I will be releasing a four-song EP titled "Oa" on September 27th, 2019, through the New York label Northern Spy Records. These four tracks were produced shortly after I moved to the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 2017. In other words, they are my music from a while ago.
During this time, I was preparing for my solo exhibition "Compositions" at the art space Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, NY, and composing music for the Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra's "Anthropocene." At the time, I was in what might be called a slump, and feeling mentally down. However, I believed that devoting myself to creating even when I was feeling unwell was a reflection of "who I am now," so I continued to create no matter what, without stopping to create works.
When I first started making "Oa," I didn't have a concept for the album; I just used the equipment and sounds I had in front of me and worked to express my inner self. As it was a frustrating time, even though I managed to create something close to a finished product, I didn't know where to output it, so I left it alone. It ended up on my hard drive. Soon after that, I moved to Brooklyn. Then, two years later, I suddenly remembered these four songs. Listening to them again was an interesting experience, as it brought back memories of me at the time and the place where I lived. I retrieved the audio from my hard drive, remixed it, and finished it as the EP "Oa."
The title "Oa" stands for "Old Address." It literally translates to "old address." "454" refers to the apartment number, "BORO" refers to the nearby Queensboro Bridge, "LEX" refers to the nearest station, Lexington Avenue subway station, and "20170716" refers to the date of recording. While these song titles are simple, "Oa" has another meaning beyond its personal record of the place. It's based on Manhattan's history. Old Address = An attempt to imagine Manhattan of the past. It's a way to reinterpret the meaning of "address" from a different perspective, from where I once was. It's also about exploring various aspects of time, such as the time that flows through the place and the time that flows through me. Old Manhattan, known as Manna-Hatta, was surrounded by nature and abundant forests. I can imagine the sounds of numerous plants and animals reverberating there. It's very different from the metropolis we see today. There are fewer places to see plants these days, with only parks and street trees as the only places to see them, but in today's cities there is music made by humans, and the sounds of people's lives create the environment. I feel that there has always been a wide variety of music. Through this EP, "Oa" is one attempt to capture the meaning of "Address" on a larger timeline.
“The Sounds of Mannahatta in Your Ear”
( https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/nyregion/the-sounds-of-mannahatta-in-your-ear.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share )
There was an article in the New York Times about imagining the memories and time of a place. There is not just one time, but many different times that flow through the world. The music I produced during my slump gave me the opportunity to think about the memories and time of Manhattan. "Oa" is a very personal soundscape.
Mastering was done by Anne Taegert at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin, Germany. Artwork, photography, and design by Shun Ishizuka. This jacket looks like Manhattan, but it's not Manhattan. Thanks also to Adam, Tom, and Chris at Northern Spy Records for releasing this album.
