Rock Music for Japanese classical instruments

[Mulboyne]

Akikazu Nakamura and Michio Yagi of Kokoo



I saw this band playing a small venue in Hatsudai last year. We got "Purple Haze", "Eleanor Rigby", "Immigrant Song" and "Godzilla" on shakuhachi and koto.

Kokoo web site

Snippet of King Crimson's "Moonchild" for koto and shakuhachi

You'll be surprised when you hear the techniques of the old masters married with contemporary sound innovations - slapping/rapping different parts of the koto's body, the shakuhachi's multiple tone (five tones audible simultaneously), simultaneous blowing of shakuhachi and vocalizing, foot-stomping and hand-clapping, etc. While listening, it's difficult to imagine that only three musicians are responsible for all this sound!

Kokoo CD Review on AMG

Disconcerting music at first, but afterward their talents and imaginations grow on listeners. A discovery.

[Marvin Feltcher]

Akikazu can play shakuhachi for me.

[Steve Bildermann]

Akikazu can play shakuhachi for me.

Yes, but how well she plays will of course depend on the size of your shakuhachi.

[Mulboyne]

The guy plays shakuhachi and Michio plays koto if that still turns you on...

[Mulboyne]

Still only plays koto, not shakuhachi

[Marvin Feltcher]

Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize we were talking about musical instruments.

[Mulboyne]

[Charles]

Maybe those guys can hook up with the guy I saw on TV who plays Bluegrass tunes on the biwa.

[Taro Toporific]

[Mulboyne]

Short clip of Michiyo Yagi playing the koto in an untraditional style. One YouTube commenters view:

this is the absolute worse in improvisation, where everyone plays as loudly as they possibly can and drown out everyone else. there are more effective ways to make noise and avant garde music than this and still be entertaining. Edgy and new is one thing but this is totally not.