NAKAMURA Hiroyuki - Bella

Music & Visuals by NAKAMURA Hiroyuki.
Album Description:
Dragon’s Eye Recordings is proud to present SEN NO TSUDOI, the debut release from Japanese pianist, composer, and electronic musician NAKAMURA Hiroyuki. On SEN NO TSUDOI, NAKAMURA explores the intersections of Asian and European music by utilizing European instruments while integrating Asian noise and brief tonal values. This blend of sounds is then infused with the deep reverb of churches, akin to the resonance of caves, creating a sound and style unique to NAKAMURA.
SEN NO TSUDOI occupies a liminal space, before it has had the chance to fully take shape. As it progresses, voices emerge and recede, and the piece continues to expand. Powerful sounds divide the space, and intentional sounds begin to gather, revealing a rhythm that evokes a breathing pattern that aligns everything. The boundaries between environmental sounds and instrumental sounds dissolve, merging into a unified whole. Electronic sound wrap around the pianos, following the breathing rhythms emanating from the instrument.
The title SEN NO TSUDOI conveys the idea of "sen,” or "thousand," a number imbued with historical and cultural significance in Japan, symbolizing expansion and convergence. The sound design eschews MIDI and instead draws on the rhythm of Asian breathing patterns for its arrangement. The orchestral sounds are crafted by stitching together various copyright-free instrumental sounds found online, interspersed with everyday noises, and digitally processed. With Sen no Tsudoi, NAKAMURA unites countless sounds, transcending time and culture to form a sound that is uniquely his own.
From the artist:
In an era marked by various conflicts, what can music do? As an Asian artist, the more I delve into the history of contemporary Europe, the more I am struck by the depth of its issues, leaving me often at a loss for words. Simultaneously, Asia continues to grapple with enduring challenges such as poverty. Is the only expression music can offer the acknowledgment of our own powerlessness?
I believe that art has the ability to document, reinterpret history, and continually redefine it. Countless sounds resonate across time and culture.