Yoshito Kimura
KHUFRUDAMO NOTES
Based in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, Yoshito Kimura is a composer who plays guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards. He is also a multi-creator who handles everything from video and design to programming on his own.
He has the ability to complete the entire music production process on his own, from composition to instrument performance, mixing, MV production, and jacket design. His personal YouTube channel has over 20,000 subscribers, and he has also developed unique web services such as the music theory web app "O-TO" and a readability checker.
How did you first encounter 962woodworks instruments? What impressed you about using them?
Yoshito: Akifumi, the luthier at 962woodworks, is an old friend of mine. I remember the day he started saying he was going to make guitars.
Back then I was like "Wow? Really?" lol But he's the kind of guy who sees things through. Now I can say he makes completely professional guitars.
How has using 962woodworks instruments influenced your music production and performance?
Yoshito: As a composer, I think one condition of a good instrument is that "playing it sparks new ideas."
962woodworks instruments are beautiful to look at, and they're thoughtfully designed with the player in mind. That's why new ideas keep flowing.
Plus they're light, so I don't get tired even after playing for a long time. The ability to sustain creative time for longer is wonderful.
How did your career as a creator begin? Do you remember the first time you seriously created something?
Yoshito: Honestly, I'm not sure where it really started. I've apparently been playing piano since I was about 2, but the lessons were strict. I hated music when I was little. My origin as a creator is probably drawing. I loved drawing and was always doing it before I even entered elementary school. I started to like music when I began playing drums in junior high. As I played drums, I became interested in composition, and by high school I was playing guitar too. I also first seriously made music with a DAW in high school. There wasn't much information back then, so I struggled. It took a long time to learn that you use a DAW for composing. At first I mistakenly tried to create music using score notation software. Lol
You have various skills in music production, video editing, web development, etc. If you had to choose just one main skill, which would you choose and why?
Yoshito: This is very difficult. Because for me, in a sense, everything is one skill. You wouldn't ask an illustrator "drawing lines, thinking about composition, coloring... if you had to choose just one main skill?"
My skills are classified differently by general standards, but I don't think any of them are completely separate.
To use a drum set as an example, bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat cymbal, etc. are the standard setup.
But some drummers add various percussion instruments like effective stack cymbals or electric pads.
I'm drawn to that type of drummer. Having more means at your disposal when creating something should allow you to better express what you want to express.
Where do you get your creative inspiration? What in daily life influences your work?
Yoshito: I'm the type of creator who learns theory and styles and creates by thinking rather than feeling. So you could say "everything in daily life influences me," or you could say "daily life (time outside of creating) doesn't influence me at all."
What do you think is the most important moment in the creative process?
Yoshito: Taking it to completion. No matter how wonderful a work or idea is born within you, if it's not completed and seen by others, it's the same as not existing. That said, my hard drive holds more than 10 times the unfinished work data compared to what I've released lol
What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn multiple skills?
Yoshito: First, just try it. And keep at it. The point is not to give up immediately even if you can't do it. It's okay to take breaks. It's okay to have periods of years when you don't do it. But don't think "I failed" or "I quit." If you keep at it, eventually to people who haven't done it, you'll look like "someone who can do it." I also try to challenge myself with something new every year.
What's the most important thing you want to tell people who aspire to be creators?
Yoshito: I'm not in a position to say anything too preachy, but I hope you don't take it too negatively that "creative work isn't all fun." It might be better if it was just fun, but actually, for me, sometimes creating is fun, and sometimes it's painful. It might be painful more often than not. But you don't have to think about that so negatively. To some extent, it's probably natural. At least that's what I wish someone had told me when I was a teenager lol