Tatsuya Nakatani is a creative artist / percussionist originally from Osaka, Japan who has released over sixty recordings in North America and Europe. Residing in the USA since 1994 he has performed countless solo percussion concerts and has collaborated with hundreds of artists in international music festivals, university concert halls, art museums and galleries. His latest project is the Nakatani Gong Orchestra, which builds community ensembles performing on multiple bowed gongs under his direction, as recently presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Nakatani’s constant touring fosters the raw and fresh quality in his music, which can only survive through an open willingness to share energy, culture, music and self on a global human scale. His master classes and workshops at schools and universities, emphasize his unique musical approach and philosophy in creating visceral, non-linear music.

He has created his own instrumentation, effectively inventing many instruments and extended techniques. He utilizes drums, gongs, cymbals, singing bowls, metal objects, bells, and various sticks and bows to create an intense, intuitively primitive, expressive music of unusually strong spirit that defies category or genre. His music is based in improvised/ experimental music, jazz, free jazz, rock, and noise, yet retains the sense of space and beauty found in traditional Japanese folk music.

http://www.hhproduction.org/TATSUYA_NAKATANI_WORKS.html

Kelly Pratt

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Kelly Pratt is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. From 2006–12, he was a full-time member of indie-pop outfit Beirut, contributing arrangements, brass/woodwinds, and vocals. He has collaborated with hundreds of artists including Arcade Fire, Coldplay, LCD Soundsystem, The War on Drugs, Passion Pit and The Antlers. In 2012-13 he collaborated with David Byrne and St. Vincent, providing arrangements for their album “Love this Giant”, as well as serving as arranger and musical director for their world tour. Pratt is also the chief songwriter and vocalist of the band Bright Moments, whose debut NPR called “a wildly creative album, packed with energy.”

As a composer of film and television his works have been featured at MTV, The Daily Beast, Marketplace, CollegeHumor.com, LBV TV, and many more. He recently composed, performed, and recorded the score for an upcoming short about cockfighting entitled “El Porvenir”.

Madelyn Vilano

http://smegmamusic.com/site/?cat=52
Madelyn plays violin and electronics. She moved to Portland after high school in Bend, Oregon to attend Reed College. She is majoring in music, with a focus in ethnomusicology and enjoys exploring the rich DIY community of Portland through performance and event planning .
She Has been recording and performing with Smegma since July 2011 and also is currently playing Solo Shows as Guzo.