Otomo Yoshihide 大友 良英 | |
|---|---|
 Otomo performing live at Club w71 in Weikersheim in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | August 1, 1959 Yokohama, Japan |
| Genres | Jazz, noise, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Multi-instrumentalist, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, turntable |
| Years active | 1987-present |
| Labels | Recommended Records, P-Vine Records, Tzadik Records, Erstwhile Records |
Otomo Yoshihide[1] (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide, born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables, and electronics.[2]
He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical. He is also a pioneering figure in the EAI-scene, and is featured on important records on labels like Erstwhile Records. He has composed music for many films, television dramas, and commercials. In 2017, Otomo became the 2nd Guest Artistic Director of The Sapporo International Art Festival 2017.
- ^ "PROFILE" (Archive). Otomo Yoshihide Official Website. Retrieved on May 30, 2015. "When you write your Japanese name in English alphabet[...]For this reason, I would like to continue using the notation "Otomo Yoshihide" as before."
- ^ "...Yoshide is largely known for his innovative works in the avant-garde electronic music world as well as his collaborations on drone pieces, creative methods on the turntables [...His guitar playing] sounds like a cross between Hendrix and Zappa, and at other times Tony Iommi." Rob Theakston, review of Episome (2006) for Allmusic.com, retrieved 30 Jan, 2018