Tatsuya Oe
Tatsuya Oe is a New York-based Japanese composer, recording artist, music producer, and DJ, best known for the moniker of Captain Funk.
He is known for his mastery and diversity of composition and music production in electronic, dance, rock, pop, and dramatic scores. In addition to commercial releases under recording artist monikers of Captain Funk, OE, and Dark Model, he has composed for and has been often featured on TV, film, video games, animation projects, and corporate branding campaigns in the US, Europe, and Asia markets. In July 2012, his composed piece as Dark Model was included on the first footage reel of 2013 movie Elysium played at San Diego Comic-Con.
Tatsuya has collaborated with or remixed numerous artists/bands such as James Brown, Diana Ross, Chic, Simon Le Bon, Ron Sexsmith, Serge Gainsbourg, and many other icons. He is also called "Remix Wizard."
Oe participated in Panasonic's global branding movie Experience Color which won "The Finalist Award" in New York Festivals, as well as "Silver Prize" for the Tokyo Interactive Ad Awards. Norman Cook described his music as "F***ing insane!" Captain Funk's album, "Songs of the Siren," was selected by Billboard for their feature story "Year in Music 2001/Critic's Choice", and his song "Twist & Shout" was featured as a theme song in SABU's movie "Monday." In autumn 2013, he relocated from Japan to the United States.
In April 2018, Oe won the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Dance/Electronica Album with "Saga," the second album as Dark Model.
Life and career
Early career and birth of Captain Funk
Tatsuya Oe was born in Hiroshima, Japan. At the age of 12, he showed great interest in rock, pop, and electronic music, and at the age of 14, decided to buy his first electric guitar, synthesizer, and sequencer. In school days he formed several bands performing rock, synthpop/new wave, heavy metal, and even prog rock. While he couldn't find bandmates for playing his favorite funk or black music since those kinds of music was nearly unknown in Japan at that time, a few years later he found excitement in playing DJ to the audience and got attracted by dance/club music such as rare groove, disco, house, and hip hop. After he majored in economics at and graduated from Tokyo University, while working for an advertising company, he started composition/music production with his computer. His demo tapes were acclaimed by several European dance/techno labels and he released his debut 12 inches called Dazzlin' from Italian label ACV under the name of Tatsuya Oe in 1997. Since Encounter with... album, he burst onto the club scene as the maverick solo project "Captain Funk.""Captain Funk will make you believe!” was The Ministry of Sound magazine’s opinion, while Time Out Mag described his music as a "Vibrant delight!” Fatboy Slim described his record as "F***ing insane!” and demanded extra copies. The Fatboy was not alone obviously, as Tatsuya has earned the praise and respect of international DJs from across the board such as Coldcut, Si Begg, Freddy Fresh, Ken Ishii and Carl Cox. Captain Funk released successful singles, mix CDs and albums including Bustin' Loose EP, Dancing in the Street, Style, etc. Especially his second album Songs of the Siren was selected as one of "The Year in Music 2001 Critic’s Choice" of the Billboard magazine. The magazine’s Asia Bureau Chief Steve McClure said, “the Captain takes his listeners on a high-energy, roller-coaster ride on an album full of reckless beats, brilliantly employed samples, and punchy rock guitar.”
Metropolis described the album, "Listeners familiar with his last release, Songs of the Siren, will recognize many of the elements that made the album one of the most original and musically innovative to come out of Japan in the last two years."
He also has played DJ at many gigs and big events in Japan such as Fuji Rock Festival and overseas including UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea.
As Captain Funk
After the experience of several DJ tours, including ones with Space Cowboy, he founded his own company, Model Electronic Inc., which he manages. The company focuses on music production, sound design and label/publishing management.As the first project of this company, he released Captain Funk's albums, Heavy Metal and Heavy Mellow. These albums display his way of fusing together the early Captain Funk's uplifting vibes and his songwriting skills acquired through OE's works. Several tracks, as represented by "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" feat. Meri Neeser, not only became popular in Japan but also was played in overseas radios, parties, and shops such as Club Sandwich and Dior Homme shop in Paris.
In 2008 his company Model Electronic Inc launched a new online shop called "Club Model Electronic". "It's a membership based company/label's "direct shop" to deliver our sounds & exclusive info to listeners, especially in the areas where our products have been hardly purchasable."
While continuing collaboration and remix work for other artists such as Dúné, Radiopilot and Ami Suzuki, in August 2009 he released Captain Funk's next album Sunshine in Japan, which includes "Weekend " feat. Adnan Kurtov and "Piece of you" feat. Meri Neeser. "Weekend" was ranked in several radio charts in Japan, and "Piece of You" was featured by Forever 21 for their sales promotion and aired in nine movie theaters in the western United States, as well as in Forever 21's 400+ stores.
In July 2011, the latest release as Captain Funk "Versions2011" got ranked No.1 in "Dance/Electronica" & No.2 in "Pops" at MP3 Album chart on Amazon.co.jp.
In July 2013, Tatsuya released "Chronicles 2007-2013, Vol. 1 & 2″ in the form of digital download, which was the collection of tracks which have been produced since 2007 under the moniker of Captain Funk.
In February 2014, Captain Funk "Endless Possibilities ” was featured in ABC Family's TV drama “Switched at Birth. Also "Somebody Like You feat. Meri Neeser" was used in the trailer of web channel "Wigs" drama "Blue " starring Julia Stiles. TV Land’s romantic-comedy-drama “Younger” featured Captain Funk “Leaving” in Season 2 Ep 11 “Secrets & Liza.” In January 2016, an official international trailer of Sony Pictures “Money Monster ” used Captain Funk “Endless Possibilities.” Also, the streaming version of “Charmed”, an American supernatural drama television series, used Captain Funk's “Rise” in the opening scene.
In June 2019, Oe released “Oceans,” an original full-length album as Captain Funk for the first time in ten years, consisting of ten instrumental tracks in the style of electronic jazz-funk, tropical dance music, and downtempo. Following the release, Oe has continued to produce Captain Funk's albums such as "Metropolis" and "Night Music," based on jazz-funk and nu-disco instrumental style. 2021 release "Sail and Cruise," a compilation and mix album collecting tracks composed and produced by Oe himself.
Netflix's comedy-drama "Emily in Paris" featured Captain Funk's "Just Wanna Get You Tonight" on the S1, E7 "French Ending".
In 2023 and 2024, three popular Captain Funk albums, "Heavy Metal," "Heavy Mellow," and "Sunshine," were newly mixed and released as "Deluxe Editions." Oe explained, "The top priority for releasing these new mix versions was to 'update' them musically so listeners could enjoy them with their current sensibilities."
As OE
From the 2002 release Here and You, he started another solo project simply under his real last name OE to focus more on cutting-edge and introspective music. After collaboration with Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet "ONJQ+OE“, he released two albums Physical Fiction and Director’s Cut. During his OE era, he did an opening act for Kraftwerk, Holger Czukay, and David Bowie in their Japan tours. On May 24, 2003, as a producer, Oe was in charge of “mod's hair Discover your style 2003 - OE Electronic Sound and Vision Collection,” held at Aoyama Spiral Cafe. Besides OE, Buffalo Daughter and Numb performed at the event.In 2018, Oe's record label Model Electronic Records released "New Classics Vol.1 & 2" albums, which are collections of new tracks and new arrangements of his past pieces produced under the moniker of OE. While vol.1 focuses on the indie rock/pop electronica and songwriter-oriented side of the project, vol.2 delves into the contemporary, edgy, and experimental side. "New Classics Vol.2" was nominated for the 17th Independent Music Awards in the Dance/Electronica Album category.
In 2020, Oe released a full-ambient album, “Suchness,” which consists of ten “Kankyo-Ongaku” compositions, which are inspired by the Japanese view of nature and Zen philosophy.
Max 's popular animation program "Ambient Swim" featured OE's track "Cloud Sea," included in the album "Suchness," on their episode "Tradigital."
Oe continued to release albums under the concept of Suchness, such as "Suchness 2" in 2022, "Starry Messenger ," and "Seisei Ruten " in 2024.
The Watches of Switzerland USA, a US luxury watch retailer, featured OE's "Garden Fountains," which is included in "Seisei Ruten, in their promotional film "Kodama featuring GRAND SEIKO," which introduces George Nakashima Woodworkers in Bucks County, PA.
The 2023 album “Compositions in Blue” was produced in the vein of what Oe had developed from “Here and You” to “New Classics Vol.1 & 2” under the name OE. The album's leading track, Mobius," was licensed and featured in the luxury brand Prada's Instagram video.
In April 2024, Oe released "Early Techno Works 9697," a collection that mainly consists of unreleased tracks made in 1996, when Oe embarked on full-fledged music production, and 1997, before he debuted as Captain Funk with its album "Encounter with…."
While the following release ”Composition in Light" inherits the minimalist and progressive approach showcased in last year's "Compositions in Blue," the album features more groovy and rhythmical tracks, resulting in a vibrant and dynamic album.