillips, Le Quan Ninh, Joelle Leandre
Fred Van Hove, Sophie Agnel, Phil Minton, Catherine Januiaux, Gunda Gottschalk
Peter Jacquemyn, Andre´ Goudbeek, Xu Feng Xia, Rhodri Davis, Martin Archer, Veryan Weston
Raymond Mcdonald, Phil Durrant, Alessandro Bosetti, Giani Gebia, Fabrice Charles, Bart Maris
Ute Volker, Johannes Bauer, Jean-Luc Guionnet, Carl-Ludwich Hubsch, Fred Blondy
Bertrand Gauguet, Sharif Sehnaoui, Christine Sehnaoui, Mazen Kerbaj, Mauro Pawlowski
Hartmut Dorschner, Frank Gratkowski, Martin Kuchen, David Stackenass, Rafael Toral, Sei Miguel, Fala Mariam
John Edwarsd, Sebastian Gramss,Yuriy Yaremchuk, Lomsch Lehmann, Harold Robin...
Dance/movement : Chantal Yzermans, Ly Thanh Tien, Anika Kristensen, Boaz Barkan, Camille Mutel, Tadashi Endo and Etc...
From Asia -
Otomo Yoshihide, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Yasuhiro Yoshigaki, Satoko Fujii, Michiyo Yagi
Tetsu Saitoh, Masahiko Okura, Seiichi Yamamoto, Hideji Taninaka, Katsura Yamauchi, UA
Keizo Nobori, Hiroshi Funato, Yasuhiro Usui, Koichi Akada,Atsuhiro Ito, Kan Tae Hwan
Yukie Sato, Taku Unami, Masahiko Kono, Tatsu Aoki, Masashi Harada, Kazuo Imai,
Kaoru Watanabe, Tamura Natsuki and Etc...
Dance/movement : Yuko Kaseki, Takuya Ishide
FESTIVALS :
Portalegre Jazz festival, Portalegre, Portugal-2010
Humanoise Congress, Wiesbaden Germany -2010
Mulhouse music festival-Mulhouse France-2011
NMASS austin TX -2010
Festival Musique Actuelle-Victoriaville, Canada-2006
Musique Action festival-Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France-2004, 2007
Newnoise Louvain, Belgium-2007
Jazz En Nord festival, France-2009
Jazz Bez festival, Ukraine+Poland-2009
Cologne night Festival, Germany-2009
Just music international jazz festival, Germany-2009
New music festival, Louisville KY-2009
Festival Beyond Innocence-Osaka, Japan-2004, 2005
Vision Festival-New York, NY, USA-2002, 2003, 2005
FONT Festival, New York, NY-2007
Seattle Improvised Music Festival, WA-2007
Edgetone new music summit, San Francisco, CA-2007
Bias Festival, Bloomington, IN-2007
NY Butoh Dance festival-New York, NY, USA-2003, 2005, 2007
2pi festival, China-2005
Birmingham Improv Festival, AL, USA-2004
Afuk Festival-Copenhagen, Denmark- June 2003
Dumbo Art Festival-Brooklyn, NY, USA-2002
Improvised and Otherwise-New York, NY, USA-2002, 2005
Autumn Uprising Festival-Boston, MA, USA-1997,1999,2000,2001,2002
Counter Fit Festival-Rochester, NY, USA-2005
Sound Less Name Festival - Houston, TX,USA-2004
Asian American Jazz Festival-Boston, MA, USA-2000
High-Zero Festival-Baltimore, MD, USA-2005
No Idea Festival-Austin, TX, USA-2005,2009
Yokohama Improv Festival, Kanagawa, Japan -2007
Outpost Creative Soundspace Festival, Albuquerque, NM-2008
Bohemian National Home Festival, Detroit, MI-2008
PRESS:
"Nakatani's sparse punctuation suggests observance of esoteric ritual "
--Julian Cowley, The Wire Magazine, UK---
"Orchestral brilliance, Tatsuya Nakatani is a methodical musician concerned with the development of an idea in time. His beginnings are arresting; his endings are satisfying.
The right duration and variety of events are fully charged with a visceral intensity that can captivate a true listener.....
The music is clear. This CD merits close listening. It will purify any space."
---Review by Eric Zinman, Improvisor Magazine
"A special gift for ultra subtle sounds and a great attention to detail... quite breath-taking"
--- by Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music gallery, NYC
"Nakatani, one of the few cats who has truly mastered bowed metal percussion, using gongs, cymbals, and Tibetan singing bowls to get a full range of textural delights
and rich, sonorous drones. "
--- by Michael Anton Parker, Downtown Music gallery, NYC
"A master of percussive dynamics"
--- by Derek Taylor, One Final Note Magazine
"His playing combines minimal gestures with real texturalism and an almost painterly approach to percussion; in some ways, he is operating in a space similar to that occupied by Le Quan Ninh."
---Jason Bivins, One Final Note magazine
"Nakatani's contributions are crucial to the proceedings, taking a lead voice on more than one occasion...Nakatani's approach takes in both conventional and extended techniques,
and his unique use of a variety of percussion is compelling."
---by Matthew Sumera, All About Jazz Magazine