Chihei Hatakeyama

Chihei Hatakeyama is a Tokyo-based ambient musician and mastering engineer who creates chiming, shimmering soundscapes with acoustic instruments (including guitar, vibraphone, and piano) and laptop processing. His works often evoke scenes from nature, and appropriately include an abundant amount of field recordings and other organic sounds. Since the release of his well-received debut album, Minima Moralia (Kranky), in 2006, he has been remarkably prolific as both a solo artist and collaborator, and his work has always maintained a consistently high quality. He has issued numerous recordings through labels like Room40, White Paddy Mountain, Gearbox, and Constellation Tatsu (who released Unconsciousness Silence in 2026). Hatakeyama originally began making music as part of various hardcore and metal bands, and his interests gradually drifted toward experimental rock and classical music. He formed a duo called Opitope in 2002 with Tomoyoshi Date. Kranky issued Hatakeyama's solo debut in 2006, and Opitope released their first full-length, Hau, on Spekk the following year. Hatakeyama's second solo album, Dedication, appeared on Magic Book Records in 2008. From 2009 on, his release schedule was relentless, with albums on Hibernate (The River), Room40 (Saunter, Mirror), Home Normal (A Long Journey), and numerous other ambient/experimental labels. In 2010, he began releasing music digitally through his White Paddy Mountain label, including volumes of his Void series of live recordings; gradually, the label began issuing CDs by other artists (such as Celer, Machinefabriek, and Aaron Martin), which were mixed and mastered by Hatakeyama himself. He continued to release albums on other labels, including Rural Colours, Small Fragments, and Airplane Label, in addition to collaborations with artists like Asuna, Hakobune, and Federico Durand. Hatakeyama released six albums in 2015 alone, including Frozen Silence (a collaboration with Sakana Hosomi), Mist, Five Dreams, and his third album for Lawrence English's Room40 label, Moon Light Reflecting Over Mountains. In 2017, Hatakeyama returned to Room40 with Mirage. Recorded over a five-year period, the album found him exploring the relationship between architecture and music. Other releases during the year included Far from the Atmosphere (Hiss Noise Records) and collaborations with Durand and Tamaru. In 2018, Hatakeyama released Solitary Universe (with Eraldo Bernocchi) and FTS002, a 12" EP with Vida Vojić. His solo efforts during the year included the Constellation Tatsu cassette Scene and White Paddy Mountain CDs Butterfly's Summer and Vanished and Afterimage. Erroribus Humanis et Antimony, a collaboration with Ken Ikeda and Tetuzi Akiyama, was issued by Otooto in early 2019. Jodo (with Stijn Hüwels) and Ghost Woods both appeared on White Paddy Mountain later in the year, and Room40 released Forgotten Hill. Hatakeyama collaborated with Tetuzi Akiyama and Ken Ikeda for the album Erroribus Humanis Et Antinomy. 2020 brought Black Frost, Hatakeyama's second collaboration with Dirk Serries. Late Spring, his first album for Gearbox Records, appeared in 2021. He collaborated with Michael Grigoni and Stephen Vitiello for the release Earth Awhile. Hachirogata Lake was released by Field Records in 2023, and the soundtrack Life Is Climbing appeared on Gearbox. In 2024, Hatakeyama released the solo album Thousand Oceans, and collaborated with Hakobune, zakè, and From Overseas for the release Live Improvisations. He also began issuing a series of Magnificent Little Dudes releases with Shun Ishiwaka. Lucid Dreams was released by First Terrace Records in 2025, with guest appearances by Cucina Povera and Nailah Hunter. Hatakeyama returned to Constellation Tatsu with 2026's Unconsciousness Silence. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi