EIC's 10Q's w/ Coppe'

"..midnight mechanical IDM/Club and/or Techno music.."

Coppe'

日本の電子音楽の名づけ親

Coppe' Bio:

Coppé was born and raised in Tokyo. Her real name is Yoshimi, which means pure, good and beautiful in Japanese. She was given the nickname Coppé by her mother because on her birth day she resembled a loaf of bread of the same name. As a child, Coppé travelled frequently between Japan and Hawaii, and also lived for a while in Arizona. She studied classical piano and ballet from the age of three. As a child she won a Nihon Record Taisho award (sometimes called "Japanese Grammy") for her song "Peke No Uta", which was released via King Records. She also won a Chibikko Nodojiman award while still in elementary school singing her original song "Red Red Balloon". Also while still a child she began to appear regularly on a weekly NHK TV show "Uta No Tomodachi". This led to her getting involved with radio, her first regular show being "All Nite Nippon". She later also had shows on FM Tokyo and FM Yokohama. Her English language skills led to her being on NHK show based on learning English. Other TV shows in which she made regular appearances were TBS's "Jikan Desuyo" and "Ginza Now", NTV's "Shower Gang" and the music program "Poppers MTV" where she interviewed many foreign artists including Ray Charles, Bob Marley, James Brown, Madonna, the Police, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson. After her father's death, she relocated to Honolulu in order to be closer to her mother. In Hawaii she also had a radio program on KIKI AM 83.

Hello, how are you?

Brilliante'!!!  + u...???

What are you currently listening to?

The tracks to be included on my 15th release.... It's half way done already + soundin' faaaaaaaaaaabulosoooooooooooooo :) :) :)

Care to tell us about your recent release with Nikakoi.. how it came about, were there any snags, etc.?

When I got to encounter w/Nika for the very first time.... It was almost like "zap-zap-zap love at first sight"!!! After a few drinks, we decided to start collaboratin' on our first , that track is called "Forbidden" (Included on my 12th release called 'Artificial Insemination').... We were both suuuuuuuper happy + so we kept on makin' more + more tracks together:)  Nika is such a sweetheart + I can go 4ever collaborating w/him!!!  We've accumulated enough tracks to make a whole album so we decided to print it + release it :) :) :)

Do you have a favorite track from said release?

It changes everyday for me....  but Nika's favorite is the suuuuuuuuper Ambient last track called "Rays",  he decided to make a video for it.... I didn't know he was a movie producer til then!!!!! Nika's world is sooooooooo intriguing....full of mystery....+ distinctively Nikakoi....you know what I mean???!! I really respect that + I'm suuuuuuuuper happy + honored to be working w/him!!!!!

Will you be touring for this release?

Yes yes yes.... I'm off to Hawaii tomorrow.... But in late Sept/Oct. I should be coming back to tour the UK :) :) :) Sooooooooooooo can't wait !!!!!

Got any other/new side projects we should know about?

I'm always recording.... like I've mentioned , I'm about halfway done with my next release .... We did a fun-fun-fun live streaming release party on May 31st . Here in Tokyo.... My dear friends J.J. from HIFANA + Maywa Denk were there to perform w/me!!!  In June I performed again w/DJ Kensei in Shibuya ....also....Just got done singin' for (UK's) Shitmat's new release.... See....I told you....I am a music junkie hahahaaaaaaaaaaaa :) :) :)

The best thing to happen to music in the past 5 years is..?

Computers....

How about the Worst?

Computers....

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?

Brian Eno's 'Neroli'

Are you living your dream?

Always :) :) :)

Thanx Léigh and Coppe!

Coppe' is currently/always doing a lot with new music, I suggest you get yourself acquainted if you haven't done so by now...

REVIEW: Coppe' w/ Nikakoi - Rays

8.25 out of 10

Find it here.

I'm gonna be honest, I really don't know anything about Coppe' ("the godmother of Japanese Electronica"), nor will I pretend to. In-fact I had never acquired (or heard for that matter) anything (unfortunately I missed the ball on this artist) until this recent split she did with Nikakoi (another artist whom I know nothing about:[), 'Rays' is her 12th (I think) release. Yeah, quite extensive/almost overwhelming isn't it? No matter, this is definitely a good start towards the promise of a future new audial obsession of mine..

Assuming you're ok with midnight mechanical IDM/Club and/or Techno music from the mid-late 90's 'Rays' should be right up your alley. From track to one to the last, from the first beat to the last sample, Coppe' & Nikakoi's debut collaborative effort is pitch-perfect precise exercise in someone finding the beauty in machines. 'Rays' is a fun & quirky ride through dark & sensual environments that's sure to leave any (well trained) listener;] wanting more..

If you miss Amp TV you probably need this. ブラボー C & N, ブラボー.

Standout Tracks: Purple Cheese 4 U!, Dream, Meat, Cell, Key, Alp, + all the other tracks;]

EIC'S10Q'S w/Natalie Beridze

"..has a strong grasp on engineering acumen modern techno soundscapes.."


Natalie Beridze
Enlightenment By Form Of Industry

Natalie Beridze Bio:
Georgian musician Natalie Beridze aka TBA first came to monika through her contribution to Volume 1 of the popular 4 Women No Cry series. Now we are delighted to be working with this exciting young artist again especially as the CD marks the first release with our new distribution partner, Morr Music. Following a 5 track EP in summer we are proud to present Natalie Beridze’s stunning new full-length album, ForgetFulness.

While these are her first solo releases on monika, Tusia Beridze is certainly no newcomer. With output on labels such as Max Ernst, her ongoing collaboration with the Goslab collective and most recently a release on Laboratory Instinct, TBA’s sound is both rich in texture and depth of vision. From the industrial beats of What about things like bullets to the club friendly electro- ambience of The Face We Choose To Miss and the intricate electronica of This isn't right, this isn't even wrong, the cutting edge production gains warmth and a personal touch throughout from the presence of TBA’s voice. As well as Natalie’s phenomenal solo compositions Forgetfulness contains a collaboration with Academy Award winning Japanese muscian, composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, the meditative Blue Shadow. The album invokes harsh winter wastelands and a depth of emotion that is sadly lacking in much of the pop we hear. Two prime examples are In The White and Silently – which are nothing short of breathtaking. This fine album ends with the cryptically titled Half This Game Is Ninety Percent Mental an epic instrumental ambient odyssey. Natalie Beridze’s music is captivating and yet at the same time leaves enough room to let the listeners’ imagination run off in its own direction. Forgetfulness is a journey through serious electronic soundscapes but thanks to the contant presence of her sensitive lyrics and gentle vocal tones Beridze never looses that personal touch.


Hello, how are you?
:) Great, thanx

What are you currently listening to?
Kreidler "Tank"

At what age did you being writing music, who got you into electronica?
Around 22 - 23. i got signed when i was 23. Nika Machaidze (Nikakoi) and Gogi Dzozuashvili (Post Industrial Boys) were doing computer music back then. We collaborated sometimes. I sang for their tracks. Later I decided to give it a try myself. I liked and tried to do videos, to write, but somehow it wasn't enough. I felt blase about it. Music-making enchanted me from the first moment on. And I started producing rampantly. Had my first two albums ready in couple of months.:)

Why the "TBA" in your name?
Play of words and it has nothing to do with "to-be-announced"... "T"-s the first letter of my nick-name - Tusia. "B" - is the first letter of my last name - Beridze. And "A" ...hmm, I don't know. It's just a closure... TBA means lake in Georgian. When I got signed for the first time (Max.Ernst), it all went rapidly and we had to come up with an artist name. then, with the later albums I decided to put my real name next to TBA. I like it better this way...

What is theme as well as sound you were going for on "Forgetfulness"?
I don't have a concrete theme nor sound in any of my albums. It's more like a patchwork. There's no real sense of togetherness and cohesion to my albums. Each track speaks for itself. Sometimes I want to make a "one-whole" album, with a linear story-line and tracks merging into one-another, but then I get easily bored by this persistency and restraint and write a track that withdraws itself out of the concept of the album.

What is your favorite song off of "Forgetfulness"?
Song: "The Face We Choose To Miss". Track: "Half This Game Is 90% Mental".

I love the videos you've put out for this release, who does them and how did you come up with the concepts?
It's all made by Nika Machaidze. He has a great vision and imagination I completely confide in. So I don't intervene in this process. I just do what he tells me to do... I love those videos too...

If you could collaborate with any artist of your choosing whom would it be with?
I'd make an album with Prince, Sun Ra (impossible) and Raymond Scott..(impossible) :) Right now I'd write songs for real big stars, with big fat production, lot of money, try making hits, something I have never done before and maybe am not so good at...

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Even a thought about it makes me apprehensive :) So I refuse to choose one. Anyway it'd never be a one-author album... it'd be a panicky mix tape...

Are you living your dream?
Almost! :)

Thanx Natalie & Brian!

Natalie Beridze is currently touring for her most recent release. I'm sure she probably has a few albums waiting to come out shortly after that (..I hope:)...