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April 22, 2015
Toshio Matsuura | From TOKYO MOON, September 19 ON AIR: Gotan Project's Philippe Cohen Solal Visits Japan!
Toshio Matsuura | from TOKYO MOON September 19 ON AIR
New Album After 4 Years, and First Japan Performance in 8 Years Confirmed
Gotan Project Philippe Cohen Solal Visits Japan (1)
TOKYO MOON presents a show with various guests. This time, we welcome Philippe Cohen Solal, a member of Gotan Project, who released their third album "Tango 3.0" in June, their first in four years, and whose Japan tour has been decided for next spring, the first in eight years. We conducted an exclusive interview in the studio. This will be delivered with Japanese subtitles, which were not included in the broadcast.
Text byToshio MatsuuraEditing by OPENERSPhotos by Shuhei Nishida
That's Why We Don't Release an Album Every Year
MatsuuraIs the new album title "Tango 3.0" referring to "3" as in the third album? And what about "point zero"?
PhilippeThe title "Tango 3.0" comes from our desire to spread tango in this 21st century. Tango is an old form of music with nearly 100 years of history. "3.0" refers to the naming of the next-generation communication system on the web; we now call it "WEB 2.0," but we don't yet know what kind of transformation will occur from "WEB 2.0" to "WEB 3.0." However, our lives are undoubtedly greatly influenced by these web communication systems.
This also applies to the world of music; we will continue to create by skillfully blending past and future music. The fusion of traditional tango and future sounds—this is what we mean by "point zero," but it also includes the meaning of being the third album and that Gotan Project has three members.
MatsuuraThis new album "Tango 3.0," released four years after the previous one, has a mature, sensual, and smoky atmosphere that Gotan Project is known for, and it feels like it has incorporated many new musical influences. It seems the members have been pursuing solo activities during these four years; has this had a positive impact on this work?
PhilippeAs you say, during the four years since the last album, we weren't on vacation; we were quite active. Eduardo Makaroff was busy discovering new tango music for his own label, "Mañana." Christoph H. Muller produced an album for his solo project, an Afro-Peruvian music unit called "RADIOKIJADA."
I also released a solo album called "Moonshine Sessions." When I'm on tour with Gotan Project, I'm completely immersed in tango, of course. During one such tour, while checking my guitar in a hotel, I listened to country music, bluegrass, and what you'd call American roots music, and it sparked a lot of inspiration. Then, when I visited Nashville, I had a wonderful collaboration with Nashville musicians, and the album was completed through various such stimuli.
Additionally, there was the activity of "Ya Basta," the label that releases Gotan Project's albums. Oh, and songs directly influenced by the blues I felt in New Orleans and the digital cumbia I experienced during my stay in Argentina are also included in this new album. In short, the diverse activities of each of us three members have influenced this album. I believe new creations emerge precisely because of these individual experiences and discoveries. That's why we don't release an album every year.
Toshio Matsuura | from TOKYO MOON September 19 ON AIR
New Album After 4 Years, and First Japan Performance in 8 Years Confirmed
Gotan Project Philippe Cohen Solal Visits Japan (2)
My Own Life Has Been Greatly Influenced and Changed
MatsuuraAs Philippe mentioned, each of your solo activities has truly culminated well in the album.
I listen to Gotan Project's music because I'm a fan, but I believe that if you listen to each member's solo work again, you'll gain an even deeper understanding of "Tango 3.0," or perhaps rediscover it. Please do listen to their solo tracks sometime.
Now, I'd like to ask about the live performances. The first Gotan Project concert seven years ago at Roppongi Hills Arena—I was involved in the production and also DJed, and it was a truly great show. The atmosphere of that exotic night, unlike anything in Tokyo, left a strong impression. You are currently touring the world with "Tango 3.0"; do you feel any changes compared to seven years ago?
PhilippeFundamentally, I don't think much has changed. The band members are still the three of us: Eduardo, Christoph, and myself. The surrounding staff and musicians are also largely the same as when Gotan Project first started.
Vocalist Cristina Vilallonga, pianist Gustavo Beytelmann, bandoneonist Nini Flores, and violinist Line Kruse have been with us since the first recording. Of course, the new album features new collaborators and new experiments. Dr. John participated from New Orleans for "El Mensajero," a track featuring Gotan Project's first-ever harmonica recording, instead of bandoneon.
In essence, Gotan Project is formed like a family. As you mentioned, when we go on a world tour, we typically perform for about three years, traveling to any place in the world that desires us. So, I believe my own life has been greatly influenced and changed.
MatsuuraPhilippe says he hasn't changed much, but I believe the visual expression of Gotan Project—the synchronization of sound and visuals, and the fusion of electronic music with live musicians—has evolved and matured over these seven years. I myself am very much looking forward to seeing their live performance again after seven years, on March 26, 2011, at JCB Hall. Lastly, could you tell us about a song that changed your life? I know it might be difficult to choose just one.
PhilippeHmm... I'm torn between two songs and two artists... If I had to choose one, I would say Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" changed my life. I think the first time I heard "What's Going On" was when my father sang it at home, and this song is true soul music. By "soul music," I don't mean Black music, but "music of the soul." Tango is the soul music of the Argentine people. Country and bluegrass are the soul music of Americans. It's "music of the soul" that people of all skin colors possess.
This might be a personal opinion, but I've loved soul music for a long time. I only believed in God when I was in trouble. But when I heard Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," I truly began to believe in God. I felt, "I am not alone." I believe it's a song that allows anyone, in any situation, to feel, "I am not alone." I recently read an old interview with him, and he said that while recording this song, he felt that he was merely a "tool."
That I was being sustained by something greater than myself. He said he never felt that way during the recording of any other song. Since hearing this song led me to believe in God, I believe what he said. It's as if his feelings were directly conveyed to me. "What's Going On," the song that changed my life.
MatsuuraThank you very much.
GOTAN PROJECT TANGO 3.0 TOUR
Date | Saturday, March 26, 2011
Venue | JCB Hall (within Tokyo Dome City)
Ticket Release Date | Saturday, November 20
Organizer | J-WAVE
Sponsorship | Embassy of France / Embassy of the Argentine Republic / Institut Français du Japon – Tokyo
Cooperation | Rambling Records / Hot Stuff Promotion
Planning & Production | conversation
conversation
Tel. 03-5280-9996
http://www.conversation.co.jp
GOTAN PROJECT | Gotan Project
Formed in 1999 under the concept of "fusion of tango and electronica" by Philippe, Christoph, and Eduardo. Their deeply sophisticated sound, aimed at mature adult listeners, and their innovative live performances and staging, utilizing cutting-edge visual technology and stage design—which they describe as "contemporary art pieces"—instantly sent shockwaves around the world.
Their debut album "Revancha del Tango," released in 2001 and featuring the representative track "Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre)," sold over one million copies. In November 2003, their long-awaited first performance in Japan was held at Roppongi Hills Arena. Their second album "Lunatico," released in 2006, sold two million copies worldwide, and they successfully completed over 400 performances in total.
Subsequently, their stylish music was featured in Hollywood films and TV shows such as "Ocean's Twelve," "Shall We Dance?" and "Sex and the City," garnering significant attention. Praised by Gilles Peterson as "artists who have created new world music" and featured prominently on his radio show, they also command strong popularity and acclaim among creators and cultural figures with a deep appreciation for jazz, world music, and dance music. With their new album "TANGO 3.0," showcasing further musical evolution, their beautiful beats and visuals remain vibrant on a world tour that is expected to attract a significantly larger audience than before. They incorporate new musical elements such as jazz and blues, and present a sensual stage performance that makes extensive use of live brass and string instruments, more so than in the past.
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