Hajime Yoshizawa

Japanese keyboardist, and artist. [stage name: 吉澤 はじめ (Yoshizawa Hajime)]. Born: 1965 in Tokyo, Japan. Yoshizawa is part of a Japanese renaissance in jazz viewed through the eyes of modern dance music, post London acid jazz, often termed 'nu-jazz'. Likely best exemplified since artists like the United Future Organization in the early-mid 1990s. With the the support of jazz drummer Peter Erskine, he managed to release his first jazz album "Hajime" (1991), then around 1993 was briefly a part of Mondo Grosso, before being a member of band Cosmic Village from 1997. Cosmic Village consisting of Yoshizawa with four other members, including one of the Okino brothers, Shuya Okino, who set-up Especial Records with brother Yoshihiro Okino, who later formed the Kyoto Jazz Massive, was the formative platform for his keyboard playing and production talents defining the nu-jazz territory of the late 1990s as it went. Cosmic Village releases, like a cover album of Yellow Magic Orchestra tunes titled "Nice Age" (1998) have lead through to a track "Free" done for "3555372" (2003) project. Various production credits on small releases led to the amazing highlight in a 12" titled "227166" (2000) on Especial Records; one track under Hajime Yoshizawa, the other as part of group Sleep Walker – with both being straight jazz numbers. From here we get his next projects. From 2000 onwards, the Sleep Walker band kept the straight-ahead jazz project going, whereas productions under his own name tend to head towards more of an electronic soulful nu-jazz perspective. Self monikered projects include an album for Far Out Records offshoot label Solaria entitled "Violet Lounge" (2000), remixes galore on various labels, plus more 12"s on Especial Records, leading to the CD-only release "347144" (2002), which grouped the 12"s done for Especial Records together with new material. He also recorded as part of Sleep Walker, culminated in their self-titled album "Sleepwalker" (2003). A note should also be made about another moniker of his, Electric Sheep, first used as a self-done remix name on a Cosmic Village 12" titled "2847014" (2000). Originally more of a beat heavy sound, more recent use of this moniker has resulted in more of an ambient sound/experimental project along the lines of fellow Japanese producer Calm (aka Farr) productions. The release "7148836 (2002) is worth hearing, as is another from the Shibuya HMV 5th anniversary 12" titled "Naked Noon" (2003). And three remixes of note: "Can I See You In The Morning (Electric Sheep Remix)" from The Jackson 5 "Soul Source Jackson 5 Remixes 2" (2001); another for Jazzanova featuring singer Lori Fine "Takes You Back" (2002); and a stunning third done for Riviera "Never Stay Long" (2003). More work for Sleep Walker followed, with two 12"s, "The Voyage / Into The Sun" (2004) featuring Pharoah Sanders on saxophone and Bémbé Ségué on vocal duty, and "River Of Love" (2004), which each proceeded their respective albums, "The Voyage" (2006) and "" (2007). Albums under his own name have followed routinely, from jazzy electronic release "Music From The Edge Of The Universe" (2005), through jazz releases "3590955" (2008) & "3590969" (2008), and back to jazzy electronic again with "7624409" (2014) and "12199904" (2017). Son of actor Takao Yoshizawa and former voice actress Nobuko Maki, brother to playwright/director Koichi Yoshizawa, and sister to pianist Kyoko Yoshizawa.