Hataken a.k.a Htkn / DepthHataken a.k.a Htkn / DepthHataken is an improvisational musician, composer, and DJ from Japan. As an electronica artist he has collaborated with musicians across a broad range of styles and has released albums as and with Hataken, Depth, Jiyuujidai, Ken Machines, Sevda, and more.
日本語はこちら。
Musical Background
Hatakens love of music started at a young age, listening to the classical and jazz music his father loved and played on the family stereo. By the 5th grade he had developed an appreciation for the likes of Dave Brubeck, LA4, and MJQ but it was his discovery of Yellow Magic Orchestra that had him going to Tokyo music stores to look at synthesizers every weekend.
He joined his first band, a punk outfit, in high school as bass player and by the time he was in college he was recording and playing semi-professionally as bass player in a blues band. Hataken continued playing in a blues funk trio even after acquiring an assistant directors job with a video production company. He often had several bands at once, all the while working here and there in computer jobs - until one assignment specifically brought about an epiphany that would lead him into electronic music.
He was working part time writing a MIDI computer program to make Karaoke backing tracks when a simple thought occurred to him: why should a computer be programmed to simulate human music? He had always liked techno music but had never considered creating music himself, yet from that point on Hataken decided to explore the means of creating electronic and computer music to find a way to make music that was both expressive and technical; organic and electronic. He started with a black and white Apple Mac running the MOTU Performer 2.4 MIDI sequencer and was soon making tracks at his video production job - commercial tracks as well as the companys sound logo. This was his first work as a professional musician.
In his first incarnation as a musician a bass player - Hataken usually used a lot of distortion and fuzz on his bass and played in the style of Hendrix, Cream, The James Gang, Blue Cheer, and Grand Funk Railroad. He often played in bands with a heavy funk influence not unlike and in response to notorious funk rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Later, however, Hataken would move on to wooden upright bass and sought to become an adept musician both technically and by expanding his knowledge of formal music.
A spiritual awakening
At about this time, Hataken began meeting the people who would have a huge spiritual influence on his life and would begin to develop a spiritual awareness within himself that would shape not only his music but his life. He met a well-respected Japanese free energy scientist and meditation master through whom he learned much about the essence of the spirit and where meditation can take us in exploring it. He went on to explore what he called the secret of music using brain wave machines and exploring Indian philosophy. This led to his discovery of Phi (golden ratio) and the three tones mysterious influence on our consciousness.
Hataken as DJ/Hataken as colloborator
Hataken eventually discovered the club scene and began DJing. He played mostly ambient but later got into psychedelic trance, a natural style for him as an expression of how to use the psychedelic idea to connect to our consciousness through sound. In 1997 he set up a state-of-the-art digital studio with Yamaha 02r digital mixers, ADATs, Digital Performer, and a pile of MIDI synthesizers. This was his system until 2003. During this time he was working both as a psychedelic ambient DJ and doing solo performances as well.
Hataken then began three collaborations with a variety of ethnic acoustic musicians. He joined Rumi, a traditional Persian acoustic trio, playing the Duff, a frame drum. He also started working with Jiyuujidai, a trance unit featuring Arabic string player Madoka (who was also in Rumi) who played rave events all over Japan. Then he joined the Sevda belly-dancing unit and played specifically with Mishaal, doing acoustic and electronic sets. For the latter Hataken played Korg Wavedrum and other electronic percussion with a Roland MC505 groove box and an SP808 sampler.
In 2003 Hataken met and was greatly influenced by Greg Hunter, with whom he recorded and played wavedrum on occasion and whose techniques he found inspiring. Hataken recorded Raguid Safari during this time.
Hatakens DJ work led to him being asked to make an hour long trance mix for the trance channel of Sky PerfectTV satellite radio network. That went so well he ended up providing two mixes every month from 2002 until 2004. Hataken has also done DJ work outside of Japan. He came to the US in 2000, to Arizona to DJ at Earth Dance and Free Tibet events, and returned to Arizona again for more events in 2003 and 2004.
Hataken then met Richard Sharp, ex of the 90s UK act the Shaman, and the two formed two collaborations: Ken Machines and Machine Elves from Hyperspace. It was during this time that Hataken got his first real taste of analogue synthesizers and other gear in the various classic pieces Sharp had to let him use: Moogs, SCI Pro One, the venerable Roland TB303 and TR606, and more. That was all it took Hataken was a man converted and immediately set about completely converting his system, leading to the full analogue rig he uses today.
Major musical influences include
Jimi Hendrix, King Crimson, Cream, Blue Cheer, Rush, Soft Machines, James Gang, Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, The Jam, The Clash, The Damned, The Orb, Mix Master Morris (Irresistible Force), KLF, Black Dog, Richard. D. James., Jonah Sharp, Richard Sharp, Buddhastick Transparent, Hullucinogen, Jeff Mills, Global Communication, Kraftwerk, and many, many more
Bands Hataken has been in :
RUMI : a totally acoustic Sufi music ensemble featuring Sia (nei), Madoka (tar) and Hataken on duff,
a big Iranian frame drum with chains.
Sevda : ensemble with oriental belly dancer Mishaal and Goro, with Madoka and Hataken. This ensemble was part acoustic - using the frame drum - and part electronic - using synths and electronic percussion.
Jiyuujidai : Ethnic trance unit with Madoka (saz, ud) utilizing electronics, synthesizers, and electronic percussion.
Ken Machines and the machine elves from hyper space : Hataken's new projects with Richard Sharp ( ex.SHAMEN ) , performed on a completely analogue synth and sequencer-based performance rig.Events Hataken has performed at :
Nagisa music festival
Dakini night
Karavan sarai
Harukaze
Equinox , Hotakasai
Vision Quest
Labilinth
Blueroom launch party ( S.F.C. / U.S. )
Earth Dance ( Arizona / U.S. )
another AZ's club eventsand more ...
Musicians whom Hataken has collaborated with :
Greg Hunter ( Sub surfin , Frozen ants,ex.the orb , various live events in Japan and collaboration on album tracks . )
Jonah Sharp ( Space time continume / Reflective record / Astralwerks records)
Richard Sharp (Ken Machines & the machine elves from hyper space , Shamen )
Gio ( Makyo /Dakini records )
Madoka Sakuma ( Saz , Tar , Ud )
Sia ( Nei )
Kenji Sakasegawa ( tabla )
Yuuichi Miyasima ( saload )
Jazz musicians :
Daisuke Fujiwara ( sax , electronics / effects / filters )
Take Toriyama ( drums , percussion )
Taiichi Kamimura ( sax , effects )and more ...
As a composer for other artists :
Hataken has composed, produced, directed, and edited audio tracks on a variety of other artist's albums.
As a Live musician :
Since 2003 Hataken has only used analogue synthesizers and sequencing techniques. He finds it a much more fresh and inspiring way to make music that is both hands-on in technique and improvisational in nature. Real analogue synthesizer components have a raw and random nature compared to the cold control and generically consistent nature of both digital and software synthesizers. There is an organic feeling when using analogue synths and sequencing that lends itself perfectly to Hataken's hands-on method of making free-form electronic music. He finds particular inspiration in analogue sequencing. The real time sound manipulation possible with analogue synths opened up whole new possibilities for Hataken live, and through both Ken Machines and Machine Elves from Hyper Space Hataken has found his own way of making music. In 2006 Hataken started a solo project using part of his analog rig with Ableton Live running on a Mac Powerbook (the Hybrid system listed in the gear section of the website).
As a DJ :
Hataken started DJing DJ in 1997, playing his own kind of ambient music with a very live style using a CDR based DJ rig instead of turntables and vinyl. He later broadened his style to include a wide range of dance and psychedelic trance influences. As a DJ he has promoted parties in Arizona in the U.S. and he is frequently invited back to do trance DJ sets.
As a composer, music programmer, music and sound designer and engineer :
Hataken has been a force in the Tokyo underground scene as an electronica and ambient music composer and programmer for over a decade and has released albums as Hataken and Depth in addition to numerous collaborations. He has worked as a professional sound engineer and has had his own digital studio since 1997. Hataken has also worked in video and television production as a director and producer,
Instruments :
( see "Machines" section of website for a more in-depth run-down of the gear Hataken uses to make music ) :Electronics
analogue synthesizers, rhythm machines, sequencers, and effects, analog and digital electronic percussion, electric bass guitar.Acoustic Percussion
Darbuka , DuffComputer stuff
Apple Macintosh, MOTU Digital Performer, Ableton Live, etc.
