[Related Links]
Album『ATAK027 ANDROID OPERA MIRROR』：https://linkco.re/67huCCrD
Single 『I Come from the Moon (Android Oper ver.)』：https://linkco.re/YpAEDVAT
Official YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/@keiichiroshibuya

◆About the Album “ATAK027 ANDROID OPERA MIRROR”

The Android Opera, which concluded its Tokyo performance in June of this year, is a stage production where a humanoid robot equipped with AI merges with opera—arguably the most human-centric art form—and performs alongside an orchestra. Having been staged in Australia, Japan, Germany, the Middle East, Paris, and other locations worldwide, this groundbreaking work is now being released as its first album on Friday, February 21.

The album reimagines and reconstructs the orchestral arrangements, piano, electronic sounds, and vocals into an audio work. In the original performances, the orchestral parts were played by humans; however, for this album, they have been re-created using state-of-the-art software simulations, sharpening the apocalyptic concept underpinning the work. Layered on top of this is the synthetic voice of the android. The only human performance comes from Keiichiro Shibuya’s delicate piano, serving as a metaphor for humanity confronting the end of the world.

The album’s opening track, “MIRROR,” symbolizes the “story” envisioned by Shibuya, blending hypnotic drones, tense rhythms, and orchestral flows with poetic, robotic vocalizations. It poses profound questions such as, “What defines the boundary between existence and non-existence?” and “Where does the boundary between the past and the future lie?”

In “Scary Beauty,” text is drawn from The Possibility of an Island by French writer Michel Houellebecq, weaving together a rich tapestry of intersecting elements.

Throughout the album, iconic and memorable themes, experimental electronic music motifs, and grand neo-classical phrases combine to explore philosophical, religious, literary, artistic, and technological inquiries.

In the lead-up to the album’s release, several singles will be gradually released starting early next year.

◆About the First Single: “I Come from the Moon (Android Opera ver.)”

The first single, “I Come from the Moon (Android Opera ver.),” is now available for streaming on various platforms starting today, Wednesday, November 27.

This track is based on an electronic piece originally created as the soundtrack for “Kaguya by Gucci (2022)” (Watch here). For this version, not only has it been reimagined with orchestral arrangements, but the lyrics have also been newly created using GPT to fit the context of the Android Opera and re-sung accordingly.

[Release Details]

Album Title: ATAK027 ANDROID OPERA MIRROR
Label: ATAK
Release Date: Friday, February 21, 2025 (Scheduled for simultaneous release on streaming platforms and CD).

Composition, Piano, Electronics: Keiichiro Shibuya
Text: Keiichiro Shibuya (#01) , GPT (#03,05,06,07,08), Excerpts from “The possiblity of the island” written by Michel Houellebecq (#02, #09) and “On Certainty” written by Ludwig Wittgenstein (#04)
Android Vocal Production: Keiichiro Shibuya, Shintaro Imai

Text-to-Note Programming: Takashi Ikegami (#04)
Mix, Piano Recording: François Baurin (Hinterland Lab)
Mastering: Rashad Becker (clunk)
Score Notation Assistant: Hiroto Kikukawa
Artwork: Ryoji Tanaka
Photograph: ayaka endo
Production: Natsumi Matsumoto (ATAK)
Produce: Keiichiro Shibuya (ATAK)

Single Title: I Come from the Moon (Android Opera Ver.)
Label: ATAK
Release Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 (Digital Release Only).

Composition, Piano, Electronics: Keiichiro Shibuya
Text: GPT
Android Vocal Production: Keiichiro Shibuya, Shintaro Imai
Mix, Piano Recording: François Baurin (Hinterland Lab)
Mastering: Rashad Becker (clunk)
Score Notation Assistant: Hiroto Kikukawa
Artwork: Ryoji Tanaka
Photograph: ayaka endo
Production: Natsumi Matsumoto (ATAK)
Produce: Keiichiro Shibuya (ATAK)

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Keiichiro Shibuya – Profile

Composer and musician. Born in Tokyo in 1973, he graduated from the Composition Department of the Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2002, he established the music label ATAK. His works range from avant-garde electronic music to piano solos, opera, film scores, and sound installations. He is active in both Tokyo and Paris.