"Hotel El Hot" by Ken Okada Group ft. YOYOKA Reaction/Analysis by Musician/Producer

"Hotel El Hot" by Ken Okada Group ft. YOYOKA Reaction/Analysis by Musician/Producer
Original Video: • Hotel El Hot - Ken Oka...
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[@Glen.Black.]

I always have to tell this story when someone talks about her timing. Rob Yule had flown down from Canada specifically to see YOYOKA perform at the Japanese Festival in Las Vegas. I live in Vegas and invited him to stay at my house. We attended her concert and were talking to YOYOKA. During the conversation I mentioned nicknames. She asked what were some of her nicknames, and I responded with "Hokkaido Hammer", "Human Metronome" and some others. When I mentioned "Human Metronome" she laughed and said. "Yeah, my timing is not very good." You can imagine, Rob and I looked at each other and just started laughing ourselves, then explained to her that her timing was as close to perfect as anyone can get. She's either such a perfectionist and can tell it's off by a millisecond, something no other human can pick up. Or, she's clueless about how great she is!. A little of both, I suspect.

[@gbulmer]

Glen, I suspect her sense of time is far more subtle and sensitive than most humans are able to appreciate. Combine that with perfectionism, and her modesty and humbleness, and her reaction fits. To her, maybe she is just telling the truth with characteristic humility? I remember a story decades ago about the great racing driver Ayrton Senna. According to the story, many drivers of the time took reaction tests (I believe it was more than reaction time to the race start signal). Senna wasn't just % faster, he was 100s of % faster than every other F1 driver, who are already unusually quick to even be F1 drivers.① Another example springs to mind. It is essential to learn "The Knowledge" to qualify as a London Cab (taxi) driver. It's over 600 routes through London, and AFAIK the qualifying tests include adapting those routes to avoid hypothetical problems (accidents, road works, congestion). Medical researchers used MRI and other facilities to monitor people acquiring "The Knowledge". They discovered "The Knowledge" learners 'rewired' their brains. AFAIK, it was previously believed that 'rewiring' only ever happened as a result of physical trauma to the brain. AFAIK, it's one of the first studies to demonstrate changes to brain function from learning, and without physical intervention or trauma. I suspect Yoyoka might be naturally gifted with a rare ultra-refined perception of time, combined with exceptional reflexes and physical control to apply it to music. Factor in environment: continuous nurturing and loving encouragement, hearing live music while still learning language and exposure to drumming as a physical activity (not just in pre-recorded music), access to a real drum kit (not a toy, so she could make the sounds she heard in music), freedom to follow her own path (rather than drum lessons), restriction to 30 minutes of 'play time' each day (so she invented ways to think about drumming without access to her kit. Listen to her vocalise drum patterns in her early "Drum Lesson" videos), opportunity to play in a live band as if it's "normal behaviour", needing to focus on her drumming for an entire gig, while listening to other musicians, etc. Estimating that lot is as difficult as the Drake equation ②, but maybe the world only gets somewhere in the range of a few "Yoyokas" per year, to one every few years, or less? I'm not suggesting Yoyoka's path is the only way to becoming a great drummer. There are likely multiple paths. I'm only suggesting "Yoyokas" might be very rare. Of course, that doesn't tell us if her nature or her environment dominates. Shido is a good enough drummer to demonstrate that Aki and Rie are very special. 🎶💞💎 It's unfortunate it's hard for her to be a visiting lecturer at that Tokyo University anymore. If Yoyoka were willing and interested, a well equipped lab and smart experimentalists could probably quantify her cognitive and physical abilities relatively quickly (hours-days once the tests were designed, built and debugged). Maybe she could find collaborators at UC and write a doctoral thesis on herself! 😀🤔 Best Wishes, Glen and All. ☮ ① I looked for confirmation of the Ayrton Senna story, and found this 2020 article first: *_F1 claims Senna fastest driver ever, Hamilton 0.275s slower_* on site 'the-race' _'Formula 1 has developed an algorithm to determine the fastest driver since 1983, ranking Ayrton Senna quickest'_ ... _'using machine learning technology “to provide an objective, data-driven ranking of all drivers from 1983 through present day, by removing the F1 car differential from the equation”.'_ So Yoyoka might be an 'Ayrton Senna of drums'? 🤔 ② *Drake equation:* Probabilistic (statistical) argument to estimate the number of alien civilizations in the galaxy. People sometimes say Yoyoka's 'Alien' so this amused me. 😀

[@Glen.Black.]

@@gbulmer Well said sir! Thanks for all the detailed analysis. I think you hit the nail on the head, in many respects! Yes, to her it's no big deal to play the drums the way she does. I don't think she really gets it, that almost no one in the world has that ability. I'm sure she wonders why it is so difficult for some since she can basically just sit down and bang out a masterpiece. You might remember in one of the interviews she was asked how she keeps track of everything going on with all the other musicians in the band. And she simply replied "I just imagine that I'm a drone and looking down over the whole band from up high (or something to that effect)". Another unearthly ability she has!

[@magnushallin3640]

@@Glen.Black. There's another nick name!

[@Glen.Black.]

@@magnushallin3640 😀Yes, she has many. I made up this one. "YOYOKA DRONE". In an interview, she was asked how she keeps track of what everyone is doing since she is the driving force of the band. She responded "I just image that I am in a drone and looking down on everyone from above, so I can see everything going on." Not many instances to use it, but I've used it half a dozen times or so. Of course no one knows what I'm talking about unless they saw the interview.

[@magnushallin3640]

@@Glen.Black. Maybe it sounds a little unfriendly...

[@miguimau]

Amazing! Ken Okada Group, Yoyoka, Jeff's reaction… All great.

[@namorlam]

Regardless of the style, Yoyoka is extremely efficient and always precise, solid and has total mastery of her drums. Thank you for your excellent comments. Yoyoka is a sacred drum monster.

[@Hundhammer]

💗💗💗

[@gbulmer]

Great Reaction, Jeff. I think it's my favourite from the EP they recorded together. Thank you for your analysis and insights. As ever, you're increasing the pleasure of the music. I like Hristo Vitchev's (guitarist) little smile and nodding-head at 5:17, grooving to Yoyoka's tasty solo, while you displayed the gamut of 'stank face'.😀 Maybe ask her for an interview? Best Wishes. ☮ Edit: Maybe look out for Yoyoka's cover of _Mr Big "Colorado Bulldog"_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6XJiJ2Lnadkh9k It's relentless power.mixed with playful rim-work, and she looks effortless throughout. She collaborated with Billy Sheehan, Brandon Paul, and PAULIE Z on a charity song for the David Z Foundation when she was 10yo: _Mr. Big - Take Cover / Covered by Billy Sheehan & Yoyoka with friends_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/baDdqKaeltqFgNU Billy Sheehan kindly played bass on Yoyoka's family band song: _"Utopia" - KANEAIYOYOKA (Official Music Video)_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYaaoIVjh5d7d7s again 10yo. Earlier today, Yoyoka made many fans vey happy by covering _TOOL "Forty Six & 2"_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4HPfKJmgcuJn6s

[@gbulmer]

I'd assumed you'd do a virtual interview, but I guess if your visiting LA you might try to meet up. Your likely on their radar. AFAICT, she's played several times as part of Ultimate Jam's no rehearsals events, eg at Whiskey A Go-Go: _Yoyoka - Ultimate Jam - Whiskey A Go-Go -Next Gen - No Rehearsal -_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZLWqWiArNh0nbM She's extremely impressive.

[@Rob-Yule]

@@gbulmerIn my request for this reaction I asked Jeff if he would like to interview YOYOKA (your idea), of course he would! I will try to connect Rie and Aki with Jeff, a live would be excellent as they are all in LA area.

[@gbulmer]

@@Rob-Yule It would be great to get them together, I hope you can 'match make'. It'd be better to have them in the same room, but LA is huge. I've only driven across it a couple of times, and it took hours. AFAICT, Jeff's in Palmdale, and I've no clue where the Somas are living. So they might be a _long time_ apart. Maybe virtual first if time or distance becomes a hurdle? I assume neither is going anywhere, so they have more than one opportunity. If Jeff enjoys jamming, I imagine Yoyoka would like to jam. Best Wishes. ☮.

[@chrisegbertky]

​@Rob-Yule Watch out Rick Beato here comes Jeff interviewing the Hokkaido Hammer!

[@gbulmer]

​@@chrisegbertky Chris, how are you? Maybe, if Yoyoka spends much more of her life living in the US, a geographic epithet will make less sense; maybe even a disadvantage. After all, no one calls Ringo Starr the Dingle Destroyer, or Daemon of Dingle. 😀 I like Senri Kawaguchi's "Tekazuhime" "Princess of many strokes", Yoyoka doesn't just hammer. She adds, groove, spice and flavour by subtle mastery of time and dynamics. So Tsarina of Time, Duchess of Dynamics? (I'm dreadful at nicknames 😀) Take Care, and Best Wishes. ☮

[@octavius486]

“SHE”

[@StrateleStudios]

?

[@andrewplumb6544]

Masterful drumming from Yoyoka but let's have some love for Ken Ocada. He was clearly delighted with the way it went from his smile at the end. His melodies are great for improvisation, he brought together this wonderful band which is interpreting his musical ideas perfectly. Jeff your face told the real story as you listened. Thank you all.

[@miguimau]

Absolutely!

[@andrewplumb6544]

@@miguimau Have you listened to the 13 year old original recording of Nine Gates?

[@Glen.Black.]

Thanks for the great reaction Jeff! And thanks to Rob for the request! This was just a "Jazz" song until YOYOKA added the "Fusion" in. YOYOKA recorded two full albums, in less than a month, with these guys.

[@matto9734]

i can understand both the band and her for collaborating, perfect match.

[@Glen.Black.]

@@matto9734 Indeed! She consciously is able to make herself the perfect match for any band as she has proven many, many times. They are great without her and even better with her.

[@chrisegbertky]

​​@@Glen.Black.hear hear!

[@Glen.Black.]

@@chrisegbertky 😀

[@Rob-Yule]

Jeff, can you add a space after YOYOKA in your description so it will show up a search for YOYOKA.

[@StrateleStudios]

Thanks for catching that…fixed!

[@wayne7725]

Awsome performance by Yoyoka. Jeff your comments were insightful as always thanks.😊

[@calnative4904]

Yoyoka’s maturity behind the kit is amazing at her age. She can play anything with anyone. 🐰🥁🐰🥁🐰

[@hidek-k5k]

A cool 5/4 groove. This guitar player reminds me of early Metheny recordings.

[@marksowers5041]

Thank you for the review. I cannot state with any certinty where she will go with her career but surely, Yoyoka is a top ace for as a session musician. Look how Toto evolved into their destiny with being session players and with Boz Scaggs and into their own music.

[@harrydai1862]

She does read music, She learned when she was going to the school of arts in Oakland where she lived for awhile

[@lisedonsgrnning6518]

Yet again a great great reaction, Jeff - this was so good!🤩🥰🫠☀️💚🤗

[@dbcanada]

Thanks, Jeff. Like you say, Yoyoka plays on equal footing with the pro adults. Very impressive.

[@andrewplumb6544]

But she us a seasoned player! Like nearly a decade playing live, and seriously so, look at her version of Onyx at 7. And the priceless gig at 5. She has put the decade in but she just started young.

[@dannelson6980]

It is a good album it has been on our car playlist for few months. She just turned 14, on Oct 12th.

[@matto9734]

Thank you Rob for bringing this to attention and Jeff for your insightful reaction. First I have to say that I totally love the music this band plays, right up my alley. Intelligent, great melodies the harmonic changes and all that Jazz (pun intended ;-) The solos were all top notch, creative, musical surprising sometimes and everyone also plays for the band! Yoyoka... I´m always stunnned where she is now. She already is up there with the big ones in the A Team as a child but so matured in knowledge and skills. It´s great to see that fun and curiosity drives her creative motor and her family deserves a special mention in her upcoming! Her playing relates perfectly with th band and her solos are both, a compliment to the soloist as much as a musical backbone. Absolutely loved this!!!

[@namorlam]

what an excellent comment!!

[@matto9734]

@@namorlam Thank you

[@TheGymb]

She's come so far so quickly. At 14, she can sit in with any players and hold her own. She'll be better than Senri Kawaguchi.

[@southflwaterfrontrealestat1078]

She's not a star in the making she's already a star that's just starting to shine more and more. Has the drummer who took 20 years of lessons while younger years and played in bands I must admire her way to adapt and on her own signature styles on some of the top drummers songs of the world. Can't wait to see her career blossom!

[@ahmednaim1017]

Cristal gold harmonie ❤. Waooo !!! Goosbumps

[@jeffmoreno865]

Great reaction! I look forward to your critiques! Loved the sax solo and of course Yoyoka’s too!!! Thanks and keep’em coming!!!

[@caprise-music6722]

Holy cow! Great tune! Great solos! Yoyoka killin it too!

[@ronfeggio]

She doesn't know how to read sheet music...still she can play some of the most complex pieces with ease with very little practice. So much fun to watch her perform.

[@emilioc700]

She seems to be reading in this video. Not sure what you're seeing

[@ronfeggio]

@@emilioc700 I'm going by what she said in a recent interview...

[@ChrisGillespie-fe8fq]

Keep ‘em coming, good stuff!!❤

[@StrateleStudios]

Thank you my brother!

[@chrisegbertky]

I loved your reaction good sir! I hope you get to interview Yoyoka in the near future. She just turned 14 today October 12.

[@kurtschmidt9760]

Is she reading sheet music on this one?

[@chrisegbertky]

Charts not sheet music per se that you mi%t buy at a music store.

[@Rob-Yule]

Thank you Jeff for your reaction to my request. Really good, I was wanting you to see YOYOKA in the studio musician setting and how seamlessly she fits in with these clearly seasoned musicians! Your face pretty much sums up your reaction.

[@nederlanditism1154]

Slightly salty, this could be a great guitar trio.