When it comes to the landscape of modern pop music in Japan, there is perhaps nobody more influential than Yasutaka Nakata. The creative behind acts such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Perfume, as well as his own work with CAPSULE and as a solo musician, Nakata’s reach is far and wide. With a total of nine #1 albums under his belt, comprised of his work as the sole producer for both Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, it’s with great honor that we’re able to bring Yasutaka Nakata to Los Angeles for his second-ever North American appearance following last year’s debut at OTAQUEST LIVE.
Born during 1980 in Kanazawa, Yasutaka Nakata’s formal entry into the music scene was in 2001 with the debut “Sakura” following the formation of CAPSULE alongside Toshiko Koshijima three years prior. The global reception was instant, and just two years later in 2003 we’d see Yasutaka Nakata again change everything following the start of his work with Perfume — though this would be a more gradual process. During the years leading up to the end of 2008, Yasutaka Nakata remained especially busy with his work on CAPSULE, all while building up Perfume’s incredible catalog of works. Then, in 2008, everything changed following the release of Perfume’s double-platinum debut album “GAME”.
To describe Yasutaka Nakata’s career as successful would be an understatement. While already handling the production work of CAPSULE and Perfume, as well as a handful of other artists on a non-exclusive basis such as Meg and Ami Suzuki, Nakata would again take a chance with then-18-year-old fashion model Kyary Pamyu Pamyu in 2011. I’m sure we all know where this is going. With the release of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s debut single “Pon Pon Pon”, both Kyary and Nakata celebrated near-instant viral status. In the years since we’ve seen Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Perfume, and CAPSULE all continue to release under the production and guidance of Yasutaka Nakata. This all goes without mentioning years of remix works for some of the biggest names in Japan and overseas, including m-flo, Zedd, Madeon, and more.
In recent years we’ve seen absolutely no sign of slowing down from Yasutaka Nakata. With the release of his debut solo album “Digital Native” in 2018, Yasutaka Nakata is continuing to prove himself as a game changer in every respect. Couple that with his recent works in all corners of the internet, including his collaboration with Virtual YouTuber royalty Kizuna AI, and it really does go to show how much of a “Digital Native” Nakata truly is.
We’re beyond excited to have not just Yasutaka Nakata, but also CAPSULE and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu all perform with us at OTAQUEST LIVE and OTAQUEST KICKOFF 2019, and we can’t wait to see everyone there. Taking place at THE NOVO by Microsoft in Los Angeles on July 3, 2019, this definitely isn’t an event you want to miss. If you haven’t secured your ticket yet, you can check out further details via OTAQUEST LIVE’s official website.