Pitchfork

You've never heard of Takagi Masakatsu, but Carpark Records is betting that you're going to want to, and soon. Well-known in his native Japan as a video artist, Masakatsu has now branched out into the musical realm. The results of his first efforts in this arena can be found on the new double album Pia, to be released on October 16th.

The first disc consists of musical compositions, while the second is a CD-ROM containing five multimedia pieces that have been on display in all sorts of highbrow museums and snooty Japanese coffeehouses. (You must have a Pentium or PowerMac system or better to run the CD-ROM properly.) Decidedly atmospheric, the songs on the first disc combine the sounds of children and of nature with Masakatsu's distinctive blend of arrangement and manipulation.

Masakatsu also has another LP of music due in Spring 2002, on the Karaoke Kalk label. Look for him on tour this fall with Inkblot, Jon Sheffield, and Tom Steinle (Midwest and East Coast) and then with Nudge and Timeblind on the West Coast.