The Doctor is [IN]

Tokyo-based artist D.H. Rosen says good-bye forever to the student life as he graduates in March with a PhD in Fine Arts. Come join an incredible gathering of immensely talented friends who will gather to help me celebrate. Expect some once-in-a-lifetime collaborations by multitalented musicians meeting for the first time. This is an invitation to all students graduating this year, all of their friends, and anyone who loves art and music and just wants to have a great time on a Thursday night. Everyone is welcome!
Appearing Artists: D.H. Rosen, Mio Matsuda, Samm Bennett, Daisuke Kedamori, Kei Kawamitsu, DJ Jinki, Jyoji Sawada and special guest!

Note: We regret to announce that due to circumstances beyond our control, Cuban Guitarist Alexander LP will not be performing for this show.

Artist info:

D.H. Rosen

Daniel Harris Rosen came to Japan for the first time in 1990 where he fell in love with Japanese ceramics. He spent most of the '90s in Japan doing writing and production work, but always reserved the weekends for time behind the wheel. In 2004 he moved to Tokyo and began making ceramic installations and multi-media work. Since 2006, Daniel has been a core member of the Tokyo-based Art Collective Rinpa Eshidan which became an overnight internet sensation that same year. With Rinpa, Daniel has shown his work throughout Japan and the world in exhibitions and live-art installations. In 2010, Rosen completed a PhD in Fine Arts at Tama Art University and remains in Tokyo where he continues to explore the identity of the ceramic artist in the 21st century through the creation of digital and ceramic hybrids.

Mio Matsuda

Mio Matsuda began her singing career when she discovered fado, the magical traditional music of Portugal. Living in Lisbon and learning the culture, she developed fado as a form of her own self-expression. Over the past several years she has traveled the globe as a representative fado vocalist, and released three albums to great critical acclaim. While becoming an important figure in interpreting the music of Portuguese culture in Japan, Mio has collaborated with artists from all over the world, such as the legendary Yamandú Costa (Brazil) and the inspired Jadranka Stojakovic (Sarajevo). In August, 2007, she was invited to Kodo's 20th "Earth Celebration" to share the stage with Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussein, Yosuke Yamashita, Tamango and Kodo. Mio's unique singing style and sensibility reflects her colorful background and inspiring journeys.

Samm Bennett

Whether using drums, percussion, voice, electronics, jaw harps, mouth bow, strumstick, toys or random objects, Samm Bennett has spent the last few decades trying to put the right sound in the right place at the right time. He is a frequent performer on the Tokyo scene, where he is known as both a masterful improviser and a unique singer/songwriter. He has very recently launched two new group projects, MEDICINE BONE (featuring original songs by himself and guitarist Ken Shima) and GHOST STEPPERS (an old-time/country blues band performing classic Americana, with guitarist Tomo, banjoist "Ushi" and blues harp player Junzo Suzuki). He is a member of the electro-acoustic duo SKIST, (with singer Ito Haruna), and is a former member of New York-based groups SEMANTICS, THIRD PERSON, BOSHO, the KROPOTKINS and CHUNK. He has performed countless solo concerts over the years, and continues to do so, with a focus on his original songs. These are presented with stark, simple accompaniment, and draw equal inspiration from music traditions of the American south (such as Appalachian folk and Delta blues) as well as from African traditional styles.

Daisuke Kedamori

Former vocalist and leader of "8days function," Ishigaki Island native singer/songwriter Daisuke Kedamori went on to make waves in Tokyo with the highly acclaimed 2-man Okinawan Folk Song unit "Love and Pork." Most recently Daisuke has been gigging in Kanto and Kansai both on his own and with the three-man band "Inumura 3." For this show, in celebration of D's graduation, Daisuke joins former partner Kei Kawamitsu for a special Love and Pork reunion appearance!

Kei Kawamitsu

Okinawan born guitarist Kei Kawamitsu plays across Japan both solo and in various collaborative incarnations.

DJ Jinki

To ensure his sets retain their authentically homemade digital flavor, DJ Jinki mixes his zeros and ones by hand. And in honor of the party's host, DJ Jinki will craft a mix that reflects Rosen's worldly and eclectic tastes, which include Acoustic Crunk, Afro-Gypsy Disco, Baroque Dub, Chamber-Funk, Cabaret-Hop and other musical genres that I completely made up.

Jyoji Sawada

It is not easy to categorize the works of Jyoji Sawada. His relentless genre hopping has allowed him to approach music from more of a modern classical perspective. Brazilian music is represented by CHORO CLUB which Sawada has belonged to for 18 years, POP certainly influences his style, and he even incorporates a string quartet into much of his work. Sawada is kind of a "kitchen sink" style composer, heavily utilizing the sampler and the studio, but all his sounds are quite beautiful and intriguing. It is not only his style of music that spans a wide spectrum, his field of work also ranges from producing other artists both domestic and abroad, as well as composing/producing music for soundtracks for films, dance, theatre, musicals, and TV-programmes. Throughout it all he has worked with various artists all over the world such as Marcos Suzano, Arto Rinsey, Jaques Morelebaum, Joyce, Simon Fisher Turner, and Teresa Wong (Erfu).
jyoji sawada official site