Artist talk: Otomo Yoshihide (Vinterjazz)

[English below]

Otomo Yoshihide er for den japanske jazzscene, hvad John Zorn er for scenen i New York. Otomo takler jazz repetoiret som en ikonoklast, men altid med respekt, vituositet og stor kunnen.
Grænsen mellem mainstream og undergrund er hårfin for Otomo Yoshihide, en komponist og multiinstrumentalist med over 100 udgivelser på bagen. Otomo blev verdenskendt i 90'erne som leder af det støjrockende, improviserende kultband Ground Zero, men efterhånden er han mere bredt anerkendt som komponisten bag soundtracket til den populære japanske tv-dramaserie Amachan om en teenage-søpindsvinedykker, der bliver popidol.

Han var en tidlig pioner inden for elektroakustisk improvisation, men i dag arbejder han på tværs af genrer med afsæt i både fri improvisation, støj og pop. Hans nuværende tilgang omfavner enkelhed og tekstur fre for dynamik og instrumental virtuositet - i skarp kontrast til den karakteristiske plunderphonics i hans tidligere stil.

Artist talken præsenteres i samarbejde med Vinterjazz, Jazzclub Loco, Klein og No Earplugs.

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Meet Japanese jazz pioneer Otomo Yoshihide at an artist talk at RMC hosted by drummer Kresten Osgood.

Otomo Yoshihide is to the Japanese jazz scene what John Zorn is to the New York scene. Otomo tackles the jazz repertoire like an iconoclast, but always with respect, wit and great skill.

The line between mainstream and underground is a fine line for Otomo Yoshihide, a composer and multi-instrumentalist with over 100 releases to his name. Otomo rose to worldwide fame in the 90s as the leader of the noise-rocking, improvising cult band Ground Zero, but is now more widely recognised as the composer behind the soundtrack to the hit Japanese TV drama series Amachan, about a teenage urchin diver who becomes a pop idol.

An early pioneer of electroacoustic improvisation, he now works across genres, drawing from free improvisation, noise and pop. His current approach embraces simplicity and texture over dynamics and instrumental virtuosity - in stark contrast to the characteristic plunderphonics of his earlier style.

The artist talk is presented in collaboration with Vinterjazz, Jazzclub Loco, Klein and No Earplugs.