After two years of studying jazz at a university in Texas, I found my days were consumed by nothing more than practice and music theory. I would be  transcribing difficult scales or finally mastering a performance, just to present these efforts to the usual members of the Jazz department. Living this day in and day out, I began to wonder if this was really the same music that had once captivated me. I can still remember the scene in Fukuoka’s Nakasu, where I experienced jazz for the first time live – a dark interior with a few tables, a sofa on carpet and the man wrapped in a white suit sitting atop it, and the music from the Wes Montgomery guitar trio playing throughout. This mysterious and even sordid atmosphere that hung in the club, and even the city, was in fact the hustle and bustle  of people’s lives. Realizing that this was what I was chasing all along – humanity – I switched my major to Anthropology. Music is not born from music alone – this belief remains unchanged for me. Listening attentively to the unspoken voices and weaving them into a tapestry of sound, in essence, where UnLike’s musical expression begins. 

There was a time when music played the role of what we now call social media. We would let our thoughts run along with the music, and in doing so reach out to the world beyond us. This was an experience that could not be segmented into text, images, and audio data; it was about sharing and enjoying the nuances of the heart and the ambiguities of life. Now, in an era where music has become mere 'content' to be voraciously consumed, we might doubt whether music can still bridge the divides in this world and pick up the voices of people. Music must shine light on the shadows consumed by chaos, and become a mouthpiece for the soundless voices around us. We must resist disconnection and use music to eradicate all forms of isolation. It is in service of this ideal that UnLike creates music. 

UnLike has written, composed, and recorded numerous musical works, not limited by format. At the same time, we perform both domestically and internationally, continuously establishing new connections with other musicians and artists.  With every creative opportunity, UnLike searches for forms of expressions that transcend  composition or performance. For example, we have translated a novel important to Kanazawa into music, and performed it with musicians local to the area. UnLike has also carefully remade a song exclusive to a region that has been sung for a long time. UnLike makes a concerted effort to allow our works to blossom without being confined to a specific form. In addition to that, our studio proactively seeks out collaboration.At the core of it all is that we must listen attentively to the soundless voices, and put music to service towards eradicating all forms of isolation.
Creating, performing, and exploring music are all essential, connected components of this expression. We do this all in a unique way, unlike any other. That is the philosophy of UnLike.