Daigo Hanada spent his teenage years dedicating himself to basketball. But after an injury that ended his athletic career, he taught himself to play the piano at the age of 23, influenced by artists such as Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm. He then released his first collection of solo piano works, Ichiru, which reached over 70 million plays and charted as Spotify's most played in Japan in 2019. Hanada made his Mercury KX debut with his EP Nemurie, taking part in the global initiative by Decca US, in celebration of World Sleep Day, an annual call to action about the importance of healthy sleep. In addition, Daigo Hanada has been holding concerts throughout Japan to promote Piano Day (founded by Nils Frahm) in Japan, and this year he participated in the compilation album Piano Day Vo.2 organized by Frahm. Hanada currently has over 120 million streams and over 690,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
The new album, Journey Through Memories is a recollection of Daigo Hanada's life, including memories of when he first touched the piano as a child, memories of his late grandmother, and his childhood years of always seeking silence in the city. When he first touched the piano as a child, he was stunned by its loud volume, causing him to find the muffler felt attached to the piano. He quickly in love with the warm sound that enveloped his anxious and frightened heart, which in turn, established his current musical style. The album also features artists that are dear and close to Hanada, such as pianist Yoko Komatsu who he has collaborated with on numerous occasions. Another notable feature is folksinger, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Priscilla Ahn.
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