{"rewrite":{"id":"r_da2bcaa47b68df7fc64ec849","clusterId":"c_839cfa5672d936fa4d232c7d","slug":"yoko-kanno-discusses-career-new-york-concerts-and-the-future-in-extensive-interview","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Yoko Kanno Discusses Career, New York Concerts, and the Future in Extensive Interview","summary":"Composer Yoko Kanno gave a wide-ranging interview to multiple outlets at Anime Boston 2026, covering her career, creative process, and upcoming New York performances. Kanno discussed her solo piano show \"Piano Me,\" which she last performed at Otakon in 2013, and her concert with The Seatbelts on April 10 and 11. She explained that she wanted to perform \"Piano Me\" now because she does not know how much longer she or her bandmates will be able to do such shows. Kanno also addressed why she has not scored an anime since 2014's \"Terror in Resonance,\" saying her fees are high and the economy is not great, but she would be happy to do it if timing worked. She described working with Netflix as a challenge, and shared stories about recording with Rudy Van Gelder, who she said was aggressive in his seventies. Kanno said her biggest current inspiration is God, and that she is interested in DJing and exploring classical music. She called a piano a spaceship that allows her to connect with audiences, and said she views music as a way to communicate through the collective subconscious.","whyItMatters":"Kanno's frankness about the economic and logistical barriers to scoring anime, combined with her acknowledgment of her own aging, offers a rare, unvarnished look at the realities facing even the most celebrated composers in the industry.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eIn a multi-outlet interview at Anime Boston 2026, Yoko Kanno spoke at length about her creative philosophy, her upcoming New York concerts, and the practical challenges of her career. She described her solo show \"Piano Me\" as an opportunity for direct audience interaction, contrasting it with larger band performances where such connection is harder. Kanno said she views the piano not as a machine but as a spaceship that lets her travel with the audience through music. She recalled recording in Chennai, India, where she had to remove her shoes in the studio because music there is considered an offering to God. Kanno also discussed the technical difficulty of syncing light projections with her piano, since the instrument is not electric and cannot be connected to a computer. She expressed interest in DJing and classical music, and said she would perform on the West Coast if someone called her. The interview covered her early career, including cold-calling the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to ask if they would play her music, and how Rudy Van Gelder recommended musicians for the Cowboy Bebop sessions. Kanno said she has not scored an anime since 2014 because her fees are high and the economy is weak, but she remains open to it if the timing works.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Yoko Kanno on why she hasn't scored anime since 2014: 'My fees are a little bit on the high side, and the economy is not so great right now, so maybe I'm a little hard to work with.'","twitterPost":"Kanno calls a piano a spaceship, says her biggest inspiration is God, and wants to DJ. She also reveals Netflix was a challenge to work with.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Yoko Kanno gave a candid, wide-ranging interview at Anime Boston 2026, discussing her upcoming New York concerts, why she hasn't scored anime since 2014, and her desire to DJ. She also shared stories about recording with Rudy Van Gelder and her view of music as a vehicle for collective subconscious communication.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime Herald\",\"url\":\"https://www.animeherald.com/2026/04/08/a-conversation-with-yoko-kanno/\",\"title\":\"A Conversation With Yoko Kanno\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":7666,"outputTokens":837,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780170877,"createdAt":"2026-05-30T19:09:12.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-30T19:11:59.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-30T19:11:59.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_839cfa5672d936fa4d232c7d","canonicalTitle":"A Conversation With Yoko Kanno","representativeArticleId":"a_5378aa095291b0be7ef9131c","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Yoko Kanno\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"music\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-04-09T00:40:19.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-04-09T00:40:19.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-30T19:11:59.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime Herald","url":"https://www.animeherald.com/2026/04/08/a-conversation-with-yoko-kanno/?utm_source=rss\u0026#038;utm_medium=rss\u0026#038;utm_campaign=a-conversation-with-yoko-kanno","title":"A Conversation With Yoko Kanno"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Yoko Kanno"],"type":"news","domain":"music","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Yoko Kanno will perform her solo piano show 'Piano Me' at New York concerts on April 10 and 11, 2026, with The Seatbelts.","Kanno last performed 'Piano Me' at Otakon in 2013.","Kanno has not scored an anime since 2014's 'Terror in Resonance' because her fees are high and the economy is weak, but she remains open to it if timing works.","Kanno described working with Netflix as a challenge.","Kanno said her biggest current inspiration is God."]}