RYO KUNIHIKO (RYO KUNIHIKO)

Born on January 1, 1960 in Tokyo, blood type O. Originally from Korea, he is a third-generation Korean born in Japan.

Introduction

From 1980 to 1985, Liang participated in many record recordings and live performances as an arranger, producer, and keyboard player. His music is based on rock, jazz, classical and colorful music elements from around the world, and is highly praised by all parties for its delicate and transparent style.

In November 1996, he started his solo development with the album "The Gate Of Dreams". After that, "into the Light", "ONLY HEAVEN KNOWS", "Pan-O-Rama" and "Piano Sketch" were released, totaling five solo albums so far. His works combine Asian and European, traditional and modern music styles (that is, new age music. Everyone should know new age music, also known as new music and new century music. Yanni is a master in this area. . Nea age emerged in the 1970s and is still popular today. It is between light music and classical music. Its biggest feature is that the music has a very large space for imagination. It adds a lot of ethnic music elements, uses ethnic instruments, and uses a lot of electronic synthesizers. New age musicians are all computer music masters) and on this basis, what is truly significant is the introduction of progressive rock, a music genre popular from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s that incorporates European classical music into rock. , which is closely related to new age)'s creative music arrangement.

This unified sense of presence and high musicality have not only won praise in Japan, where new age music is very popular, but also won high popularity in South Korea. He ranked second in J-MUSIC's annual sales in 2001, and his annual solo live has also been a success. And with frequent exposure to television and other media, his influence has expanded to a very broad area.

In April 2002, he produced the theme song for the Nippon TV news report program "Today's Incident", and also served as the music for NHK Satellite 2's animated masterpiece "Twelve Kingdoms", which was broadcast Later, the TV station received a large number of calls and letters from viewers asking about the composer's situation, which received a huge response from the society.

In March of the same year, Liang Bangyan started a regular live show at the famous live house Roppongi STB139 with the theme of his new album "Piano Sketch" released that month. He changed the tracks and performed as the seasons changed. Experimental pieces with different musical orientations. It will bring a different freshness to the audience every time, making people unable to take their eyes off it.

Experience:

1960～1980

Born in a family of medical practitioners, he began receiving piano training at the age of 5. Classical music literacy had a profound impact on him. When he was a middle school student, Liang came into contact with the progressive rock music that was sweeping Japan at that time, which had a huge impact on him. From then on, Liang, as a precocious music boy, his interest in music expanded rapidly. He accepted the baptism of various music genres such as rock, soul music, jazz, rap, etc., and participated in various band activities. After graduating from Waseda High School, he entered Japan Medical University to study, and at the same time began participating in band activities as a non-professional.

1980～1996

After graduating from college, he worked in a hospital as a doctor for a year, and then decided to embark on the path of music again, and started his journey as a keyboardist and arranger. Recording encores composed during his student days, performing in jazz clubs, etc. have increased his experience, exercised his playing ability, and laid the foundation for his rich musical literacy, broad musical imagination, and excellent music arrangement ability. This period During this time, he also served as accompanist for many singers' live performances.

Especially in 1986, he participated in the recording of Hamada Shogo's album and became the youngest producer in that group.

Because of the unique delicate and mature style of his music, he was well received and was hired as a music producer. From then on, his various musical talents began to be valued.

His activities are not limited to Japan, but cover the entire Asia. Because he served as the music director of ATV's TV series "Fist of Fury", his name gradually became known throughout Asia. In addition, he also produced Jackie Chan's movie "DEAD HEAT" (does anyone know the Chinese name of this movie?), and also served as the music producer of Hong Kong's number one band beyond. (Don’t glare at me. I turned it over correctly. It’s Beyond. I almost choked when I turned it over. Oh my God, there is such a thing...)

1996～1998

During this period, while holding multiple jobs as a music producer, I also began to create as an independent musician. Finally, his long-held dream became a reality. In November 1996, his then-owner PolyGram released his first solo album "The Gate Of The Dreams". This album is very different from the pop music field in which he has been active for a long time in the past. It is full of rich musical imagination, the keyboard performance is full of the mystery of avant-garde rock, and the magnificent performance of the China Central Symphony Orchestra (is The Central Symphony Orchestra recorded it for him...I almost choked to death. He really has a close relationship with China...), drawing on classical instruments from various Asian countries and combining them organically. The completion of the work is very high.

Taking this as an opportunity, Liang began to act as an independent musician. In March 1997, he held his first solo concert at Shibuya Concert Hall. The performance that combined the rock band and the symphony orchestra was a huge success.

In April 1998, the second album "into the Light" was released. This album is based on the local folk songs he collected in Mongolia (well, the very flavorful erhu played in the style of Morin Fhuur was used in Night Thoughts on the Moon... Sigh, did I explain it clearly?), as well as Hurdy -Gurdy (an ancient accordion, used a lot in progressive rock) and other ancient musical instruments handed down from Europe. In this collaborative recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (London Philharmonic Orchestra... awesome...), the music style has become more diversified and the content of the music has been further expanded. The melody of each piece has great depth, making the listener cannot help but be deeply attracted.

In May of the same year, he held a concert at the Tokyo International Forum Hall that summarized his achievements since his debut one year ago, and received a long standing ovation from the audience.

During the same period, he also served as a music producer for the Russian-born singer Origa (the one who sang the opening credits of Ghost in the Shell TV).

In short, due to his continuous exploration and attempts to add exotic elements to his music since his independent debut, he has been widely praised by all walks of life. (Really like Kajiura... It seems that I will write a review article comparing the two ^^)

1999

In 1999, his music path took a huge turn. . In the process of developing as an independent musician, Liang has been exposed to different music from various countries and eras in search of inspiration. As a third-generation "Korean" who inherited Korean ancestry and was born and raised in Japan, he has a deep appreciation for the Korean origin of his blood. The music will naturally produce a buzzing sound.

This year he made his first visit to his motherland since his birth. When he heard the percussion played by the young successors of Korean traditional music, he was deeply moved and couldn't help but burst into tears. orbit. Liang felt that his pursuit of various types of music so far and the answers he had been searching for had finally come to fruition. That is the music that has always been hidden in his heart, music that can reach directly to the soul and move people deeply. (Oh, it seems that Shaka has realized the eighth sense...)

The third album "ONLY HEAVEN KNOWS" (a very nice name) was released in the same year. Through Liang, it was released in Inner Mongolia, China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Visits to other places, classical music played by mixing recorded sound sources full of local flavor and the tones of classical ethnic instruments, and the most advanced natural sound (sampling), the style is romantic and charming. At the same time, thanks to the use of young Korean performers for percussion, the powerful momentum can be felt everywhere in the album. That nostalgic appeal and sense of harmony have become the biggest features of this album.

Based on the latest album in the second half of 1999, Liang began to mainly include classical-style piano performances, as well as performances centered on Irish classical music, and began to hold concerts centered in Seoul.

In South Korea, the album was released in limited quantities and has created a frenzy among the public since Liang performed in South Korea. FM radio stations played his music vigorously, and TV stations and news units competed to interview him. (...Are there any Koreans here? Can you help confirm whether this is true...) The following year, he promoted the development of new age music in South Korea as one of the most high-profile new age musicians. South Korea has a strong sense of pride in its country's traditional culture. Therefore, Liang's rare ability to organically integrate traditional Chinese music with Western music left a deep impression on the Korean audience who value inheritance. He was so relaxed about music. Surprised by the ability to control freely.

In addition, based on Japan's unique cultural characteristics, he extensively absorbed foreign cultures to sublimate his musical works. The new style of concerts developed in Korea was welcomed as a triumph after returning to Japan.

2000～2002

On January 10, 2000, Liang began a six-month concert "ONLY HEAVEN KNOWS" at Tianwangzhou Art Sphere Theater. Musicians from South Korea and Mongolia were invited to perform in friendship, as well as organists from Tokyo, and a band composed of 26 people. The strong sense of rhythm and soft chords produced a stage effect with endless charm. The performance was brilliant, with the audience in attendance clamoring for an encore and joining the ensemble in applause.

In October 2001, the fourth album "Pan-O-Rama" was released, which took one year from conception to completion. The degree of interweaving of musical elements in this album has reached the extreme. Asian music and European music, classical music and avant-garde music, the opposing musical concepts are incredibly fused together, coupled with Liang's unparalleled arrangement skills, the album presents a broad range that does not belong to any country. Musicality. Among them, "Frontier!" was selected as the official theme song of the 2002 Busan Asian Games (I already died from surprise. This happened last year. Did anyone notice? I only paid attention to watching the World Cup last year... No, confirm it. Said to be the handsome guys at the World Cup...) For the first time in the same work, Liang crossed the borders of Asia and Europe, blending music from different countries, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and South Korea's cutting-edge percussion group " PURI's hand-in-hand performance and exciting and fanatical music style vividly presented the colorful music world that Liang wanted to express to the world.

This album was released in Korea under the name YANG BANG EAN (the Korean pronunciation of his name) before Japan. In the sales lists of major record stores, there is a strange phenomenon of ranking first in the new age category and at the forefront of the pop category.

"Pan-O-Rama" was released after Liang transferred from PolyGram to his current new owner BMG. One of the executives of BMG commented on Liang, "The sales success of this kind of music is not only commercial. level, and has the significance of carrying forward national culture.” Through active operation in 2001, the album became a popular CD and finally ranked second on the J-MUSIC chart that year.

The regular live performances held in Seoul that Liang started in 1999 also achieved great success, and many media reported on them. At the invitation of the Korean Traditional Music Association, he served as a special lecturer at Seoul University. In addition, he also composed the theme song for the Dahe drama "Business Road" commemorating the 40th anniversary of South Korea's MBC TV station. His reputation was further spread through concerts and participation in various cultural events.

On May 2, 2002, based on the four previously released albums, Liang released his fifth album selection "Piano Sketch" after screening. He adapted his old work for the piano, and his beautiful performance has both the healing power to heal wounds and the majestic momentum, and has once again been well received.

The "Twelve Kingdoms" original soundtrack "Twelve Fantasy Suites" and "Twelve Fantasy Dreams" released in July and October 2002 combined the "dynamic" and "quiet" in Liang Bangyan's music. ” It is undoubtedly evident.

As the music in NHK 2's long-running fantasy animation masterpiece "Twelve Kingdoms", the symphony orchestra's sound source was boldly deconstructed using the latest equipment such as Pro Tools, and extraordinary progress was made. Even if there is no image in front of you, you can feel the overwhelming power just listening to it.

Almost all the music of "Twelve Kingdoms" was recorded in Liang's own music studio. Compared with the extensive use of real sounds in previous works, what is presented is a stunning flourish, like an alchemist of sound.

Another work from the same period is the theme song of the Nippon TV news report program "Today's Incident". In 33 seconds of condensed time, it contains thick and negative percussion and Origa's clear harmony, movement and movement. Harmony. It brings a strong touch to the listener's soul. It is a work in which he maximizes his musical talent, and at the same time, it best expresses the soul-stirring aspect of his music. Become the best choice to understand the current music style of Liang Bangyan.

In addition to producing these pieces of music, Liang’s personal live performances held in Tokyo in March, May, and November were also successful. In addition to being a composer, his skills as a performer have also been further improved.