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On Ensemble
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On Ensemble: Neotraditional taiko



Los Angeles, California
United States

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Last Login:  5/19/2009
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   On Ensemble: General Info
Member Since8/26/2005
Band Websitewww.OnEnsemble.org
Band MembersMasato Baba: Taiko, Percussion, Voice, Bamboo Flutes, Tuvan Throat Singing
Kristofer Bergstrom: Taiko, Percussion, Voice, Koto, Turntable, Shamisen
Shoji Kameda: Taiko, Percussion, Voice, Bamboo Flutes, Tuvan Throat Singing
Kelvin Underwood: Taiko, Percussion, Voice, Drumkit
InfluencesToo many to name! Cinematic Orchestra, Mouse on Mars, Old and New Dreams, Saul Williams, Tabla Beat Science, TV on the Radio, Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, The Bad Plus, Esborn Svensson Trio, Sigur Ros, Mum, Antipop Consortium, Boards of Canada, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, KODO, Javanese and Balinese Gamelan, overtone singing traditions from Central Asia, all of our teachers, sensei and artists who continue to inspire us.
Sounds Like2 parts Taiko (Japanese Drum), 1 part late-70s Jazz, 2 cups of computer geek, 3 tablespoons of nagauta, 1 part identity crisis, two shakes of hip-hop, and a dash of rock to taste.
Record LabelTurtlefield Music
Type of LabelIndie


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   About On Ensemble

On Ensemble – Ume In The Middle – May 5, 2009

By fusing traditional Japanese drums, or taiko, and contemporary mediums like hip-hop, electronica, and rock, On Ensemble creates a beautiful chemistry of sound. On their second full-length studio album, Ume in the Middle, releasing May 5, 2009 on Turtlefield Music, the fusion of time-honored eastern and western components with contemporary elements offer a modern-day feel to world music that is beyond interesting.

Through continuous avant-garde musical stylings and a sense of giving back to the community, On Ensemble fortifies their sound by caring deeply about their music and their audience. The members, Masato Baba, Kristofer Bergstrom, Shoji Kameda, and Kelvin Underwood have been playing music for the majority of their lives and have studied taiko under professional groups and masters from the United States and Japan. Their experiences have helped them mold themselves and their sound into something they feel is important and meaningful.

Producer and main composer of the group, Shoji Kameda, stresses On Ensemble’s live performances and recordings as two separate art forms. “You will never recreate the experience of a live performance on an album, because you aren’t experiencing the music as it happens,” Kameda says. “You’re not there with the artist feeding off their energy. Once you record something and play it back, it becomes an echo of that experience, a facsimile, a photograph of the moment. I feel like the way to make an album come alive is to embrace the studio and recording process as part of the creative process.” Ume in the Middle, recorded in the band’s small Silverlake studio, was approached in this manner and the product is a vibrant recording full of life.

The song “After Rain” is one of On Ensemble’s signature pieces that they often perform live. “It has Japanese music elements with the fue (bamboo flute) melody in the beginning along with throat singing,” says Kameda. Throat singing, or overtone, is a particular style of singing in which the voice is able to generate two or more notes at the same time. These techniques are found all throughout central Asia; the most famous is the Tuvan style. “After Rain” is also driven by Underwood’s playing on the drum kit in 5/4, a non-standard time signature, and Kameda’s use of effects on some of the koto (Japanese stringed instrument) parts to get a guitar-esque sound, as well as a gated vocal effect. Combine that with Baba’s vocals at the end to give a rock tinge, and a riqq solo (traditional Arabic tambourine) at the end by the band’s good friend and frequent collaborator, Patrick Graham, and you have a highly developed song representative of the On Ensemble sound.

While On Ensemble revolves heavily around the rhythmic melody of the Japanese drums, they cite contemporary jazz composer and Japanese harp player June Kuramoto, hand percussionist Patrick Graham, pianist/composer Kimo Cornwell, as well as jazz groups Esborn Svensson Trio, The Bad Plus, and Cinematic Orchestra among their influences. Sigur Ros, Mum, Mouse and Mars, Balinese Gamelan and overtone singing from Central Asia also find their way into the On Ensemble sound. The group has managed to gain a lot of knowledge about their music and genre, but is constantly trying to perfect it. On Ensemble is a band that is very conscious of trying to push boundaries within their art form, and are constantly learning and incorporating new ideas and elements into their music.


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On Ensemble's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 127 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Patrick Graham

Patrick Graham



Oct 7 2009 2:39 PM

Hope you cats are well.... NATC in LA back in august was such a great time. Thanks for everything & Wishing you all the best, Patrick
シコシコ - Shiko Shiko // NEW SONG!!!

シコシコ - Shiko Shiko // NEW SONG!!!



Aug 2 2009 12:19 AM

Tampa Taiko

Tampa Taiko



Jul 18 2009 6:39 PM

Our debut CD entitled Big, Loud Drums is now available.

http://www.cafepress.com/roncollins.398338954

Click link above to listen to samples and order - $9.95 + s&h

Tampa Taiko is a professional drumming duo that has performed their unique style for a vast array of audiences, performing at festivals, concert halls, schools, workshops, summer camps, corporate and VIP events. Using a collection of taiko drums made by themselves from discarded wine barrels, Tampa Taiko has developed a dynamic fusion of old and new styles of drumming, bringing a contemporary vibrance to an ancient martial artform.
Happy Joy Bug

Happy Joy Bug



Jun 17 2009 2:54 PM

On Ensemble

Have a Happy Day
turgay gulaydın

turgay gulaydın



Jun 16 2009 1:50 PM

turgaygulaydin.com
Michel Isnard

Michel Isnard



May 31 2009 8:47 AM

Hello,

You can listen to the new album of Theüs Grüpü in which I play at :

www.myspace.com/theusgrupu

Thanks for listening and leaving us a comment.

mich  :o)
Ðïnå

dina biles



Mar 29 2009 6:18 PM

You were all awesome last night, as usual. It was great meeting you all.
Thanks for signing my DVD and I hope to see you at the 2009 Taiko Institute!
Ðïnå

dina biles



Mar 27 2009 5:07 PM

I can't wait to see you guys perform tomorrow night!
PERA ENSEMBLE

PERA ENSEMBLE



Mar 26 2009 3:03 PM

PERA-ENSEMBLE is wishing you a wonderful day!!

Acrylic Drums Heaven

Acrylic Drums Heaven



Mar 13 2009 11:34 AM




SodaCan

SodaCan



Mar 12 2009 3:38 PM

Check out the new songs, blogs, and pics from SodaCan!
MARISA KOSUGI

MARISA KOSUGI



Feb 19 2009 2:17 PM

Hi On Ensemble!!! Hope all is well! Just wanted to let you know taht we're having our Minyo Station Concert (Japanese Folk Music)this Saturday at 7:30pm in San Pedro, Ca! We'll be presenting the best of both worlds! Traditional & Fusion Style... Wow, amazing how time just flies! Well, we're gonna have lotsa fun so hope to C U! Peace...

Marisa/Lisa
MINYO STATION


Please click on the pic for more info... Thanks..
Taiko No Tatsujin

Taiko Drum Master



Feb 12 2009 5:27 PM


Thank you for the friendship



THE OFFICIAL BLEU OCEAN MUSIC PAGE

THE OFFICIAL BLEU OCEAN MUSIC PAGE



Jan 28 2009 6:28 PM

HI ♫♪♪ From
THE OFFIC​IAL BLEU OCEAN​ MUSIC​ PAGE!​​​​​
Thank​s for your Frien​dship​ .
And your posts​ .
Do keep in touch​ and have a great​ week full of music​ and fun .
AND Have A HAPPY​ NEW YEAR .​​​2009
PS DROP ME A POST ANY TIME
From your Drumm​er Frien​d .
BLEU OCEAN​
www. bleu-​​​​​ocean​.​​​​​ com
I ENJOY​ED Your Site and Music​ ​​​​ ! Thank​s
Denver Taiko

Denver Taiko



Jan 21 2009 6:10 PM

Its been so much fun learning Omiyage! Thank you so much!! Hope to see you all again soon; either in Denver or in LA! Have a safe trip.

~Denver Taiko~
CONSENSUS LO-FI

CONSENSUS LO-FI



Jan 21 2009 2:38 PM



Ready for the new consensus ?


WECOME TO THE LO-FI JODIDO MUNDO



SodaCan

SodaCan



Jan 12 2009 2:16 AM

Thank you!
Sirius Putsch

Sirius Putsch



Dec 26 2008 10:09 AM

BEAUTY TRUTH FREEDOM LOVE

. . . JOY

Clean Water
Fresh Air
Rich Soil

SYMBIOSIS EQUILIBRIUM

Be Clever
Be Courageous
Be Kind

~PEACE~
Sirius Putsch

Sirius Putsch



Dec 22 2008 5:23 AM

~ I . H a v e . A . D r e a m ~

Of a world of music participants

. . . hand-clapping, vocalizing, dancing...

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Where every home has musical instruments
for their guests who know how to play them

. . . pianos, guitars, percussion ...

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Where noone is afraid to play, experiment ...

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Where the rhythm of our breath
and the pulse of our heart can be heard ...

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Where gross national happiness
replaces gross national product

Yes! Magazine click to add title<
Palyrria

Palyrria



Dec 12 2008 2:19 PM

thanx for the friendship!keep up the good work!enjoy...
palyrria askia live
Patrick Graham

Patrick Graham



Dec 4 2008 7:44 PM

er, yeh. i got tagged with the Mr. Fantastic (Fantastic 4) handle.
Must be my superior intellect! (???)
Dario De Filippo

Dario De Filippo



Nov 23 2008 9:50 PM

thanks for the add


coram populo

coram populo



Nov 20 2008 1:43 PM

Ciao and very compliments: beautiful music and great musicians!
Thanks for the add. and welcome to our own dance!
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Lebendiger Rhythmus

Lebendiger Rhythmus



Oct 25 2008 5:38 PM

Hi breddas nice stile "little man" is nice.
Check this side from my band.
www. myspace. com/rootsgaia
IFAISTOS

IFAISTOS



Oct 22 2008 8:01 PM

Thanks for the add...

Hails from IFAISTOS...
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