With a set of raspy, textured pipes and a flair for musical endeavours both technical and creative, Keisuke Kuwata has been a mainstay of the Japanese music scene since the 1970s. Most notably, this has been while at the front of Southern All Stars. But he’s also ploughed his own furrow with solo project KUWATA BAND across many celebrated albums, and branched out into film scores. Working both behind the boards and as a performer—at times even handling all the instruments himself—Kuwata strives to incorporate disparate western influences and evolve the sound of Japanese pop.