Text by Sara Dotes
Photo by 稲垣元則
In 2009, .es started out as contemporary multi-media music unit based at “Gallery Nomart” in Osaka, Japan. .es consists of Takayuki Hashimoto (guitar, alto saxophone and harmonica etc), Sara (piano, cajon and dance etc ) and Satoshi Hayashi, modern art director and producer of .es. Hashimoto and Sara are multi-instrumentalists and also Sara occasionally dances with Hashimoto’s sound. Their live music performances all have a different theme and they choose instruments appropriate for each theme. All of their performances are in an improvised style.
The two members of .es (Hashimoto and Sara) came to respect and play various musical styles such as rock, punk, classical music, flamenco, and increasingly found themselves wanting to express the impulse on principles and unchangeable soul.
Their sound expresses wide-ranging sensibilities in its lyrical, sentimental, intensive and passionate forms. It powerfully brings you evocative memories and feelings.
This video shows .es opening up the multi media event at the Gallery Nomart (Osaka), April 23, 2011 with the song oto de iro wo tsukuru (translated: expressing colors by sound). Kodai Nakahara’s Paintings are projected behind the band. In this video Kodai Nakahara shows his artistic cinematic talent who is a well-known artist in Japan. This song will be released on CD in summer, 2011.
Other Japanese bands or musicians
