Previously, guitarist Yama from pioneering Japanese post-rock group toe, relied on distorted sounds. His artistic direction aimed to produce music with crisper tones, bucking the trend of heavily distorted instruments.
Yamazaki Hirokazu and the Evolution of toe's Sound
Yamazaki Hirokazu, the main guitarist of Japanese post-meets-math-rock outfit toe, has been making music for over three decades. His musical journey began in the first year of middle school when he bought his first electric guitar, a cheap Telecaster by Fernandes.
Before toe, Yamazaki was playing hardcore punk, emo, and screamo type of music. His high school years saw him adding a Gibson Les Paul Standard in Tobacco Burst with no pickguard to his collection. After the Les Paul, he got an Ibanez Strat, a metal Floyd Rose guitar.
During his time with toe, Yamazaki has favoured a more minimalist approach to his guitar work, using a Fender Supersonic amp and an AER Bingo for acoustics during tours. He doesn't use many effects in his music, preferring a clean, fluid sound.
One of the defining aspects of toe's music is their use of cleaner tones, a concept that was born out of a desire to stand out from the bands around them. This approach can be heard on their 2005 debut album, The Book About My Idle Plot on a Vague Anxiety, although Yamazaki Hirokazu does not remember specific details about the approach to guitar sound on the album.
In 2009, Yamazaki wanted to make For Long Tomorrow more elaborate and invited guest musicians for experimentation. This album marked a shift in toe's sound, incorporating more complex arrangements and collaborations.
Yamazaki Hirokazu does not consider himself a guitarist and takes a fluid approach to his work. He does not think about the listener when writing music, his top priority is creating and playing good music.
The band stumbles upon moments where a guitar combination comes together nicely during songwriting. However, Yamazaki is unsure of how he wants to be remembered, but is grateful for his long career in music. He is currently touring with one electric guitar, one acoustic guitar, a pedalboard, cables, and a small backup travel head amp.
Yamazaki's latest work, Now I See the Light, is currently out now. He is grateful for being able to continue expressing himself through music and having listeners worldwide. The band that influenced Yamazaki when he bought his first electric guitar in 6th grade was Blink-182.
Despite his success, Yamazaki remains humble and unsure of how he wants to be remembered. But one thing is certain, his music continues to captivate audiences and inspire new generations of musicians.
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