Famed Jazz Pianist And Live Electronic Artist Mark de Clive-Lowe Explores His Japanese Roots at Album Release Concert and Aratani Theatre Debut on April 20th

“Heritage is a legacy we receive from our ancestors to pass on to future generations. It’s the thread that holds us together in lineage and cultural identity,” posits de Clive-Lowe.

March 21 2019, Los Angeles – Half-Japanese composer, jazz pianist and live electronic artist Mark de Clive-Lowe makes his Aratani Theatre debut celebrating the complete release of his two-album series Heritage - a deep dive into his Japanese ancestry and cultural roots through the lens of jazz, electronic soundscapes, live visuals and dance. The performance will feature de Clive-Lowe in an unprecedented display - with full band plus a string quartet, dancers, and live visuals.

Day turns to night as Heritage II takes us from the meditative zen of Heritage into a world of jazz and Japanese influences fused with drum and bass, hip hop, and broken-beat. The first installment of the duology was released in February 2019, earning acclaim from Stereogum, NY Times, Hype Machine, Downbeat, Jazziz, Glide Magazine and Exclaim!, who gave the album a 9/10 and called it “an early candidate for jazz record of the year.” For the half-Japanese

half-New Zealander who calls Los Angeles home, the two part project is a deeply personal exploration of de Clive-Lowe’s ancestry and cultural roots.

“Heritage… gives our relatively short lives context and meaning in the bigger picture of generations past and future,” says de Clive-Lowe. “We are the new ancestors, and with that in mind, it’s important that we act and contribute accordingly. This is my identity search and journey to better understand where I’ve come from, what ancestry means to me and where I’m going to.”

de Clive-Lowe showcases his breadth of skill as a producer, composer and instrumentalist. An artist who is as indebted to the jazz greats as much as hip hop, house, and experimental music icons, de Clive-Lowe challenges us to leave our preconceptions at the door and follow him down the path on a journey of his own discovery. “I came up loving jazz, hip hop, drum and bass, house, broken beat and so much more. I like to lean into these different inspirations at the same time, balancing the sonic aesthetics and stylistic approaches in unexpected ways,” de Clive-Lowe explains. “That’s a huge part of my own ‘in’ and ‘yo’ (yin and yang in Japanese)

balance in my process and creativity. To be able to bring all of this together with musical stories of my ancestry, roots and identity is something that’s very special to me.”

"JACCC is presenting this album release concert because it aligns with our mission of being a hub for Japanese and Japanese American arts and culture and the diverse voices it inspires." said Alison De La Cruz, JACCC Vice President of Programs. "de Clive-Lowe’s work allows Japanese music enthusiasts to hear a new generation’s contemporary exploration on traditional music, while opening the next set of conversations about hybridity. The scale of this show allows the audience to experience de Clive-Lowe on his grandest stage yet, with a live band, projections, dancers and a few surprises!”

HERITAGE II CONCERT DETAILS

Saturday, April 20, 2019 Aratani Theatre

244 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 628-2725

TICKETS: $27-$32, available at JACCC.org

About the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC)

Founded in 1971, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center is one of the largest ethnic arts and cultural centers of its kind in the United States. A hub for Japanese and Japanese American arts and culture and a community gathering place for the diverse voices it inspires – JACCC connects traditional and contemporary; community participants and creative professionals; Southern California and the world beyond. JACCC also provides office space in its five-story complex to a wide variety of nonprofit cultural, educational, and community-based organizations in Los Angeles. For more information about JACCC, please visit JACCC.org.