东京中央线是我们乐队的名称,我们是一队乐器演奏的乐队, 由吉他手大竹研(Ken Ohtake)、贝斯手早川彻(Toru Hayakawa)和鼓手福岛纪明(Noriaki Fukushima) 组成。 乐队名称来自贯穿东京市的铁路系统,被称为中央线。中央线沿线有许多酒吧、Live House、俱乐部,而我们三个人从年轻的时候,就常在这些爵士乐和摇滚乐的场地玩音乐,直到现在。所以东京中央线这个名称,具有我们音乐之旅的象征意义,也是我们的根源之一。
2013年东京中央线首个在台湾的演出,是只有Ken和Toru的吉他贝斯二重奏。Ken和Toru在大学念书时认识就一起玩音乐, 之后二人跟新客家民谣歌手林生祥在台湾开始长期合作。 Ken和Toru经过一些表演,决定需要一个鼓手,于是就找了Noriaki来玩。 Toru和Noriaki(每个人都叫他Nori)是合作多年的伙伴,他们甚至更是受同一位音乐导师Ryojirou Furusawa教导及影响,Ryojirou Furusawa是日本的传奇爵士鼓手,Toru和Nori于2000年开始就在他的乐队中一起玩音乐。那时Ryojirou Furusawa的乐队名称叫“Ne”(意思是“根”或“声音”),Toru和Nori从2000年至2011期间,有过无数次的演出合作,建立了深厚的默契和信任。
三位成员第一次的演出在2014年,我们做了一个小巡回,在台北的Legacy(6/12),台南的Room335(6/13)和高雄In Our Time(6/14)。同时,我们也做了现场录音,并于2015年5月出版了首张(现场录音)专辑“伫台南”。 其实当时我们没有称自己为“东京中央线”,那时的节目名称是“难以想象的东京中央线”。但台湾的观众不断将乐队称为“东京中央线”,所以我们意识到这个名字已经被卡住了。所以我们决定从2017年开始,正式以“东京中央线”为乐队命名,同时,在2017年5月,我们制作出版了全新的录音室专辑“One Line”。
“One Line”的所有作品皆为我们原创,Ken独特精致的吉他弹奏方式,在他的作品中表现出来。 Toru则创造一个够大的开放空间,发挥可以自由即兴的无限可能。Nori的节奏感总是强大有力,但与此同时,他的作品旋律有趣之处乃令人充满惊喜。我们三人都有爵士乐影响的背景,但我们不是以爵士乐的方式即兴演奏。而且由于我们长期合作的关系,使得这个乐队演奏起来更有味道、更有默契,并满载惊喜。
目前我们在台湾、日本和香港有演出,未来如果有机会,也期待可以到您们的城市玩音乐!
Tokyo Chuo-Line is the name of our band. We are a instrumental band, consists of a guitarist Ken Ohtake, and a bassist Toru Hayakawa, and a drummer Noriaki Fukushima.
Name of the band comes from a railway in Tokyo city. There is one train running across Tokyo city and it is called central line (Chuo-Line).
Lots and lots of bars, live houses, clubs in the area and 3 of us grew up playing those jazz and rock venues when we were younger. We still do. So the word Tokyo Chuo-Line has a symbolic meaning of our musical journey.Like one of our roots.
Originally, Ken on guitar and Toru on bass, started to play duo concerts in Taiwan back in 2013. Ken and Toru met in the university and played together a lot since then, including long-time collaboration with Hakka folk singer Lin Sheng Xiang in Taiwan.
After some shows we decided that we need a drummer. Then we invite Noriaki to play.
Toru and Noriaki (everyone calls him Nori) go way back. Toru and Nori first started to play together in their mentor's band in 2000. Their mentor was a legendary jazz drummer in Japan, Ryojirou Furusawa. They played in his band called "Ne" (which means "root" or "tone of a sound") until 2011.After countless gigs and various sessions together,Toru and Nori trust each other so much.
So the first time the 3 members came together was in 2014. We did a tour and played in Legacy Taipei (6/12), Room335 Tainan (6/13) and In Our Time Kaosiung(6/14). We did a live recording
also and released a live debut album "伫台南 Live in Tainan" in May 2015.
Actually at that time we didn't call ourselves "Tokyo Chuo-Line" yet but the name of the event was "Tokyo Chuo-Line Unexpected". But the audience in Taiwan kept referring to the band as "Tokyo Chuo-Line" so we realized the name already stuck. So we decided to call ourselves that from 2017.
In May 2017, we released a studio album called "One Line".
Our repertoire is our original compositions. Ken has his unique exquisite way of playing guitar and that shows in his composing also. Toru creates tunes that has a big open space to improvise over, and allows anything to happen. Nori's groove is always big and strong but at the same time, his composing is surprisingly melodic and interesting. 3 of us have a background of jazz influence but we improvise not strictly in jazz manner. And our long term relationship makes this band ensemble more tasteful and full of sensitivity.
So far we played in Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong but in future, if we get a chance, we might go to your town to play music!