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Susumu Hirasawa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Susumu Hirasawa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Born | April 2, 1954 Tokyo, Japan |
|
| Genre(s) | Electropop, Electronic music | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, activist | |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboard Guitar Amiga |
|
| Years active | 1979 - present | |
| Associated acts |
P-Model, KAKU P-Model, MANDRAKE, SHUN, GLOBAL TROTTERS | |
| Website | s-hirasawa.com | |
Susumu Hirasawa (平沢進 Hirasawa Susumu?, born April 2, 1954 in Tokyo) is a Japanese electropop-artist, known best in Western cultures for his work on several anime soundtracks, but who has had a long and varied career besides.
In 1972, he enrolled at Tokyo Designer Gakuin College. From 1972 to 1978, he performed in his first band MANDRAKE, a progressive rock group influenced by King Crimson and Yes. In 1979 he formed a techno-pop band called P-Model, along with two former members of MANDRAKE. They released a string of albums through the 1980s, and in 1989, Hirasawa began releasing solo work, while also continuing to work with the reactivated P-Model beginning in 1992. The P-Model project continued until 1999; in 2004 Hirasawa started a new unit known as KAKU P-MODEL, which is effectively a solo continuation of P-Model.
Contents |
In Western societies, Hirasawa is most famous for his music for anime productions, such as the 1997 soundtracks to the anime series and Sega Dreamcast game Sword of the Berserk adapted from Kentaro Miura's manga series Berserk, and the score to Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress, Paranoia Agent and Paprika. In the East, his solo ventures and his sporadic work with techno-pop group P-Model, which he spearheads, maintain his notoriety in Japan, as well as his innovative and interactive live shows.
Hirasawa uses Amiga computers extensively in his work, using applications such as SCALA, Bars and Pipes, and OctaMED in the production of his music. One of the factors that set him apart from other Japanese electronic artists is ever-changing production techniques. For 2001's Solar Ray album, his recording studio was powered completely by solar energy.
His subject matter can be equally unusual. A constant source of inspiration for his music has come from Thailand. In fact, the concept behind his 1995 album Sim City was drawn from his experiences travelling there, and more specifically, from Thai transsexuals. Guest Thai vocalists appear throughout that and proceeding albums, including 1996's Siren, which was also a concept album based on Thailand. As for his lyrical inspiration, Hirasawa references the philosophies of yin and yang, his travels and the principles of nature vs. machines.
Hirasawa occasionally stages interactive live performances. They merge computer graphics with his music to tell interactive stories, and involve heavy use of computers, particularly Amiga systems, motion capture cameras and video projectors. The flow of each live show is determined by audience participation; for example, Interactive Live Show 2000 was formatted as a maze, and the audience was allowed to choose which path to follow. Sometimes, audience participation plays a part in the performed music, as it did in Interactive Live Show 2000. He provided the phone numbers to four cellular phones during one song, and the audience was allowed to call the numbers to have him play the corresponding ringtone. This provided an improvised harmony between the background music and the ringing phones.
Hirasawa's live music is based on samples he activates with various hand-crafted sampler machines, pre-recorded tracks without vocals, and no regular backup performers. For the Solar Ray live tour, he used solar power and a power-generating wheel, inspired by bicycles, to power his electronic equipment. DVDs are available of his innovative award-winning live performances via his website (and ordering through Teslakite).
Recently, Hirasawa has taken to speaking out against what he calls "the nations that are headed towards carnage while ignoring international law" and the actions of the Japanese government in aiding such actions. Specifically, he points to the actions taken by the government of the United States of America after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States, which he believes to involve excessive murder of innocent people. As a result of his convictions, Hirasawa has offered free downloads of his music, which he hopes will be used as tools of objection.
- Further information: P-Model
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| September 1, 1989 | Water In Time And Space |
| May 25, 1990 | The Ghost in Science |
| May 25, 1991 | Virtual Rabbit |
| February 25, 1994 | AURORA |
| August 5, 1995 | Sim City |
| August 1, 1996 | Siren |
| August 21, 1998 | Technique of Relief |
| October 5, 2000 | Philosopher's Propeller |
| October 11, 2001 | Solar Ray |
| February 13, 2003 | Blue Limbo |
| 2004 | Switched-on Lotus |
| February 2, 2006 | White Tiger Field |
These are all animation soundtracks, except Kamui Mintara which is a documentary soundtrack.
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| July 5, 1991 | Detonator Orgun OST 1 |
| October 25, 1991 | Detonator Orgun OST 2 |
| March 25, 1992 | Detonator Orgun OST 3 |
| January 25, 1993 | Kamui Mintara |
| November 6, 1997 | Berserk Original Soundtrack |
| September 6, 2002 | Millennium Actress Original Soundtrack |
| May 12, 2004 | Paranoia Agent Original Soundtrack |
| November 23, 2006 | Paprika Original Soundtrack |
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| May 25, 1990 | World Turbine / Solar Ray 世界タービン / ソーラ・レイ sekai tābin / sōra rei |
| June 25, 1991 | Bandiria Travelling Party (Physical Navigation Version) / Haldyn Hotel (Fractal Terrain Track) バンディリア旅行団 (Physical Navigation Version) / ハルディン・ホテル (Fractal Terrain Track) bandiria ryōkōdan / harudin hoteru |
| April 10, 1992 | tamashii no furusato / FISH SONG 魂のふる里／フィッシュ・ソング |
| August 1, 1996 | Siren サイレン～siren～ |
| November 1, 1997 | Berserk ~Forces~ |
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| September 21, 1990 | error [エラー] |
| 1994 | making of tokyo paranesian |
| 1994 | Hirasawa 3 Curtains, 3 Hours - Upper 平沢三幕三時間 上 Hirasawa san tobari san jikan ue |
| 1994 | Hirasawa 3 Curtains, 3 Hours - Lower 平沢三幕三時間 下 Hirasawa san tobari san jikan shita |
| December 1995 | SIM CITY TOUR 1995-9-6 Tokyo Shibuya Kokaido SIM CITY TOUR 1995-9-6 東京渋谷公会堂 |
| May/February 2000 | INTERACTIVE LIVE SHOW 2000 Philosopher's Propeller Version 1.4 INTERACTIVE LIVE SHOW 2000 賢者のプロペラ Version 1.4 Interactive Live Show 2000 Kenja no Puropera Version 1.4 |
| November 26, 2003 | INTERACTIVE LIVE SHOW 2003 LIMBO-54 |
- Susumu Hirasawa's official site
- Susumu Hirasawa's "Free Distribution Against the Carnage" anti-war protest page
- (Japanese) Teslakite, Susumu Hirasawa's online store
- The most comprehensive and current English information site
- A review of Interactive Live Show 2000 DVD Version 1.4
- RocketBaby's Interview
- Susumu Hirasawa at MusicBrainz
- Jmusic.fr.tc biographie et discographie complète, section jmusic (fr)