New album "Kumo wo Ayatsuru" (Cloud Management - Sing a song of "Kavakov's Dream") INFO * Upcoming - Monthly Concert 2025 @ SPC Kichijoji Tokyo JAN25 FEB26 MAR26 APR24 INFO + Makigami Koichi Residency @ The Stone New York City JUN4-7 2025
This month Hikashu have completed the monthly concert series at Star Pine's Cafe at Kichijoji, Tokyo. Now it is the 6th year.
Other than that, the band did various performances with other bands. For example, they did concerts with notable acts from younger generation like Polysics, Urban Garde, and Otoboke Beaver.
And, as reported here before, Makigami Koichi received a grant from FCA, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, a nonprofit based foundation in New York City.
Makigami himself did attend the ceremony held in NYC. He said as follows:
When I attended the award ceremony in 2024, coincidentally a total solar eclipse was visible from New York City. Seeing it with eclipse glasses, I felt like the sun blessed me.
2024 has been a fruitful year for Hikashu. Hopefully the new year will be great and prosperous as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Hi. I'm an avid follower of a Japanese rock band, Hikashu. They are formed in 1978 and still going strong. Simply put, they are the greatest band from Japan. Really. They play some pretty good compositions, and collective improvisation of mastery kind. If you like the Mothers of Invention, Henry Cow, John Zorn, Derek Bailey, or any kind of good music plus having a sense of humor, just try them. They are so unique that I cannot describe what the band exactly is, but I try my best. Also, I did all the translations of the lyrics, except where noted.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is NOT official and NOT affiliated with Hikashu in any way. The opinion expressed here is solely mine, an advocate of the band, and it doesn't reflect their intention. Take a note for that, and have fun.
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