Mellow Cello Podcast

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Episode 29 A to Z Aug 24, 2023

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Episode 29 A to Z Nick Takénobu Ogawa

This episode comes from the Youtube stream on July 25th, and follows a string of technical difficulties that I couldn’t seem to shake. What would have been the previous episode clipped to the point where it was unsalvageable, and during this episode everything crashed and I lost the first 20 minutes or so of recording. As a result though i’m a bit more warmed up than normal when the recording starts, so things get off quickly to a nice loop with some little figures that sound like a song from the 80’s to me. Something about the quicker chord changes or the forward moving pace is reminiscent of some of the Arthur Russel/David Byrne stuff I’ve heard, which I’m happy to imitate. The next piece has a happy dreamy quality to it - a very nice person in the chat mentioned that it was his daughter’s 10th birthday the next day and that she’d been born with my music as the soundtrack to her birth! I felt very honored and inspired by this wonderful bit of news. The third piece has a bit more of a grandiose sweeping quality, i think thanks to the weight of the bass, it’s also reminiscent of something I’ve done before. This one is followed by a bit of a sleepy lullaby type of piece. Finally a short rendition of a piece originally composed on the stream called Kickin Rocks, which is still unreleased.

Episode 27 Frisson Aug 09, 2023

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Episode 27 Frisson Nick Takénobu Ogawa

This episode comes from the twitch stream on July 13, 2023. To access all episodes please consider subscribing on my bandcamp page, where all episodes are available in high quality downloadable format. For this stream I was able to sort out most of the technical difficulties this time, although I didn’t start recording until I’d started the first piece already, so we jump in as the loop is already going. Things are nice and hopeful and light right off the bat, with a bouncy yet driving little pizzicato loop. Things get nice and full with some bowed loops, and I think I cut things off at just the right point, when I was out of ideas and before it got too messy. The next piece has a nice contemplative feel to it. Still driving, but darker and more inquisitive sounding. Once the arco parts are played down and the bass comes in it really sounds like some sort of mission that needs to be accomplished. The nice one has a nice linear progression to a swinging fullness. I like throwing the high whistling effect in when things are really full to be able to make the melody stand out. I like the little doubled chord progression that develops, which is very mellow and wandering, and not without an occasional misplaced note. Things get a bit jazzier in the next piece, with a more blue sound. Someone in the chat commented that the piece gave them the sensation of frisson, which I then pursued further in the next piece with some harmonic looping, which I always feel has a more ethereal quality.

Episode 25 Eight Minutos Aug 02, 2023

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Episode 25 Eight Minutos Nick Takénobu Ogawa

This episode comes from the Twitch stream on July 6 2023. The idea behind this stream was to limit myself to (relatively) shorter jams, with a target length of 8-9 minutes, instead of the more usual 12 minutes. The first piece takes a little while to get going, but I like where it gets to in terms of fullness and the bowed parts. The second piece gets to a nice place texturally pretty quickly, with a very mellow and pulsing echoey flow to things that allows for some fun improvised noodling. Next there’s a bit of a computer-y element to things, like the sound of things processing, which develops into something more contemplative and emotionally explorative. Things get much more lively at about the halfway mark, with a nice uptempo piece that feels very dance-y. I often feel the need to do a little reset with a more ambient sound after a cohesive upbeat piece like this, but I like how this next one evolves through a couple of different parts. Then things get a bit more straight forward and waltzy and contemplative, short and sweet, as is the next piece. I really like the final piece, and think it could be reworked into something more fleshed out and cinematic. The bass works well and I like the longer arco themes.

Episode 23 Running Away Jul 13, 2023

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Episode 23 Running Away Nick Takenobu Ogawa

Episode 23 Running Away

This episode comes from the twitch stream on June 22, 2023. I deliberately decided to start things off a bit slower in this stream, trying to get back to the mellow cello namesake. I really like how things start here, with a very laid back vibe. It’s easier to noodle around with the bow when things are more sparse and relaxed like this, as it doesn’t feel like a lot of layers are necessary. When I add in the bass of course a little more laying feels right.

I keep things mellow in the second piece as well, with a nice progression that has a call and answer aspect. I think the simple arco layers work to add some depth to things, and provide a nice bed for some soloing. I kind of tried to imagine this as a more vocal song and use the cello how vocals might sound, as this progression reminded me of some kind of ballad. Things pickup a bit in the third piece, with a bit more of a stomping rhythm, and a more blue grassy progression to go along with it. I like the bowed riff that goes along with things, kind of adds a dramatic action feeling to things, pushing things forward.

As usually at about the half way point it’s time to try something more ethereal, which involves an airy looped bow part over a spacier rhythm. Things start off a bit dreamy and then coalesce into a more coherent piece that has some nice textural twists and turns. I like when I’m able to build up some initial loop textures, take these away and build new ones, and then build up new ones yet again and take away the previous ones.

The next piece is built up with the idea of escaping something or running away from something, which I think the slightly tense sounding initial loop is able to help accomplish. I played the piece after telling the story of when Kathryn and I tried to camp in a very remote site in bear country in Idaho and encountered a mother moose and baby upon entering our site.

I end things with a more laid back piece with arco layers that breathe a bit.

Episode 21 Meta Cello Jun 29, 2023

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Episode 21 Meta Cello Nick Takénobu Ogawa

Things get started off with a fun driving beat that develops into a bowed line that feels like it’s racing ahead to me, on its way to somewhere. I’m starting to feel like I’m almost as comfortable rhythmically with the bow as I am pizzicato, which is a goal I’m striving toward. The bow is always going to be slightly less rhythmic just because of the nature of the attack, but I like feeling like it’s close. Things slow down a bit in the second piece, but still keep a driving forward sensibility. I like the melodic theme I find here, there’s a lyrical aspect to the little bowed figures. The third piece keeps up the quicker pace, and I find a chord progression that I’ve done before, but with a new twist, which seems to often be the case, especially at the end with the layered lyrical arco figures. For the fourth piece I was inspired by Mark Summers, who’s piece Julie-O was one of the earliest pieces that really opened my eyes to alternative possibilities with the cello. I think I’d like to develop this piece a bit more and try to have another section, as it’s hard to keep this fast pace throughout without some sort of break in the action as a bit of a respite to the sound, but I think it sounds cool as a short little jaunt. We return to the driving forward feeling of things, with a cool rhythmic piece. It takes me a little while to find an arco line that works, but I eventually get there more or less. Things get a little darker, but I kind of like when I can slightly transform a darker sounding piece with little spots of brightness here and there. I think the final piece actually has some nice finality to it, so to speak.

Episode 19 Dark Bowings Jun 19, 2023

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Episode 19 Dark Bowings Nick Takénobu Ogawa

This episode comes from the Twitch stream on June 8th after I was away on a break, and I can hear myself getting back into the swing of things when I listen back. Things start off with a piece that develops into a bit of a jaunty theme, built around a bouncy pizzicato loop. The second piece is a bit more contemplative and downtempo. I think things started to come together for the fourth piece where I developed a bit of a darker sounding groove. I used my bow a bit more than usual throughout this stream/episode, mostly to try to practice regaining control of it, as that tends to be the first thing that goes after a break away from playing/practicing. I kept things going with the bow through the end, building up a lot of rhythmic arco layers for the final piece. I think the different staccato textures allow this piece to continue driving forward and provides a nice bed for the faster paced melodic runs.

Episode 17 Cellohmm Jun 07, 2023

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Episode 17 Cellohmm Nick Takénobu Ogawa

Episode 17 is a throwback episode that comes from the twitch stream on February 24 2023. Episode 16 is a subscriber exclusive which you can find on my bandcamp subscription page. I start things off all arco, which is rare for me. I usually prefer to do things pizzicato to start with to give things a rhythmic base, but I think I should do more of this type of thing. There’s something a bit more cinematic about a driving bowed rhythm, but it’s more difficult to keep the conviction going I think with an all arco loop. Listening back there are times I wish big drums could come in, but I think there’s still something that works about the starkness. I like the shift that happens about 11 minutes in, where things open up a bit. After this I play The Voyage Home from Momotaro. The third piece takes a little while to get going, but I like the vibe when things start to come together. It’s an upbeat piece with some nice moments. The 4th piece at about 33 minutes in is a bit more frenetic and has some nice opportunities for a more brooding feel. Finally I end things with a Reversing from the album Reversal.

Episode 15 Cello GPT May 31, 2023

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Episode 15 Cello GPT Nick Takénobu Ogawa

Episode 15 is a throwback episode from the Twitch stream on March 28 2023. Episode 14 is a subscriber exlusive episode available only on my bandcamp subscription page. Things take a little while to coalesce, but I really like the chord progression that develops, simple as it may be. The percussion plays a big part in the feel of this one, with a nice little shuffling drive to keep things moving forward. The second piece takes on a more brooding tone, with a slightly darker sound to things when the bowed layers get going. I change the chord pattern halfway through keeping the same percussion to brighten things up a bit, which is something I haven’t done in a while, but I like hearing it (at least when I can get it to work). The riff I land is something that has come up several times in other jams, and is something that I just like to use now and then. Third is a rendition of Kickin Rocks, which devolves into a bit of a deconstruction of the piece. After this is a sort variation of my song Watersong, and finally Toki Doki.

Episode 10 One time at Bandcamp May 18, 2023

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Episode 10 One Time at Bandcamp Nick Takénobu Ogawa

This podcast comes from the Youtube stream from May 2, 2023 and it’s the 10th episode of the podcast! With this episode I’ve launched my bandcamp subscription page, where you can subscribe and support me directly, and get early access to ad free episodes, individual song downloads and more.

Things start off to a nice relaxed pace with a slightly swinging shuffling pace to things, with an almost waltz like feel to things. The second piece expands on some of the themes from the first jam, which I find is often the case with these sessions. I like the bowed figure in the third piece that starts to develop, which I think adds a bit of cinematic drama. After this is an instrumental rendition of Traveling Light. Then it’s New Groove, from the Sushi Tapes EP, which was first composed on an earlier stream. The next piece has a bit of a nice forward drive to it, and I like the legato layers that give it a kind of meandering river feel. Things get a bit dance-y feeling with a nice bouncy pizzicato riff with some fun arco harmonies over top. The final piece takes a little while to develop, but I really like the melody that finally develops. It’s funny to listen back to it how I can hear hints of the final melody start to trickle in and I keep wanting it to land, and thankfully I think it finally does.

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