Mellow Cello Podcast

Episode 37 We call that Jazz Nick Takénobu Ogawa The first piece takes a little while to develop, but becomes a nice expansive piece with some nice contemplative elements to it. The next piece I find in the revised second half, after redoing some of the chords I find a more natural feeling groove. The next piece ventures into some ambient spaces, with some wayward explorations. The fourth piece ha...

Episode 35 Summer Rain Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the live Youtube stream on August 15 2023. If you’d like to get all episodes and some advanced EP’s, please consider supporting me directly by becoming a bandcamp subscriber . Things get started with a lively piece built around a rapid pull off riff, that gets built on and echoed with the bow, and builds into something that reminds...

Episode 33 Up and Airy Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the youtube stream on August 8, 2023. Things get off to a nice atmospheric start, with some sweeping pizzicato lines that shift and sway. It’s fun to find an arpeggio that works over the chord changes, and build from there. Things get dreamier and dreamier towards the end. The next piece develops slowly out of a murky ether. Sort o...

Episode 31 Farmhouse Summer Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the stream on August 1 2023. The summer has been so hot, this piece kind of has a bouncy summer feel to it. The heavy bowed layers kind of add to the headiness of things, but then things open up nicely in the second half with an even bouncier/reflective pizzicato section. After the boisterousness of the first piece, the second...

Episode 29 A to Z Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the Youtube stream on July 25th, and follows a string of technical difficulties that I couldn’t seem to shake. What would have been the previous episode clipped to the point where it was unsalvageable, and during this episode everything crashed and I lost the first 20 minutes or so of recording. As a result though i’m a bit more warmed...

Episode 27 Frisson Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the twitch stream on July 13, 2023. To access all episodes please consider subscribing on my bandcamp page, where all episodes are available in high quality downloadable format. For this stream I was able to sort out most of the technical difficulties this time, although I didn’t start recording until I’d started the first piece alread...

Episode 25 Eight Minutos Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the Twitch stream on July 6 2023. The idea behind this stream was to limit myself to (relatively) shorter jams, with a target length of 8-9 minutes, instead of the more usual 12 minutes. The first piece takes a little while to get going, but I like where it gets to in terms of fullness and the bowed parts. The second piece gets t...

Episode 23 Running Away Nick Takenobu Ogawa Episode 23 Running Away This episode comes from the twitch stream on June 22, 2023. I deliberately decided to start things off a bit slower in this stream, trying to get back to the mellow cello namesake. I really like how things start here, with a very laid back vibe. It’s easier to noodle around with the bow when things are more sparse and relaxed like...

Episode 21 Meta Cello Nick Takénobu Ogawa Things get started off with a fun driving beat that develops into a bowed line that feels like it’s racing ahead to me, on its way to somewhere. I’m starting to feel like I’m almost as comfortable rhythmically with the bow as I am pizzicato, which is a goal I’m striving toward. The bow is always going to be slightly less rhythmic just because of the nature...

Episode 19 Dark Bowings Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the Twitch stream on June 8th after I was away on a break, and I can hear myself getting back into the swing of things when I listen back. Things start off with a piece that develops into a bit of a jaunty theme, built around a bouncy pizzicato loop. The second piece is a bit more contemplative and downtempo. I think things starte...

Episode 17 Cellohmm Nick Takénobu Ogawa Episode 17 is a throwback episode that comes from the twitch stream on February 24 2023. Episode 16 is a subscriber exclusive which you can find on my bandcamp subscription page . I start things off all arco, which is rare for me. I usually prefer to do things pizzicato to start with to give things a rhythmic base, but I think I should do more of this type o...

Episode 15 Cello GPT Nick Takénobu Ogawa Episode 15 is a throwback episode from the Twitch stream on March 28 2023. Episode 14 is a subscriber exlusive episode available only on my bandcamp subscription page . Things take a little while to coalesce, but I really like the chord progression that develops, simple as it may be. The percussion plays a big part in the feel of this one, with a nice littl...

Episode 13 On the Mend Nick Takénobu Ogawa This 13th episode comes from the youtube stream on May 16 2023. Episodes 11 and 12 are subscriber exclusive episodes over on my bandcamp subscription page . Things start off kind of contemplative, as I build things around a nice delay effect I found. I like the way the delay effect kind of creates a shape for me to explore, almost like a colorful tunnel I...

Episode 10 One Time at Bandcamp Nick Takénobu Ogawa This podcast comes from the Youtube stream from May 2, 2023 and it’s the 10th episode of the podcast! With this episode I’ve launched my bandcamp subscription page , where you can subscribe and support me directly, and get early access to ad free episodes, individual song downloads and more. Things start off to a nice relaxed pace with a slightly...

Episode 9 Nineties Feel Nick Takénobu Ogawa This twitch stream from Thursday April 27th 2023 started off with a nice mellow vibe, reminiscent of some of the jammier bands I used to listen to in the 90’s. I’m not sure what it is that gives things a 90’s sound to me, maybe it’s a feeling of optimism I associate with the time, or the lighter sort of dancey sound to the notes, but maybe it could just...

Episode 8 Quicksteppin' Nick Takenobu Ogawa Things started off to a quicker pace in this Youtube stream from Tuesday April 25, 2023 , with a couple of fun little uptempo pieces. So much of the feeling of a piece is dictated by the percussion loop, and I just like to wing it and see what comes from trying out the first thing that comes to mind. The second piece is much jazzier, partially inspired b...

Episode 7 Cello Godzilla Nick Takénobu Ogawa This episode comes from the twitch stream on Thursday April 20, 2023. I had just been messing around making some AI art, specifically images of Godzilla playing cello over his most recent destruction of a city in Japan. This imagery, as silly as it may seem was the inspiration for the first couple of pieces, which have a bit of a sad destructive tone to...

Episode 6 Throwback Tuesday Nick Takénobu Ogawa Lots of older pieces from the Youtube stream on Tuesday April 18, 2023. Sometimes I’m not feeling as creative and so it’s nice to just jam out some of my older pieces. Sometimes I’ll think I’m writing something new, but it’ll just be an iteration of an older piece. That’s kind of what happened at about 10 minutes in when I realized I was just playing...

This episode comes from the live twitch stream on Thursday, April 13 2023. Once again things got a bit ambient about halfway through, turning a bit dark even at about the 30 minute mark. I’d just been joking with the live viewers about how Spotify wouldn’t allow my all music podcast on their platform, as they require any music in a podcast to be channeled through their music tool so they can extra...

This instrumental jam comes from the Twitch stream on Thursday April 6, 2023. I feel like I found my groove at around the 50 minute mark with a fun harmonic progression that allowed for a nice build. There were some other nice improvs in here too, with a dark and mysterious one at 43 minutes in. I also threw in some older songs of mine, including Bamboo 2 at 26:30, an instrumental version of Trave...

Live composed on Twitch April 4, 2023

The music from this episode was all composed and performed live during a Twitch stream on March 30, 2023. Twitch username Takenobumusic.

Background music taken from episode 1 For Relaxing Times