Susumu Hirasawa

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Before beginning his solo career, Susumu Hirasawa was the frontman for several musical groups, including MANDRAKE, SHUN, P-MODEL, and Global Trotters. P-MODEL is often credited with founding the Japanese Techno-Pop movement in the early 70s, and has since been well known for his extensive use of creative technologies in production; He modified AMEGA software, in order to explore new methods of creating music using the PC, such as modifying a program to take thousands of samples he produced and automatically compose music. He later re-used one of those machine compositions for the theme to the 1997 anime Berserk (Phonon Belt). His use of creative technologies isn't limited to studio production, however. He also makes extensive use of self-built creative technologies on stage.
Examples of Hirasawa's on stage instruments include: The Tubular Hertz, a synthesizer making use of large pipes that are pulled by the user, and The GRAVITON, a sampler that is powered by a bike wheel; The GRAVITON was used as part of a live show performed entirely outdoors using solar and kinetic power. Recently, Hirasawa has made use of Tesla Coils and an increasingly elaborate LASER HARP, which triggers different samples when lasers are blocked in different contexts, adding a kinetic element to the sampled sound. Alongside these instruments, Hirasawa makes use of computers in order to create elaborate live shows in which the audience effects the set list, such as The Interactive Live Show.
Starting in 1995, every solo album Hirasawa has produced was accompanied by an Interactive Live Show based on the album's central themes and story (NO ROOM 2014). For these live shows, a story is told to the audience using computer generated visuals and text, displayed...

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... 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. http://hirasawalyrics.tumblr.com/post/41081463055/nomonos-and-imium-story-glossary
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Hirasawa Lyrics. ""Nomonos and Imium", Day Three" "Nomonos and Imium", Day Three. N.p., 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. http://hirasawalyrics.tumblr.com/post/41480358311/nomonos-and-imium-day-three.

Hirasawa, Susumu. "Susumu Hirasawa Interactive Live 2013 "NOMONOS and IMIUM"" Susumu Hirasawa Interactive Live 2013 "NOMONOS and IMIUM" CHAOS UNION, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014.http://2013.interactive-live.org/en/.

RocketBaby. "RocketBaby's Interview with Susumu Hirasawa." RocketBaby. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.http://web.archive.org/web/20010303074111/http://rocketbaby.net/interviews_hirasawa_1.html.

Hirasawa, Susumu. "NO ROOM - 平沢進 プロフィール." NO ROOM. CHAOS UNION, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. .

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