清野 拓巳
Takumi Seino, japanese guitarist, has performed and recorded with diverse acts including his own works on VOS records (Japan), Priority - Musea records (France), Next Order - LoLo Records (USA), Six North - Musea records (France), Ryo Hashizume Group - Hao records (USA), PRAED and TAKUMI SEINO - GPS Records (Japan).
As improvising musician He has been working with many talented artists all over the world. Also, acted a lot of improvised solo performances. His unique expression is so colorful that people often says "pictorial". He has appeared on over 50 CD releases on the labels in the U.S.A., Europe and Japan.
Takumi graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1996. He was selected as a guitarist for the Berklee College of Music All Star Band and performed at the 23rd Annual IAJE International Conference in January 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia. At that time, he was awarded by IAJE a Special Citation for Outstanding Musicianship. He was also named best guitarist at the YAMAHA competition in Osaka, Japan 1985.
Can you describe a sound experience that you believe contributed to your becoming a musician?
I still vividly remember the moment I touched the guitar for the first time in my life. it was a nylon strings classical guitar at the music class of a junior high school. I was 12 years old. Within minutes my heart was stolen. The sound of strings and the shape of the instrument were the overwhelming. I've been falling in love with a guitar since then.
What do you recall about your playing learning process?
In the first years I often played guitar freely along the radio or records. I did it just for a fun. I didn't even realize that I was improvising. But this experience made my foundation.
Tell me one musical work which has provoked a change in your music.
November Steps by Toru Takemitsu.
What is your relationship with other art disciplines?
I often get an inspiration from the other artworks. Especially from what I read. Also I always love to collaborate with artists in the other fields.
Where are your roots? What are your secret influences?
Before I start a guitar, my first dream was to become a painter. I've been taking lessons from one great painter. Maybe I was not so bad in a technique but I couldn't find a way to express myself through a painting. I couldn't catch the secret. It was a huge desperation to me. Painting became almost a pain. But this experience helped me a lot in music. I don't want to repeat the same mistake.
What would you enjoy most in an art work?
An art is a food for the mind. If I need a food I wish to have a good one. It depends on how hungry I am. Sometimes I want a little sweets and the next day I may need heavy foods. I enjoy the fact that same artwork tastes totally different by a condition of myself.
If you could, what would you say to yourself 30 years ago, about your musical career?
"Don't worry. Believe yourself."
What quality do you most empatize with in a musician?
I empathize with a musician who has their own voice and words.
Which living or dead artist would you like to collaborate with?
Toru Takemitsu
What is some valuable advice that someone has given to you in the past?
"Create your own melody daily. Compose is the best way to develop an improvisation.”
Can I add one more?
"Don't put your guitar in a case at home."
What instruments and tools do you use?
I mainly use a custom guitar made by Tone Blue, Gibson ES-335, and Lowden acoustic guitars. I love a lot of delay pedals.
What is the most recent musical experience that has attracted your attention?
I just released a new duo album with Hugues Vincent, French cello player. It was recorded in live. We improvised all music. We gazed a same photo before the concert. Photo of one tree. My father's home is located in Fukushima, coast side near the nuclear power station. Tsunami destroyed their house. Because of the radioactivity, they can't come back to home yet. Only a tree in their backyard is still standing there. I took a picture of it. We don't mean any political thing. Music should be free from that. We just watch a same photo and then improvised. It was very special musical experience to me I must say. Title of the album became "Last Tree".
What projects are you working on now and what does the future hold?
I am working on the project with a great sculptor artist Susumu Shingu. I am a big fan of him since I was a kid. I had a his picture book "Strawberry" 40 years ago and I loved it so much. His book stimulated my imagination deeply and I was influenced a lot. Finally we actually met a few months ago. I believe it is a destiny of mine. We are planning a special event at his open-air museum in next spring. It would be titled "Strawberry Express". I am composing music for this. Oh dear! Isn't it exciting?
Selected Discography
as a leader/co-leader
2015 Last Tree /
Takumi Seino, Hugues Vincent
2014 Book Apple /
Takumi Seino solo
2013 Flower Flows /
Takumi Seino, Yasutaka Yorozu, Larry Marshall
2012 Old Red Chair On The Porch /
Takumi Seino, Yasutaka Yorozu, Larry Marshall
2012 Room to Move /
Takumi Seino, Masahiro Yamamoto, Nobumasa Tanaka, Hiroki Chiba
2011 Frozen Dust /
Tskumi Seino and Motohiko Ichino duo
2010 Faded Diary /
PRAED and Takumi Seino
2009 Mood for Red /
Takumi Seino - DROPS TRIO
2009 Needful Things /
2008 Trees /
Blue Willow Trio
2007 Dark Shape /
Takumi Seino solo
2007 Ripple /
Takumi Seino solo
2006 ARC - beneath the surface /
Takumi Seino with Antoine Berthiaume
2005 Blue Willow /
Takumi - Masako - Jeremy
2004 Crab Apple /
Takumi Seino - DROPS TRIO
2004 Untied Strings /
Takumi Seino
2002 FLOW /
Takumi Seino - DROPS TRIO
2001 Un Voyage en Progressif /
Priority - MUSEA
2000 DROPS /
Takumi Seino
2000 Light is decomposed into fragments / Priority
1996 Birds From The Sea /
Takumi Seino
1992 Sunny Land / The Third Impression
with NEXT ORDER
Chronosystem / NEXT ORDER (2014)
The End of Beginning / NEXT ORDER (2013)
Live-Intensified / NEXT ORDER (2011)
Live-Refined / NEXT ORDER (2009)
Live- Roaring Colors / NEXT ORDER (2007)
Live Powered Nexus / NEXT ORDER (2005)
Live 2003 / NEXT ORDER (2003)
with other artists
S.S.W / Seto + Seino + Watanbe (2015)
MIMICRY / Yuki Saga, Takumi Seino (2014)
Meets the composers - stablemates / Tomomi Azuma (2014)
Horoscope / Words Of Forest (2014)
EXODUS from JAZZYLAND / Seiki Yukimoto & SOULBLEED (2014)
ECHO / Atsushi Shimada Quartet (2013)
Fifth interaction / HYDRATION (2013)
Suu Suu Haar / KUMI NAGAO (2013)
falls From View / Unit (2011)
Aru Haruno Koibito / Minuano (2010)
Oumasan ga yattekuru 2 / Kumiko Suyama (2009)
Human Wacher / Words of Forest (2009)
KESHIKISS / KUMI (2009)
Silent in Smile / Tadahiro Fusahara Group (2008)
Your Story / Masato Hirai (2007)
It's raining over there / Words of Forest (2006)
Introducing / Eiichiroh Arasaki BIG BAND (2006)
Ayauki ni Asobu / Goutte - 001 (2005)
Ayauki ni Asobu / Goutte - 002 (2005)
SUNSET STREET / EBA (2004)
PRAYER / SIX NORTH (2003)
Hanapi-Love / Kumi (2003)
Budderfly / Budderfly (2003)
Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'amour / Reiko Fujii (2002)
Pure Love / Takashi Kamide (2001)
KImiwa Unkaiwo Mitaka / Kousuke Kanatani Group (2000)
SIX NORTH / SIXNORTH (2000)
Somewhere In The Universe / Takeshi Asai Group (1998)
Khamsin / Khamsin (1998)
In A Stranger's Hand / Ryo Hashizume Quintet (1997)
And Then You Heard Tales (1996)
Blake Newman Trio (1996)
Let The World In / Thomas Lichtenstein (1992)
清野 拓巳
