Last Wednesday, Japanese recording artist and producer Keigo Oyamada, better known by his stage name Cornelius, returned to Bangkok for the first time in five years. The show, "Singha Light Live Series Vol 3.3" organised by Have You Heard?, was part of a tour to promote his latest record Mellow Waves. And he treated his fans to a spectacular night.
Oyamada was one of the leading figures of the 90s Tokyo musical movement known as Shibuya-ke. He launched his solo project Cornelius in 1991, playing a unique blend of pop, indie, electronic and Brazilian music with orchestral-style arrangements and production techniques. Critically acclaimed albums such as Fantasma (1997) and Point (2001) pushed Oyamada to the forefront of the Japanese indie music scene. He became one of Japan's most exportable artists, touring around the world and gaining admiration from such notable acts as the Beastie Boys, Beck, MGMT and Bloc Party.
In recent years, the multi-instrumentalist has taken on new challenges. He contributed to the soundtracks for cult action comedy Scott Pilgrim vs The World and TV reboot Ghost In The Shell: Arise. He also had a stint in legendary Japanese groups Yellow Magic Orchestra and The Plastic Ono Band.
Before last Wednesday's show, we met up with Oyamada for a brief interview.
How would you describe the sound on Mellow Waves?
[There's] not much theory or concept behind the album. It's more like, as I combine the works that I'm doing, I find a common thread or mood. The songs on Mellow Waves are much more melodic than previous releases. I found that there were a lot of songs that were mellow and very wavy when it came to the sound.
Do you have favourite track on the new album?
My favourite track to listen to is If You're Here. It symbolises the album overall. But the most interesting track to perform live is Mind Wave.
What was it like working with artist Shintaro Sakamoto on the track Dear Future Person?
We are good friends. We worked together before, with [Japanese singer] Salyu and on Ghost In The Shell, but this was the first time he had written lyrics for a Cornelius album. Of course, we had great time working together.
You're also known for your stunning album art. How do you come up with album covers?
[I think of] things that tie in with the album sound, title and atmosphere.
The cover for Mellow Wave was designed by your uncle, printmaker Tadayoshi Nakabayashi. How does his art connect to your music?
It's the first time I've collaborated with my uncle. For Mellow Wave, I wanted to use my uncle's etching from long ago. I was also imagining his etching work while I was composing songs on the album. I think to a certain extent, his art influenced how this album turned out.
You've been doing a lot of soundtrack work and collaborating with other artists. Did these projects have an influence on the new music?
Absolutely, there was influence in many ways. Many songs on the new record were the leftovers from the various collaborations of the past few years.
Are you planning to reissue your album Point anytime soon? The price of a vinyl copy is very expensive online now.
I'll think about it. [Laughs.]
