Originally from Tokyo, and now based in London, Anchorsong is a producer and solo live act whose early champions include Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1) and NYLON Magazine.
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Anchorsong – aka Masaaki Yoshida - has become globally recognised for his unique live shows, which many people have described as "like watching a painter drawing on a white canvas", as he creates electronic music completely live using a sampler (MPC2500) and a keyboard, right in front of the audience. While he mainly performs solo, he frequently augments this setup with a string quartet, for a truly spellbinding show.
Since his relocation to Europe in late 2007, Anchorsong has supported Bonobo, Prefuse 73, DJ Krush, Daedelus, Gonjasufi, Jaga Jazzist and more, and performed at many prestigious venues including Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Roundhouse in London. He has garnered an international following on YouTube, with videos of his performances having been viewed more than 300,000 times so far.
After wowing the crowds at SXSW 2009, he found himself the subject of a new level of attention, going on to make several appearances on BBC Radio 1, with radio play from Rob Da Bank and a live Maida Vale session for Huw Stephens' In New Music We Trust show in early 2010.
In May 2011, Anchorsong signed to Tru Thoughts records in the UK, and his highly anticipated debut album, 'Chapters', was released worldwide on 28th November. It received the likes of tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Huw Stephens, John Kennedy (XFM) and Laurent Garnier. The 1st single "Plum Rain" became an instant classic and stayed in Top 40 of The Hype Machine for a week. A unique and addictive listen with layer up on layer to explore, the album fuses diverse influences including rock, hip hop and electronica, with every note – from beats right through to strings - played by accomplished multi-instrumentalist Yoshida himself.