Biography
Mouse on the Keys emerged in 2006 as a jazz-inflected post-rock trio from Tokyo, part of an assertive wave of experimental Japanese acts that gained traction during the second half of the 2000s. These groups operated with an intellectual bent shaped equally by philosophy and visual art as by sound itself, and their music would have been unlikely to secure Western contracts, much less placement in mainstream pop channels. The band’s output stood out for its cerebral depth, technical intricacy, and emotional resonance, all achieved using merely a pair of keyboards alongside a drum kit.
Drummer, keyboardist, and composer Akira Kawasaki joined forces with keyboardist Atsushi Kiyota—both previously of the indie-rock outfit Nine Days Wonder, whose releases appeared on the American independent imprint Dim Mak—to establish the project. Its name derives from ragtime composer Zez Confrey’s piece “Kitten On The Keys.” The founding vision merged hardcore punk’s ferocity with piano-based compositions drawing on jazz, contemporary classical traditions, Godzilla soundtrack author Akira Ifukube, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The endeavor also began as a partial installation-art exercise, so every live appearance incorporated projected films featuring Tokyo street scenes, natural vistas, and digitally generated abstract visuals.
At the outset the lineup consisted solely of the two principals, with guitarist and saxophonist Jun Nemoto serving in an auxiliary capacity; Kawasaki performed keyboard and drums concurrently, a feat documented in a YouTube clip of the then-unreleased track “The Arctic Fox.” Early concerts attracted the notice of fellow Japanese post-rock ensemble Toe, who were sufficiently impressed to offer the newcomers a contract on their own Machu Picchu Industrias imprint, originally created exclusively for Toe’s material. In 2007 the duo completed and issued their first EP, Sezession, with Toe personnel handling engineering and production duties.
The following year brought a full Japanese tour in support of the record, plus the recruitment of two additional members: projectionist Keisuke Ikeda, tasked with managing increasingly elaborate visual elements, and keyboardist Daisuke Niitome, whose prior compositional work spanned funk and hip-hop groups. Niitome’s arrival freed Kawasaki to concentrate exclusively on drumming, granting expanded expressive range at the kit. With this expanded configuration the group’s singular aesthetic fully crystallized, culminating in their most prominent appearance yet at the Nagisa Music Festival that October.
An Anxious Object, the band’s first long-form album, arrived in 2009. Its title references a phrase about modern art coined by critic Harold Rosenberg, and the conceptual piece drew partial inspiration from French philosopher Jacques Derrida while exploring contemporary Tokyo’s alienating atmosphere. The confident, ambitious recording marked a decisive advance and secured a licensing arrangement with Germany’s Denovali label, which released both of the band’s albums across Europe in early 2010. Two well-received European tours followed before work began on a subsequent mini-album.
Drummer, keyboardist, and composer Akira Kawasaki joined forces with keyboardist Atsushi Kiyota—both previously of the indie-rock outfit Nine Days Wonder, whose releases appeared on the American independent imprint Dim Mak—to establish the project. Its name derives from ragtime composer Zez Confrey’s piece “Kitten On The Keys.” The founding vision merged hardcore punk’s ferocity with piano-based compositions drawing on jazz, contemporary classical traditions, Godzilla soundtrack author Akira Ifukube, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The endeavor also began as a partial installation-art exercise, so every live appearance incorporated projected films featuring Tokyo street scenes, natural vistas, and digitally generated abstract visuals.
At the outset the lineup consisted solely of the two principals, with guitarist and saxophonist Jun Nemoto serving in an auxiliary capacity; Kawasaki performed keyboard and drums concurrently, a feat documented in a YouTube clip of the then-unreleased track “The Arctic Fox.” Early concerts attracted the notice of fellow Japanese post-rock ensemble Toe, who were sufficiently impressed to offer the newcomers a contract on their own Machu Picchu Industrias imprint, originally created exclusively for Toe’s material. In 2007 the duo completed and issued their first EP, Sezession, with Toe personnel handling engineering and production duties.
The following year brought a full Japanese tour in support of the record, plus the recruitment of two additional members: projectionist Keisuke Ikeda, tasked with managing increasingly elaborate visual elements, and keyboardist Daisuke Niitome, whose prior compositional work spanned funk and hip-hop groups. Niitome’s arrival freed Kawasaki to concentrate exclusively on drumming, granting expanded expressive range at the kit. With this expanded configuration the group’s singular aesthetic fully crystallized, culminating in their most prominent appearance yet at the Nagisa Music Festival that October.
An Anxious Object, the band’s first long-form album, arrived in 2009. Its title references a phrase about modern art coined by critic Harold Rosenberg, and the conceptual piece drew partial inspiration from French philosopher Jacques Derrida while exploring contemporary Tokyo’s alienating atmosphere. The confident, ambitious recording marked a decisive advance and secured a licensing arrangement with Germany’s Denovali label, which released both of the band’s albums across Europe in early 2010. Two well-received European tours followed before work began on a subsequent mini-album.
Albums
Singles
