Yasuaki Shimizu is something of a cult figure in Japanese music: saxophonist, composer and producer with a catalogue that moves between jazz, ambient, new wave, minimalism, pop and Japanese folk music without getting stuck in any single genre.
Since the late 1970s he has released a string of classic records and collaborated with names like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Björk and David Cunningham. Most familiar are probably his solo album Kakashi from 1982 (with its iconic cat cover) and his band Mariah’s classic Utakata No Hibi from 1983. Two masterful hybrids where Japanese folk music and pop are filtered through a refined electronic, disco-tinged production aesthetic that sounds as fresh today as it did then.
Over the years he has continued to seek new directions, angles and approaches to composing. In 1987 he released Music For Commercials, a collection of short jingle-format pieces originally written for Japanese TV commercials. The album’s crystal-clear electronic production and brief ambient miniatures have been cited as an influence by contemporary producers including Oneohtrix Point Never. In the decades since, Shimizu has collaborated with avant-garde musicians from the London scene, arranged Bach’s cello suites for tenor saxophone and composed soundtracks for film and TV. In November he makes his long-awaited return to Fasching. Sold out in 2018 — don’t count on tickets lasting long this time either.
