Japanese hip-hop meets Australian Art Orchestra

Bilingual rapping, complex improvisation and orchestral instrumentation come together in this performance, based on Aaron Choulai’s critically acclaimed 2020 album Raw Denshi. He now reimagines this work for the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO, of which he is Artistic Director), along with two pioneers of Japanese hip-hop: Kojoe and Hikaru Tanaka. Through experimentation in hip-hop and improvisation, this work celebrates cultural unity and creative expression through the intersections of Australian and Japanese contemporary languages.

Ensemble

Kojoe – MC

Hikaru Tanaka – MC

Holly Moore - alto saxophone

Ryan Williams - tenor recorder

Eugene Ball – trumpet

Fran Swinn – guitar

Aaron Choulai – piano

Tamara Murphy – bass

Myka Wallace – drums