Apr 1, 2024

Makigami Koichi UK and France Tour May 2024


In May, Makigami Koichi will perform in the UK and France. The schedule is as follows: 

        May 4, 5     Glasgow, UK
        May 6         London, UK
        May 10       Bristol, UK 
        May 13       Lille, France 
        May 14       Paris, France 

May 4 
Tectonics, Glasgow 
Master class for Voice box 

May 5 
Tectonics, Glasgow 
Duo with Roger Turner

May 6 
cafeOTO, London
double bill with Eugene Chadbourne

May 10 
L'étoile Studio, Bristol 
Koichi Makigami / Phil Minton / Matt Davis / Kay Grant / Matthew Grigg & 5tet
L'étoile Studio - 22 West St

May 13
La Malterie, Lille, France 
with KAZE - Tamura Natsuki (tp), Fujii Satoko (p), Christian Pruvost (tp), Peter Orins (ds)

May 14 
Les Instants Chavirés, Paris, France
"Solo Chakurupa"
double bill with HAŁVVA (Kamil Piotrowicz & Jacek Prościński) & Timothée Quost Kamil Piotrowicz – claviers Jacek Prościński – batterie Timothée Quost – trompette et instruments électroniques 
tickets available online:
Les Instants Chavirés

In particular, the Paris concert is notable because it is the premiere performance in the city for Makigami. To Europian fans - Do not miss this precious opportunity to see the exceptional performer in person.

Mar 31, 2024

Hikashu - Golden Best (2024)




Hikashu - Golden Best

1. Shiroi Highway [White Highway]
2. 20 Seiki No Owari Ni [At the End of the 20th Century]
3. Doro Doro
4. Rhetrics and Logics
5. Love Treatment
6. Dance on Glass
7. Pike
8. Alternative Sun
9. Oasis No Yume [The Dream of Oasis]
10. Uwasa No Jinrui [The Human Beings]
11. Dekigoto [Happenings]
12. Outcast
13. Tencho Na Omotenashi
14. Chimera
15. Biro Biro
16. Puyo Puyo

Universal Music Japan UPCY-7952
Released on March 10, 2024

Golden Best is a series of various artists compilation albums released in Japan by Universal Music which began in 2023.

Selected mainly from the early material, so-called Eastworld label era. But it does include later recordings.

It is important to note that this is released with the band's approval, unlike "Twin Best" which was legitimate but released without the band's consent.

Available now through various retailers including Hikashu Official Store.

Feb 19, 2024

Makigami Koichi - FCA Grant Recipient 2024

Makigami Koichi became a recipient of the Grants to Artists Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA). On February 15, FCA announced the recipients and Makigami is one of them.


From the foundation's website:

FCA awards Grants to Artists in the following fields: dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry, and the visual arts. Artists are suggested and selected by their peers in a two-stage process. Each year, FCA invites dozens of distinguished artists and arts professionals to serve as nominators and propose one exceptional individual, collective, or performing group whom they feel deserves and will benefit from an unrestricted $45,000 award. Nominators are selected by field, but are free to propose artists working in any of the five areas supported. They are asked to remain anonymous. A selection panel chooses grant recipients on the basis of the merit and imaginativeness of their work and the effect such recognition and support might have at this point in their careers.

Grants to Artists are administered by a confidential nomination and selection process. Applications and unsolicited nominations are not accepted.

 

The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) is a nonprofit based foundation in New York City that offers financial support and recognition to contemporary performing and visual artists through awards for artistic innovation and potential. It was established in 1963 as the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts by artists Jasper Johns, John Cage, and others.


So Makigami earned supports from the fellow artists and that's very encouraging.

Congratulations!

Jan 3, 2024

Jazz Art Sengawa 2024


The 16th Jazz Art Sengawa will be held on January 11-14, 2024 at Sengawa Theatre, Chofu, Tokyo. It is an artist-driven music festival and its producers are Makigami Koichi, Sakamoto Hiromichi, and Fujiwara Kiyoto.

The schedule:

January 11 thursday
14:00-14:54 screening the film "Zorn" (2016)
15:20-16:19 screening the film "Zorn II" (2018)
19:30-21:00 John Zorn's Cobra Sengawa Operation Anniversary Unit
Yamamoto Tatsuhisa (drums), Yoshida Ryuichi (baritone sax), Sakaguchi Mitsuo (keyboard), Matsumura Takumi (flute), Yoshida Nonoko (sax), Goto Atsushi (trombone), Itani Takashi (drums), Takaoka Daisuke (tuba), Yoshino (biwa), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello), Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass), Makigami Koichi (promptor)

January 12 friday
13:00-14:18 screening the film "Zorn III" (2022)
14:40-15:34 screening the film "Zorn" (2016)
17:00-18:10 "Crossroad of Sound, Part 1"
Hatano Atsuko (voila+electronics), Takeshita Yuma (Mechanized instruments), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello, etc)
19:30-20:40 "Tracing a path to Kavakov's Dream continued"
Hikashu with Koketsu Masayo (sax)

January 13 saturday
13:30-14:40 "Crossroad of Sound, Part 2"
Ueno Yoko (voice, electronics, etc), Kikuchi Masaaki (bass, electronics), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello, etc)
16:00-17:10 "Space and Eyes of Echoes"
Ito Chieko (dance), Fujiwara Kiyoto (bass)
18:30-19:40 "Strings vibrating furiously"
Gordon Grdina (guitar, oud) with Dojo [Yagi Michiyo - electric kotos, electronics + Honda Tamaya on drums], Makigami Koichi (voice)
20:00-20:59 screening the film "Zorn II" (2018)

January 14 sunday
11:00-12:18 screening the film "Zorn III" (2022)
13:30-14:40 "Unexpected electric from the North"
Cubic Zero [Yoshida Nonoko sax, Motoyama Tomoaki keyboard, Sasaki Nobuhiko guitar, Okubo Taro bass, Shibuya Toru drums]
15:30-16:40 "Crossroad of Sound, Part 3"
Hondo Misaki (baritone sax, etc), Suzueri (handmade instruments), Sakamoto Hiromichi (cello, etc)
18:00-19:10 "Tresures of Sengawa"
Jazz Art Trio [Makigami Koichi voice etc, Sakamoto Hiromichi cello etc, Fujiwara Kiyoto bass]

Admission:
2,000 yen for each film screening
3,500 yen for performances (for each stage) except
5,500 yen for John Zorn's Cobra
8,500 yen for 3 stages ticket (John Zorn's Cobra counted 2 stages - films are not included.)
8,500 yen for 1day ticket
22,000 yen for all days ticket
Tickets are available through PassMarket

X (Twitter) @jazzartsengawa
Facebook @newjazzartsengawa
instagram @jazzartsengawa
youtube @Jazz Art Sengawa Official

Sengawa Theatre, Chofu, Tokyo



Jan 2, 2024

New year's message from Hikashu


Hikashu just posted a new year's message on YouTube as follows:


Makigami:
"Happy New Year. This is Makigami Koichi. This 45th anniversary year we have a new album called "Kumo wo Ayatsuru", the 2nd collection of lyrics, and the events commemorating the year. We would like to continue that this year and plan to release a 45rpm vinyl. It's interesting, isn't it? For the first time in some years, I had an opportunity to visit New York City late last year. It was very good and fortunate. And there is also a plan touring Europe in May so please look forward to it. Also, soon we have the 16th Jazz Art Sengawa (January 2024) and hope see you there. Thank you."

Mita:
"Happy New Year. There are lots of events coming this year, Paris Olympics for example. I have a lot of things which could be turned into songs. So what will we gonna do? From now on we'll decide that. Right now nothing has been decided, but anyway happy new year. Stay tuned. Thanks for watching (and walked out) "

Sakaide:
"Happy New Year. Last year many troubles were out there unfortunately. Personally I had some little good things here and there, and I feel it should be embraced. In 2024, I would like to make some diligent efforts. First ... (comtemplating) ... making compositions. This year I would like to compose many songs. Making a little happiness, one by one. Thank you."

Shimizu:
"Last year we went to various places for tour and it was fulfilling. But many difficult things are happening right now, and for me it's not easy to make a positive message, I'm afraid. I just want to stop things destructing. This year I hope such things never happen any more. E veryone feels the same way, I think. Thank you."

Sato:
"Happy new year. This year it's the 45th anniversary for Hikashu making the first release so we will do something special. And for me there is a new release, my 60th birthday concert DVD. It had a lot of guests, like Carmen Maki, Umezu Kazutoki, and of course Hikashu. Too many to mention here, but Makigami's singing is just incredible. This year, Hikashu and myself will make various activities so stay tuned. Happy new year and thank you."

Currently we have no information about the European tour mentioned above but we will let you know about it here later asap so do not miss it.

Jan 1, 2024

Greetings 2024



Happy New Year.

This year is the *another* 45th anniversary for Hikashu. The band made the first release, the "At the end of the 20th Century" single on Toshiba EMI in 1978. So the anniversary continues.

And the band is active as ever. Monthly Concert at Star Pine's Cafe of Kichijoji, Tokyo is now its 6th year, and certainly various tours will follow.

The band will make the first appearance of 2024 at Jazz Art Sengawa on January 12.


Dec 31, 2023

Farewell 2023



2023 is the 45th anniversary year for Hikashu. The group was formed in 1978.

They had been busy this year indeed. Besides monthly concert in Kichijoji, in summer, new album "Kumo wo Ayatsuru" [Cloud Management] was released and two special concerts were held in Shibuya with many guests plus the original Hikashu reunion. Then the grand finale came.

Hikashu fanclub posted the following tweet with images which are from the december 28 concert.


Surely the coming year will be great one for the band as well.