mabanua

Bio:

.. Multi-talented artist, mabanua, has different musical faces such as drummer, beat-maker, and singer. He samples the sounds that he plays. Most of his music is hip-hop flavored; however, he is open to various kinds of music. He made a video showing the creation of a song. It caught the attention of people on Youtube, and the British music website, NME featured the video on their webpage. AKIL THE MC of Jurassic 5, Eshe of Arrested Development, and Kev Brown shared understanding of mabanua’s musical style. They have collaborated on mabanua’s 1st album ”done already.” His talent as an entertainer also attracts the audience to his stage performance. He plays the drums and sings at the same time without stopping just like a DJ spinning. mabanua is also a member of a jazz hip-hip band, Ovall. The band consists of Shingo Suzuki (bass/keys), Shingo Sekiguchi (guitar) and mabanua (drums/programming). Their music is a unique mixture of sampling and live sound.

mabanua（マバヌア）
ドラマー/ビートメーカー/シンガーという他に類を見ないスタイルが話題の日本人クリエイター。全ての楽器を自ら演奏しそれらの音をドラマーならではのフィジカルなビートセンスでサンプリングし再構築、Hiphopのフィルターを通しながらもジャンルに捉われない音創りが世界中から絶賛される。Youtubeにアップした「全 て1人で完結するTrackmaking映像」や「ノンストップでDrumを叩き続け歌うLIVE パフォーマンス映像」に世界中から絶賛のコメントが入り続ける。その唯一無二のスタイルにジュラシック５のAKIL THE MC、アレステッド・デベロップメン トのEshe、Kev Brownらも共感、MySpaceを通じ彼らと交友を深めコラボした1stアルバム[done already]はヨーロッパ全域のiTunes HIP-HOPのトップページでPICK UP、フラ ンスOPENZICとのディストリビューション契約、フランス、イギリス、アメリカでのCD発売、英BBCラジオでOA、JAZZY SPORT×origami PRODUCTIONSの共同でアナログがリリースされるなど日本のみ ならず各国で話題に。またあのlaidbookへの参加、J Dillaの兄弟にあたるIllaJとの共演、rei harakami氏とのジョイントLive、 朝霧JAM,FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL, RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL,Sunset LIVEにも出演。現在最も注目されている日本人ドラマー/クリエイター。








DESTINATION MAGAZINE (DM): First of all, I want you ask your career and background of your band style.


mabanua (M): Originally, I was acting as a support drummer, but through the experience, I noticed I am a kind of people to embody my idea in my mind not only to play other songs. Then I began to compose tracks. That’s start line of my career. And track makers usually use the MPC and playing at the live with laptops, don’t they? It has a lot of advantages and I was interested in it personally, but there are bunch of people like that. So I want to increase the opportunity to play as a band in the club even DJ is still main style. I think band style make the most of my music features. In the beginning, my band had 5~6 members, but in the end, there are only keyboard, base, and drums. After all I think it is the best to play much of sound with fewer people. So now we are playing with trio style and with the same members.

DM : How long have you been playing with the band name mabanua? And what is the origin of the name?

M : Concretely, the name has been since the summer in 2007 when we has started making the first album. The origin is from my name “MANABU”. It sprang up in my mind.

DM : I found the mabanua for the first time at the label party of Circulations “SHUKAKUSAI” in March 2009 at Shibuya B1. It was the first Japanese act of Onra, and I went there to see Onra and Jay Scarlette. Of course, Jay and other DJs were good, but mabanua was the most impressive in that party. Since then, I have checked your live in “My Favorite Soul” at Solfa, “Jazzcats” at Jz-Brat, and the like. I feel that it is great party and responses of audience are also very good every time. How do you feel the response of audience to your live?

M : In the past, I played cover songs half of my set lists and mixed material　sometimes. In those live, they are in the groove when I play cover songs, but are quiet on my original songs. However, lately I play my songs 70~80 percent of set lists, getting more people are in groove. I am happy with that change. And there is huge gap between the people who know the club culture and not, and as a difference of the response this original “stagger” groove does not make sense to those general people. I hope to show the live that all audiences include those general people can enjoy.

DM : In the first album “done already” released last year, AKIL THE MC from Jurassic 5 and Eshe and Kev Brown from Arrested Development participated and it became sensational. Can you tell me any episode, album concept, and response from the music scene after the release, etc?

M : The production began from sending mail to my favorite artists on the MYSPACE, and I approached what I was doing when I received reply from them. Also I got those three artists by this approach. Especially, I learned black music from Esche, so I was happy to work with him. In the beginning of the production, the word “JAZZY HIPHOP” was much talked about in the scene, but I had thought that I didn’t want to be obsessed by the framework or category. When I released the album, I found that a lot of listeners were getting over music genres and they listened my work. I was pleased with that.

DM : As you did in the “Track making movie completed by my self ” much talked about now, you try very unique way like play all instruments and vocal and sampling it to compose a song. How did you learn that music? Have you been learning instruments since your childhood? And tell me the episode you reached to this production style.

M : I was learning piano in my child hood and my body know how to play it. In middle school, I had started playing a guitar, and started singing. I had been into the BEATLES and LED ZEPPELIN. I played and sang those songs even I was poor at playing. It was the clue to be into the foreign music. In high school, I started band and there were few drums and base, though there were a lot of guitar and vocal. So I tried drums and it was fun unexpectedly. I have been into the drums since then,

DM : Are those activities background of your style now?

M : yes. Even sound feelings is different, it is more convenient to play the phrase come up in my mind by myself than finding from record lacks and it is possible to embody my idea correctly. It is suitable for me.

DM : when did you begin track making from.

M : I wanted to play music and changed to correspondence course　in the second year of high school. I started track making in the free time.

DM : can you tell me if you have music, artist, and album influenced so much?

M : I often listened the early days album of Arrested Development. But actually, I was not interested in black music and just listening hip music. But the more I listened black music, the more I found comfortable point of it and got into it. Also I love The Roots. And I was listening the post-rock band like Jim O’Rourke and the experimental band like Revolvo.

DM : Do you have any artists you are checking now?

M : I don’ t know labels so much, but I’m checking “budamunky” as a hot artist. The other day, they came to my house and did sessions. We are taking to do something together, although it is not concrete idea. Muhsinah(CIRCULATIONS) is DIY taste, and I feel sympathy with him. He knows Nicholas who took part in my album. And I like Jesse Boykins III too. I like them honestly rather than just checking. Additionally, I consider European scene is more interesting than that of the U.S.. I envy its experimental and open atmosphere, and my works also get reputation there.

DM : In the label called “origami PRODUCTION”, each of artists is acting very well, and there are also releases of mixing their characters well which called “laidbok”. Now I’m checking them. So what kind of impression do you have to your own label now?

M : It’s a label I feel comfortable and I can concentrate what I really want to make. In this tough social and economical situation, no member of origami alters his style and they are able to make their own sound without bending their beliefs. In good mean, since they have different colors and tastes, I am always stimulated. Because I’d had mortifying feeling against my work and direction before I entered this label, this place is like a land of dreams. So I think it is important to keep this situation, and also important we are sharing this idea.

DM : “Laidbok” is composed by “Shingo Suzuki”(base, “Yukihiro Atsumi”(thirdiq/guitar), “45 a.k.a SWING-O” (key board), and “mabanua”(drums) from origami PRODUCTION, and they do the session based on the inspired idea. Those sessions are released as CD every month. It is very unique project. How do you feel about this project, and how do you feel to each of your label mates?

M : It’ll be misunderstood if I compare it to the “playing room”. But I never cut corners and I think it is where I can express different taste from my albums. It is like I remain my taste and ask other instruments members to add their music part. Although it is different from my solo work, I think listeners can enjoy other dimension of my music.

DM : You designed one of art cards enclosed in the “laidbook”. Your artwork was impressive, but were you doing graphic design originally?

M : when I was around junior high to the first year of high school student, I aimed art college, and I was consulting about examination to my teacher. After all I chose the career of music, but I was drawing picture at that time. So I took apart from drawing after deciding to do music. Then I thought to restart drawing art after that, and tried to make my friend’s home page design or event flyers by photo shop and illustrator. I got the offer of “laidbook” art work at that time and challenged it.

DM : Please tell me if you have the plan of releases and activities.

M : I am thinking to start producing new album from this month. The release will be next year. It is exaggerated but I want to break out revolution by this album. It will be both of approved and disapproved by listeners, but I want to make the album of different stream from the 1st one. And I think I will be able to release “Ovall” before next spring.

DM : Now I feel beat makers producing high quality tracks are getting more in Tokyo underground. If you have any message to those young creators and artists trying to make music scene more enthusiastic, please tell me.

M : Not only for the hip-hop, first of all, we should not care which genres we are and not to be obsessed by existing framework. It is better to make the sound which bottom up whole underground scene with creativity, and release it as much as possible to the music scene.

DM : In the event “DESTINATION” we are organizing at the Shibuya MODULE on Dec. 27th, mabanua is going to show the live. I’m really looking forward to it. In the end please messages to the fun and readers of this magazine.

M : I hope the audiences on our live feel something from our music. You may feel our arranges are strange and interesting if you listen ours as usual one. So it will be interesting you listen it differently. In addition, please expect next album in good or bad meaning. It may betray your expectation. I’m looking forward to the event on Dec. 27th.

DM : Thank you for today’s interview.

- comment -

葛藤や絶望にかられながらも躍進する姿勢をサウンドの中に強く感じました。 これからも、分厚いビートとともに時代を切り刻んで下さい。 アルバムリリース、おめでとうございます。
INO hidefumi

耳馴染みはいいけど、アヴァンギャルド。懐かしいけど、フューチャリスティック。 こういう音楽が街中に溢れていたら、世界はもっと棲みやすくなると思う。
坂野晴彦 （EYESCREAM編集部）

N.Yへの一人旅に行く時は、間違いなくこの「done already」を持って行く。
市川和則 (羊毛とおはな)

朝、昼、晩、いつ聴いてもドップリハメられる音楽ってマジで最高です！Respect！！
RAITA from BAGDAD CAFE THE trench town

メロディカル、そして渋くてセンスのいい音、まじで才能がある アーティストだと思います。
要注意人物。
budamunky　(JAZZY SPORT)

僕は毎日CLUBにいる。ある日、やってきたBANDのメンバーにmabanuaがいた。演奏のクオリティの高さにド肝を抜かれると同時に、その時に出会ったのが本作品だった。いつどんなタイミングで聞いても，大人な気持ちを高めてくれる。しかも歌いたいっていう感情も自然と湧き出てくる，とても素晴らしいアダルトなHIPHOPだ。
イーモトロール （ラッパー／Organbar店長）

THE ROOTSのドラマー、クエスト・ラブを彷彿させるようなアーティスト。 ドラマーとしてはもちろん、トラックメーカーとしてもズバ抜けた才能を持っている 人です。日本を代表し世界で活躍する日も遠くはないと思います。 今後の彼が一体どうなっていくのかが本当に楽しみです！！
Sugar （ex. Vo Vo Tauドラマー/THE COMPANY）

とにかくリラックスしたい時にお薦めのアルバムですね！ 僕は音楽が大好き。家ではもちろん、トレーニングに向かう車の中でも、色んなジャンルの曲をよく聴いています。このアルバムは全体的にどの曲もいいけど、特に僕のお気に入りは２、３、５、８の４曲。思わずクラブに行きたくなっちゃう曲ですね！
三都主アレサンドロ (浦和レッドダイヤモンズ)