We spoke with Japanese musician Hakushi Hasegawa/長谷川白紙 (they/them) ahead of their new album Mahōgakkō/魔法学校, now out on LA-based Brainfeeder Records. This release coincides with Hasegawa’s first public reveal, adding mystery to their compelling persona.
Mahōgakkō, meaning “Magic School,” embodies a chaotic yet vibrant world, blending pop with pandemonium. Hasegawa’s unique concept, the Explanatory Ratio, balances explainable and inexplicable sounds, creating a masterful soundscape. The album pushes boundaries with hyperspeed jungle, breakcore, and Tanzanian singeli, blending noise with melody and chaotic syncopations. A few collaborators enhance Hasegawa’s vision: Sam Wilkes’ bass on “Mouth Flash (Kuchinohanabi)” contrasts with Hasegawa’s high-pitched singing, KID FRESINO’s rap on “Gone,” and Miho Hazama’s jazz arrangements on “KYŌFUNOHOSHI.”
Mahōgakkō showcases Hasegawa as a groundbreaking artist in both Japanese and global music, signalling that their journey is just beginning.
KALTBLUT: Congratulations on your new album, Mahōgakkō! Can you tell us about the concept behind the title “Magic School” and how it relates to the music?
Thank you! It is difficult to explain in a clear and simple way, but over the course of the production of this album, I have been working on the body as an impression that the art of reproduction can build upon. Ultimately, I did not want to create one body as an impression. Rather, I wanted to explore in detail the process by which the art of reproduction fabricates as a body. I named the album “Mahōgakkō” almost as a wish, meaning that music is not magic itself, but a series of multi-layered acts of assuming there is magic, quoting it, and repeating its construction and denial – a never-ending teaching process.
I feel that the songs on the record and its order work to maximize these intentions ( although some of the songs make no sense at all, even to me).
As I was writing, it occurred to me that perhaps I simply did not like the idea of an over-assignment of the “inexplicability” to music.
KALTBLUT: What was the inspiration behind creating this album, and how has it evolved from your previous works?
There was no singular inspiration or clear reference. Acoustics was an aspect that differed greatly from my past work.
KALTBLUT: Can you share the story and creative process behind your lead single and video for “Boy’s Texture”?
I originally wrote this song for one of noir kei ninomiya’s shows. Many comments from the designer, Ninomiya-san and the rest of the Comme des Garcons team made me a little more honest about the perspective of the body as a medium. So the lyrics are very frank for me.
Gauspel has given me a new perspective on this song – that is, the way we look at the body as a medium is always wandering. Maybe this was more important, and I am grateful for Gauspel’s insights.
KALTBLUT: You recently revealed your face to fans for the first time. What led you to make this decision, and what does it mean for you personally and artistically?
I have already said most of what I wanted to say on socials. I wanted to create an opportunity to redefine myself.
KALTBLUT: How do you think this new level of visibility will impact your relationship with your fans and your music career?
I think that what I have been able to figure out about this is perhaps very little. At the very least, it intends to have the effect of stating that there are people like me who have existed without being able/willing to come to “understandable conclusions for all” (which, as you know, is a terrible idea) about their own bodies and gender. And it is certainly true that this is clearly related to the “Mahōgakkō”. But this is a very difficult effect to understand, and I am intentionally making it difficult to understand. These phenomena are too unpredictable, because I too am distraught about what I am causing. Sorry.
KALTBLUT: You use a personal scale called the “Explanatory Ratio”. Can you explain what this is and how it guides your musical decisions?
First, please note that this is not a logical measure of composition, and moreover, it is not at all an absolute measure, even for me. To explain on that basis, the Explanatory Ratio is a way of thinking about going back and forth between sound quality, mixing, tonal environment, rhythm, and time composition. In other words, it is a measure of how predictable the next sound I place, which should be flying in next.
For example, the well-known “avoided note,” in improvisation and melodic composition, has a low Explanatory Ratio for me – a sound that is hard to predict, and I can say the same for the classical sampling inserted as cut-ups into the modern soundscape, or the voices of people other than myself inserted between my own singing voices.
I often think of the time structure of a song as if I were operating on this Explanatory Ratio. That is, how much predictable time is going on, and if so, where and how to deny it. As you can see, this is an entirely personal and highly subjective measure, but it is also true that it is an approach that is consistent with my own style of work.
It is important to note that I did not begin composing music by adopting this criterion from the beginning, but rather it is more a result of my later analysis of why I can only create chaotic music no matter what I do. I think I like to be charming and excited.
And it could be put this way – I have assumed these criteria in order to handle my style of music itself in a meta way.
KALTBLUT: You draw inspiration from various genres, including Tanzanian singeli. How do these diverse influences shape the texture and energy of your music?
This also relates to Explanatory Ratio I explained just above. A sound that traverses different genres in an instant is, to me, a composition with a low Explanatory Ratio. The greatest power I am looking for is, after all, the power of the falling difference. It is a shake, and a trouble.
KALTBLUT: Can you discuss any specific production techniques or equipment that were crucial in creating the unique sound of Mahōgakkō?
First of all, I am glad that you describe it as unique. However, it may be difficult for me to explain the techniques that are worth mentioning. Because there are so many things that I myself do that I don’t understand at all.
If I had to say something, I would say that the way I re-sang my own “non-natural” voice after changing formants and pitches was very important.
KALTBLUT: You collaborated with artists like bassist Sam Wilkes, rapper KID FRESINO, and jazz composer Miho Hazama on this album. How did these collaborations come about, and what did each artist bring to the table?
All of this is in the form of asking an artist that I am simply a fan of and love, and to my surprise, they accepted. I am truly grateful.
Sam brought a unique groove and fragile harmonic tension, KID FRESINO brought solid contours and linguistic/rhythmic new dimensions to the most chaotic song on the album, and Hazama brought a precise crossing to “Kyofunohoshi” with extraordinary energy and flawless arranging skills.
KALTBLUT: Last year was a significant one for you, with your debut at Fuji Rock and creating a soundtrack for Paris Fashion Week. How have these experiences contributed to your growth as an artist?
In a very direct way, “Boys’ Texture” would not have been born if I had not participated in Paris Fashion Week.
I believe that participating in Fashion Week and Fuji Rock gave me a new way to structure my time, or encouraged me to think about it further. These two experiences have given me a deeper insight into how time can be designed or destroyed in the presence of diverse people with different perspectives and purposes.
KALTBLUT: With Mahōgakkō set to release, what are your plans for the future? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you are excited about?
There are many projects and collaborations that I am very excited about, but most of them I probably can’t talk about publicly yet. (Only with regard to my own work, I have a lot of demos…)
I guess I am a bit conflicted as to what my next move should be. I guess roughly speaking, I am wondering whether to carry on the “Mahōgakkō” or to completely deny the “Mahōgakkō”.
KALTBLUT: How do you feel about being described as a once-in-a-generation artist breaking boundaries for both Japanese and global music culture?
I am very honored, but I don’t have that special feeling. Because it is always the world itself that I am fighting with.
Japan has had, and still has, many very unique and outstanding music and culture that deserves to be widely introduced. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.
KALTBLUT: What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from Mahōgakkō?
I will not desire anything.
KALTBLUT: Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share about the album, your journey as an artist, or any upcoming endeavours?
“Mahōgakkō” could be the last piece in the style I am currently working toward (at this point it is still a low possibility, but my gut is telling me so), so it could be a bit of a rare piece.
In any case, I feel that I want to create a lot of music. To my own surprise, I am more interested and motivated to make music now than I have ever been in the past. If it would be possible, I would like to share more of my work with you all.
Follow
@hsgwhks
@brainfeederrecords
Photos by Naoki Takehisa
Mahōgakkō is out now: https://hakushihasegawa.lnk.to/mahogakkoAI
