2017 - Japan
Nu Jazz, Instrumental Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Spiritual Jazz
You may know Uyama Hiroto because of Nujabes. He was credited on numerous songs on Modal Soul and Metaphorical Music. That already says a lot about his talent and influences, from hip-hop to spiritual jazz. And his solo career is quite gorgeous, with on top, Freeform Jazz, the very enjoyable and amazingly produce album by the Japanese composer.
The introduction sets the mood. A discreet piano line, and when the drums hit on the second song, Yin and Yang, it’s hard not to think about Nujabes. But that doesn’t mean Uyama Hiroto’s music has to be reduced to the one of a copycat. On the contrary, if Hiroto builds his music on the legacy of the late genius, he rapidly sets himself free because of his tendency to lean more towards jazz than hip-hop.
With a dense amount of 17 tracks, we never lose focus because of how smart Hiroto works in order to reinvent his music within each songs. On Taiko, the rushing percussions in the end are addictive, with Skipper, violins come in to creates a delightful atmosphere while Laidback carries some 80s vibes and Fools No Rules with Segawa Tatsuya is an completely wild and deconstructed free jazz short track.
Finally, with a special guest like Shing02 (the mastermind rapper behind Nujabes’ Luv(sic) series), Hiroto creates an album giving jazz and instrumental hip-hop a fresh cut while sticking to his influences. Released in 2016, this is something a lot of people might have missed but that definitely needs to be rediscovered.
The introduction sets the mood. A discreet piano line, and when the drums hit on the second song, Yin and Yang, it’s hard not to think about Nujabes. But that doesn’t mean Uyama Hiroto’s music has to be reduced to the one of a copycat. On the contrary, if Hiroto builds his music on the legacy of the late genius, he rapidly sets himself free because of his tendency to lean more towards jazz than hip-hop.
With a dense amount of 17 tracks, we never lose focus because of how smart Hiroto works in order to reinvent his music within each songs. On Taiko, the rushing percussions in the end are addictive, with Skipper, violins come in to creates a delightful atmosphere while Laidback carries some 80s vibes and Fools No Rules with Segawa Tatsuya is an completely wild and deconstructed free jazz short track.
Finally, with a special guest like Shing02 (the mastermind rapper behind Nujabes’ Luv(sic) series), Hiroto creates an album giving jazz and instrumental hip-hop a fresh cut while sticking to his influences. Released in 2016, this is something a lot of people might have missed but that definitely needs to be rediscovered.