Chihei Hatakeyama - Mirror

Reflection, ricochet and reverberation - it’s these three words that summurise the character of
Chihei Hatakeyama’s new edition Mirror.

Drawing deeply on the earliest recorded period of Japan’s history, the Kofun era, Hatak-
eyama’s Mirror meditates on the importance placed on reflection during this age. The mirror
was a source of great inspiration, not only as a metaphor for the sun, but also for its ability to
shift and reflect light from one location to another. This act of transplanting light considered
almost magical by many during that time.

Similarly this idea of reflection spurred Hatakeyama to undertake a new recording method.
Taking layers of composed instrumental passages and then re-recording them in a variety of
reverberant spaces, Hatakeyama sought to accentuate and amplify the harmonic qualities
of the sounds. Overtones were shaped by these spaces and rich fluctuations emerged from
the original recorded elements. This process of re-recording leading to the rich tonal qualities
heard in Mirror.

Spaced out with a series of intimate field recordings, marking the points of arrival and depar-
ture between the composed pieces, Mirror is an elegant second chapter in Hatakeyama’s
ongoing textural songbook for Room40.

Biography
One of Tokyo’s leading figures, Hatakeyama’s considered minimalist approaches have
earned him a formiddible reputation as a fearless textural experimentalist. He has performed
for years under his given name and also as one half of the electroacoustic duo Opitope,
along with Tomoyoshi Date. Hatakeyama’s polychromic and memory-evoking soundscapes
are created utilising various recorded materials of electric and acoustic instruments such as
electric guitars, vibraphone, and piano.

His last release for Room40 was Saunter in 2009.

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