Kato Hideki
Encyclopedia
Kato Hideki is a Japan
ese musician and composer. He was a seminal member of the Tokyo Noise music
scene of the late 80s and early 90s, collaborating with Japanese experimental musicians such as Otomo Yoshihide, Tatsuya Yoshida, Makigami Koichi, and Yamatsuka Eye. He led his own bands, Player Piano and Bass Army. He was a member of the original Ground Zero with Otomo and Uemura Masahiro. In 1992 Kato moved to New York
where he still resides.
Since coming to New York, has recorded and performed with the likes of John Zorn
, Marc Ribot
, Christian Marclay
, Calvin Weston, Eyvind Kang
, Billy Martin (percussionist)
, Nicolas Collins
, Zeena Parkins
, James Pugliese, John King, Michael Schumacher, and many others.
His collaborations include Dying Ground, Billy Martin's Socket, Phase III, Italian DOC Remix, and the Crescent Moon Trio. He has an electronic duo with James Fei
.
In 1995 he formed Death Ambient
with Ikue Mori
and Fred Frith
and released three CDs on the Tzadik
label, the latest, "Drunken Forest," in 2007.
In 2004 he formed a new trio, Green Zone, with Otomo Yoshihide and Uemura Masahiro--the lineup of the original Ground Zero, but this time with Kato as leader. The band name comes from the 10 km² area in central Baghdad during the US-Iraq war. The pieces Kato wrote for this trio were inspired by the US invasion of Iraq
.
His newest project is a quartet with Calvin Weston, Charlie Burnham and Briggan Krause.
Kato's music has become more political since he emigrated to the US. His current works focus on pollution
and global warming
. He describes his music as "documentary without pictures."
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese musician and composer. He was a seminal member of the Tokyo Noise music
Noise music
Noise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
scene of the late 80s and early 90s, collaborating with Japanese experimental musicians such as Otomo Yoshihide, Tatsuya Yoshida, Makigami Koichi, and Yamatsuka Eye. He led his own bands, Player Piano and Bass Army. He was a member of the original Ground Zero with Otomo and Uemura Masahiro. In 1992 Kato moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he still resides.
Since coming to New York, has recorded and performed with the likes of John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
, Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and composer John Zorn.-Biography:Ribot was...
, Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay is a Swiss-American visual artist and composer.Marclay's work explores connections between sound, noise, photography, video, and film...
, Calvin Weston, Eyvind Kang
Eyvind Kang
Eyvindur Kang , only child of Charles Shin-Chul Kang and Kristjana Gunnars, is an American composer, violinist, tuba, and erhu player...
, Billy Martin (percussionist)
Billy Martin (percussionist)
Billy Martin is an American jazz drummer, best known as a member of jazz-funk trio Medeski Martin & Wood.-Biography:Before becoming part of Medeski, Martin & Wood, Martin was part of the New York City Brazilian scene in the 1980s. He performed regularly with Pe De Boi, Batucada and several Bob...
, Nicolas Collins
Nicolas Collins
Nicolas Collins is a composer of mostly electronic music and former student of Alvin Lucier. He received a B.A. and M.A...
, Zeena Parkins
Zeena Parkins
Zeena Parkins is a harpist active in rock music, free improvisation and jazz. Parkins plays standard harps, as well as several custom-made one-of-a kind electric harps; she also plays piano and accordion...
, James Pugliese, John King, Michael Schumacher, and many others.
His collaborations include Dying Ground, Billy Martin's Socket, Phase III, Italian DOC Remix, and the Crescent Moon Trio. He has an electronic duo with James Fei
James Fei
James Cheng Ting Fei is a composer and performer working in the fields of contemporary classical music and electronic music. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area...
.
In 1995 he formed Death Ambient
Death Ambient
Death Ambient is a United States experimental and ambient music trio comprising Kato Hideki , Ikue Mori and Fred Frith . The group was formed by Hideki and Mori in 1995 and recorded two albums, Death Ambient in 1995 and Synaesthesia in 1999...
with Ikue Mori
Ikue Mori
, also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, composer, and graphic designer.-Biography:Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She says she had little interest in music before hearing punk rock...
and Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
and released three CDs on the Tzadik
Tzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
label, the latest, "Drunken Forest," in 2007.
In 2004 he formed a new trio, Green Zone, with Otomo Yoshihide and Uemura Masahiro--the lineup of the original Ground Zero, but this time with Kato as leader. The band name comes from the 10 km² area in central Baghdad during the US-Iraq war. The pieces Kato wrote for this trio were inspired by the US invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
His newest project is a quartet with Calvin Weston, Charlie Burnham and Briggan Krause.
Kato's music has become more political since he emigrated to the US. His current works focus on pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. He describes his music as "documentary without pictures."
Recordings
- Karada wa Oto o Dasu Mono /Bass Army (Trigram) - Dual Bass trio with the original Ruins bassist & Ground Zero drummer
- Hope & Despair (ExtremeExtreme RecordsExtreme Records is an Australian based record label.The label was founded by Ulex Xane, and initially specialised in underground experimental and industrial cassettes...
) - An acoustic CD with musicians in NYC and Japan - Death Ambient (TzadikTzadik RecordsTzadik Records is a record label based in New York City specialising in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by the eclectic composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995; Zorn is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases...
, 1995) - The first Death Ambient CD with Ikue Mori & Fred Frith - Sieves (Improvised Music from JapanImprovised Music from JapanImprovised Music from Japan is a website and record label.The website was originally known as Japanese Free Improvisers. As its name suggests, it concentrates on Japanese and Japan-based improvisers, particularly free improvisers....
, 1993) - Electro-Acoustic Duo with James Fei - Turbulent Zone (Music for Expanded Ears, 1998) - Solo Electric Bass CD, using Prime Number tuning
- Synaesthesia (Tzadik, 1999) - The second Death Ambient CD
- Green Zone (doubtmusic, 2005) - The trio with the original Ground Zero crew
- Drunken Forest (Tzadik, 2007) - Third Death Ambient release, produced by Kato
- Byat (Callithump, 2008) - Second Green Zone release, produced by Kato, mastered by Kato and James Fei