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Cornelius

About this Artist

CORNELIUS is the brainchild of Japanese multi-instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada. Son of a famous Japanese crooner and a performing musician since his teens, Oyamada (b. January 27, 1969) created his artistic alter-ego in the early 1990s from the ashes of his previous project, Flipper’s Guitar. With the 1997 release of Fantasma, Cornelius (whose name is an homage to the movie Planet of the Apes) gained international recognition for a cut-and-paste style reminiscent of American counterparts Beck and The Beastie Boys. Called a “modern-day Brian Wilson” for his orchestral-style arrangements, Cornelius subsequently became one of the most sought after producer/remixers in the world, working with artists ranging from Blur and Beck to Sting, k.d. lang, and James Brown.

With 2002’s Point, Cornelius’ music made a quantum shift, moving from electronic-based to looping organic sounds and creating lush soundscapes. 

The year 2007 brought this philosophy to an even higher level with the release of Sensuous. Cornelius’ live shows are known the world around for their spectacular visuals, all of which are 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.