konb
Trumpet player / producer based in Yokohama, Japan.
After gaining experience in Latin music and experimental improvisation, he joined the hardcore band “GROUNDVOVER.”, which has received high praise overseas.
After leaving the band, he focused on composing, arranging and performing as an individual. He released his first album, “Light and Shade,” in 2025. He has collaborated with many artists to date.
・recent situation
I am not currently performing as a musician. I have been working as a caregiver in a facility for the elderly for over 20 years. I sometimes play the trumpet to entertain the elderly, and I love this little activity.
On my days off, I compose music at home or record my trumpet at a nearby studio.
I’ve been inundated with collaboration requests from various artists all over the world lately, and it’s been a real honour, but it’s kept me busy and I haven’t had the time to compose my own music… lol
And to relax, I go for walks and cook with my wife.
I think I’m living a happy life as a part-time musician.
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konb – Way back home
Roku01, Konb – Ghost under 2006
konb, Naomi Eno – Danube Sky
Interview
How did you get started in music?
I was shocked when I discovered The Beatles in junior high school. They were able to simultaneously tackle avant-garde challenges and create beautiful melodies.
Around the time I entered university, I heard a Japanese reggae band called MUTE BEAT and was blown away again. They were the first band to perform live dub on stage. I was so captivated by the soulful, melancholic trumpet playing of their leader that I immediately ran out to buy an instrument, even though I had never played one before!
Since then, I’ve been playing in various bands while working my day job. Around 2019, I bought a MacBook Pro and started composing and recording my own music. I think the experience of playing in bands of various genres has been useful.
• Who or what has influenced you the most on your musical journey?
As I mentioned above, it started with The Beatles, especially John Lennon. Then MUTE BEAT. After I started performing myself, I listened to jazz giants like Miles Davis and Chet Baker. I also belonged to a Latin music community during my student days, so I listened to a lot of samba and bossa nova back then.
• What does your typical creative process look like, from the first idea to the finished track?
I first think about the theme and concept. Do I want to create an up-tempo jazz hop or a nostalgic lo-fi sound? Then I think about the chord progression and key. The notes of my favorite chord progressions that I keep on hand come in handy. I try to create a simple rhythm pattern while testing out the optimal BPM. I play the piano and the bass. Once I’ve written a horn ensemble that blends into the background, I finally think about the melody. The melody is always the last thing I do. Maybe it’s because I value improvisation.
• What do you enjoy outside of making music?
Unfortunately, music production is what helps me unwind from the daytime grind. All I can think about is what I’ll record in the studio on my next day off, hahaha. I work as a caregiver for the elderly, which is a rewarding job. Yes, my other hobby is cooking, although my wife is always critical of me, hahaha.
• Can you tell us more about the creation of “Way back home”?
“Way back home” is a song about returning home. It’s both the return journey from an actual trip and the journey that life eventually takes. It’s a song filled with excitement and melancholic sentimentality. I wrote it with a bird’s-eye view of it from afar. I hope you enjoy it.