Aki Takase's JAPANIC

Old master Aki Takase, who is already a legend of jazz music (2021 Albert Mangelsdorff Prize and German Jazz Prize Piano) and has toured or recorded with musicians such as Dave Liebman, Sheila Jordan, Lester Bowie, Rashid Ali, Reggie Workman, David Murray, NHOP and many more, is constantly devoting herself to new projects and musicians who have a similarly open understanding of music as she does.

She has already explored the mixture of jazz, new music, dance and electronic music in previous projects, Aki Takase releases the second album with her main band, JAPANIC. On „Forte“, the leading figure in European improvisational jazz once again demonstrates her energetic, radiant nature.

Her outstanding bandmates include her former student Daniel Erdmann, who has won the Echo, German Jazz Prize Saxophone, SWR Jazz Prize etc. and has made a name for himself internationally.

Turntable wizard DJ Illvibe aka Vincent von Schlippenbach, co-founder of MoaBeat, Lychee Lassi and Seeed, who as producer of Peter Fox, Seeed and Marteria makes up the hip-hop and rap-affine part of the music and is part of Germany’s best-known producer team “The Krauts”.

Portuguese bassist Carlos Bica (Maria Joao, Bica’s Azul with Jim Black and Frank Möbus, etc.) and Dag Magnus Narvesen (Kitchenorchester, Alex v Schlippenbach) are also involved, forming the rhythm section and providing the structure for the wonderful carpet of sound that JAPANIC rolls out before us.