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For more than 1300 years, the path of Japanese traditional music (hogaku) has been rooted in the traditional instruments with which it is performed. "Hogaku 2.0"" is a progressive journey in modern Japanese music where a Western instrument, the guitar, is added to the traditional mix.
Yukihiro Atsumi has had a rich and varied music career in which he has collaborated with a variety of well-known artists within and outside of Japan. Since the age of 18, he has been an active studio musician and guitarist in Tokyo. In 2012, he moved from Tokyo to historical Kyoto to create a new modern take on traditional Japanese music that had never been attempted before. Based out of a traditional-style Kura (stone house) studio in Kyoto, Atsumi focuses on ancient classical Japanese music styles, such as "Hogaku" and "Minyo", to fulfill his mission to bring new classical Japanese music to a worldwide audience and to a younger generation. Atsumi incorporates traditional Japanese musical compositions and styles while implementing western instrumentation, such as the guitar, into his music. This blending dually celebrates the unique aspects of traditional Japanese culture as well as mimics the complex confluence of ancient and modern influences in today's Japan. In 2016, Atsumi launched the "Hogaku 2.0" project, which connects Japanese classical with more modern music through the guitar, and, in August of that year, he released the first album of the series, "Japanese Guitar Song Book". While working on all genres of traditional Japanese music, In 2017, Atsumi hosted many Hogaku 2.0 events at Sanzenin Temple in Kyoto and across Japan where he played traditional Tendai music arranged in this modern style. In 2018, Atsumi collaborated with Japanese hip-hop stalwart, DJ KRUSH, on his 25th-anniversary album, "Cosmic Yard", and released his second album from the Hogaku 2.0 series, "Nippon Note 2.0". In 2019, Atsumi was invited to travel to southernmost Taiwan for a project to update the remaining "Henchun Folk" music. In 2020, the third album in the Hogaku 2.0 series, "Kachofugetsu", was released and played on over 50 different radio stations across 17 different countries worldwide. Also, in 2020, Atsumi joined Tsugaru shamisen player Oyama Yutaka's "Obi" project, released on Sony Records, as producer, arranger, and guitarist. In 2021, Atsumi participated in the full production of Maeyama Shingo's album, "AMAMISM", made up of Amami Oshima folk musicians and singers. Atsumi initiated the "Playing Music Work" project with children in schools in Japan to encourage improvising and having fun with music at an early age. Atsumi also composes music for NHK, TV commercials, other singers, and makes environmental music for hotels and other spaces, ultimately aiming to enrich our lives through music.
NIPPON NOTE RECORDS