Wednesday 10 June 2026, 7.30pm
This is Tokyo's most notable improv duo at the moment. The duo consisting of Tatsuya Yoshida, the strongest drummer in the avant-prog scene, and Risa Takeda, the keyboardist who is currently attracting the most attention in Tokyo's improv scene, will be touring Europe for the first time. An unparalleled worldview brought about by thrilling antagonism and harmony unfolding at high speed. The highly structured and highly improvised performance, which freely moves between classical, contemporary music, progressive rock, and jazz rock, overwhelms the audience with the number and sound pressure of a band, even though it is performed by two people.
Risa Takeda Born in Hokkaido. Started classical piano at age 3. Active as drummer while at University. Moved to Tokyo in April 2011 and while with various bands, began solo performances in 2016. Improvisations, compositions with visuals and piano arrangements of Frank Zappa’s material have brought worldwide recognition. Released 3 albums, in which composed, arranged, performed, and recorded all by oneself. The result is a massive work of music, full of complex melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and sequences of sounds, which are freely realized by the ensemble, but with great precision.
In live performances, performed with Akira Sakata, Tatsuya Yoshida, Seiichi Yamamoto, Tadahiko Yokogawa, Keiichi Suzuki, and Mani Neumeier (titles omitted), further expanding the scope of his activities.
The most important drummer/composer/improviser in the modern Japanese avant-garde music scene. Started performing at live houses in Tokyo in the early 1980s. He has a powerful, polyrhythmic, and fast-paced playing style that often uses odd time signatures, and he has participated in many groups. Formed in 1985, RUINS has been highly acclaimed overseas for its innovative sound, which combines the explosion of energy of its solid rhythm section with vocals in his original language, and has frequently toured overseas. Since the 1990s, he has started bands based on different concepts one after another, such as Koenji Hyakkei, Korekyojin, Zubizuba, and Akaten, and has composed most of the repertoire. He has been playing with musicians such as John Zorn, Bill Lazwell, Derek Bailey, Keiji Haino, Otomo Yoshihide, etc. also played with the bands like a Samla Mammas Manna, Acid Mothers Gong, John Zorn’s Painkiller as member. In recent years, In recent years, he has focused on improvisation and has collaborated with jazz musicians too. He has released over 100 works on various labels in Japan and abroad, including participation in sessions.
