Kazuya Nagaya

<p>Today’s guest deejay is <a href="https://www.kazuyanagaya.com" title="Kazuya Nagaya">Kazuya Nagaya</a>.</p> <p>Kazuya is a Japanese artist who creates immersive, ritualized compositions through bronze bells, gongs, and singing bowls. Kazuya’s music is rooted in Buddhist (Zenzhu) philosophy and sensibilities unique to Japan. Kazuya’s work and interests are also contemporary and span many cultures. Kazuya is also an award-winning writer and a connoisseur of Japanese Literature, Buddhist Folktales, and Zen Philosophical Works.</p> <p>I came across Kazuya’s music at the beginning of the pandemic. At the time, my attention span had been whittled down to a blunt end. I could not read or watch anything. I couldn’t find escape in music because none of the lyrics of the songs I listened to spoke to the new reality in which we all found ourselves. The only thing that provided solace was ambient, classical, instrumental, and experimental music. The kind of music that was essentially free of lyrics. The kind of music you could project your own meaning on or lose yourself in.</p> <p>I launched Soundwave to cope with the stress and isolation Brough about by the pandemic. I clutched at it like a drowning man grasps a life preserver. Soundwave gave me solace and succor in the months ahead that were far more challenging and heartbreaking than I could have imagined.</p> <p>Kazuya was one of the first musicians I invited to participate in Soundwave (<a href="http://josephaleo.com/blog/soundwave-2/" title="OUNDWAVE : 2 : JOSEPH ALEO">listen</a> to Kazuya on the second episode of Soundwave). He could not have known when he recorded “Thanatos” from his <em><a href="https://kazuyanagaya.bandcamp.com/album/dream-interpretation" title="Dream Interpretation">Dream Interpretation</a></em> album that I would play that song repeatedly for days. It seemed to sum up everything I was feeling in those early days of the pandemic. It was crucial to me to have Kazuya on Soundwave. It took over a year for Kazuya to find time to prepare his mi