{"id":7546,"date":"2024-01-10T12:17:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T18:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=7546"},"modified":"2024-01-11T03:08:02","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T09:08:02","slug":"rubin-kodheli-ryuichi-sakamoto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/rubin-kodheli-ryuichi-sakamoto\/","title":{"rendered":"Complex Dream: A Conversation with Rubin Kodheli on his Music and Remembering Ryuichi Sakamoto"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On March 28, 2023, the world lost one of its great composers, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Although emotionally powerful, Mr. Sakamoto\u2019s work is difficult to characterize. He drew inspiration from Western classical music, including minimalism. But he was also an electronic music pioneer. In fact, it was not uncommon for his acoustic work to almost sound electronic at times. While sonic ideas from his native Japan can be heard in his work, Sakamoto also explored the music of Brazil and other places worldwide. His album Favorite Visions<\/em> (Nippin Columbia, 1983) is ostensibly an avant-garde jazz recording. Above all, Sakamoto was an ardent experimenter. The breadth of his musical interests seems to come from his lifelong steadfast refusal to allow his art to be labeled and his dedication to presenting music fully his own. Even his early work with the electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra evinces a desire to step outside of preconceptions and stereotypes as the group\u2019s name subtly undermines the racialized undertones of so-called \u201cexotica music.\u201d As Sakamoto stated in 2018<\/a>, \u201cI was very sure I didn\u2019t want to belong to anything. I just wanted to be [an] individual.\u201d In this vein of faithfulness to individual expression, Sakamoto finds a kindred spirit in cellist Rubin Kodheli. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kodheli\u2019s expansive view of music can be seen by merely looking at the list of artists he has collaborated with throughout his career thus far. In addition to Sakamoto himself, Kodheli\u2019s credits include work with Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Henry Threadgill, Tyshawn Sorey, Joan Jett, and Snoop Dogg. While drawing inspiration from the Western classical tradition, the contributions of artists outside that realm, Jimi Hendrix as one example, are no less significant to him. As a result, Kodheli\u2019s music often finds him finding ways to simultaneously capture the beautiful timbre of his instrument and sound more like a guitarist, a drummer, or a singer than a cellist. His most recent recording, Departure<\/em> (self-release, 2023) has already been covered significantly on this site.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 17, 2024, as part of Winter Jazzfest, Kodheli will be at Roulette Intermedium to curate and perform in a concert dedicated to Sakamoto\u2019s memory. Joining him will be an ensemble of several other artists who worked with the legendary composer, including special guests DJ Spooky and Yuka C. Honda. A month later, he will return to Roulette with his trio – with Trevor Dunn and Brian Chase – augmented by Mary Halvorson. We sat down with Kodheli to discuss both events, his own music, and the brilliance of Ryuichi Sakamoto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PostGenre: How and when did you start playing cello?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rubin Kodheli: I started studying cello at age seven. I’m originally from Albania, and children there take an ear training test and then are assigned an instrument partly based on their physique; what their hands look like. So, there was a little bit of vetting.  <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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