Cornelius

Born in Setagaya, Tokyo, Keigo Oyamada, under the name Cornelius, has developed a singular trajectory in Japanese pop since the late 1980s. He first became known with Flipper's Guitar, a central duo of the Shibuya-kei scene, before beginning a solo career in the early 1990s. Cornelius then blends chamber pop, guitar, electronics, sound collage and references to bossa nova, psychedelia and ambient, with a marked taste for precise rhythmic constructions and editing tricks. His albums The First Question Award (1994), 69/96 (1995), Fantasma (1997), Point (2001), Sensuous (2006), Mellow Waves (2017) and Dream in Dream (2023) show an evolution from erudite and fragmented pop toward a more pared-down writing, often instrumental, attentive to space and textures. Alongside his records, Cornelius has produced, remixed and composed for other artists and projects, from Takako Minekawa to Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, including Salyu, Ryuichi Sakamoto or the Ghost in the Shell: Arise soundtrack. Present both on stage and in contexts related to design, image and sound installation, Cornelius occupies a distinctive place between songwriting, experimental music and audiovisual creation.