Cornelius is the brainchild of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada. Son of a famous Japanese crooner and a performing musician since his teens, Oyamada (Born January 27, 1969) created his creative alter-ego (the name is an homage to the Planet of the Apes),in the early 1990′s from the ashes of his previous project, Flipper’s Guitar.
With the 1997 release of Fantasma, Cornelius gained international recognition for his cut and paste style reminescent of american counterparts Beck and The Beastie Boys. Being called a “modern day Brian Wilson” for his orchestral-style arrangements, Cornelius subsequently he became one of the most sought after producer/remixers in the world, working with artists ranging from Blur, Beck and Bloc Party, to Sting, KD Lang, and James Brown.
With 2002′s Point, Cornelius’ music took a quantum shift, going from electronic based to looping organic sounds, creating lush sound-scapes. From using water drops as the rhythmic backbone of “Drop” to his vocoder-infused cover of “Brazil”, the album dazed and amazed fans and set the path for the next phase of his career.
2007 brought this philosophy to an even higher level with the release of Sensuous. Cornelius live shows are known the world around for its spectacular visuals (all perfectly synchronized to the performance), custom lighting that doesn’t simply augment the performance, but becomes another instrument within it, and a full band of equally talented and diverse players.
In early 2008 “ The Cornelius Group – ‘Synchronized Sensuous Show’” reached new heights in it’s US tour, culminating with an invitation from the LA Philharmonic, and performance at the Frank Gehry Designed Walt Disney Concert Hall to LA’s musical and cultural elite.
Since his last tour date, Cornelius has recorded music for Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, performed as the backbone of Yoko Ono’s reformed Plastic Ono Band, played the Hollywood Bowl with Yellow Magic Orchestra, and co-wrote and produced the Japanese artist. SalyuXSalyu.
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