Osamu Kitajima
| Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋修) | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Justin Heathcliff |
| Born |
February 3, 1949 Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Origin | Japan |
| Genres | Electronic (electronic rock), instrumental, new-age, rock (progressive rock, psychedelic rock), world (traditional) |
| Years active | 1960s- |
| Labels |
Island Records Alfa East Quest Records Cyber Octave Mesa/Bluemoon |
| Associated acts | The Launchers |
| Website | http://www.eastquest.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Guitar, synthesizer, percussion, koto, biwa | |
Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer and multi‑instrumentalist.
After studying the classical guitar and the piano as a child, In the 1960s Kitajima was a member of his cousin Yūzō Kayama's band The Launchers. After graduating from Keio University, and already a successful composer of TV and advertising jingles, he moved for one year to the UK in 1971, which brought him in to contact with British folk and psychedelic rock. Inspired in particular by The Beatles, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Syd Barrett, he dubbed himself "Justin Heathcliff" (picked for its English-sounding quality) and issued his lone eponymous album. Released only in Japan, the album became highly prized in collector's circles for its good-natured idiosyncrasy and casual melodicism.
After this album, he dropped the pseudonym and in 1974 released his debut album, Benzaiten (Island Records) under his own name. This instrumental electronic music album was melodically rich and can be defined as a mix of progressive rock and traditional Japanese music. The album also featured Haruomi Hosono and it utilized various electronic equipment such as a synthesizer, rhythm machine, electronic drums, electric guitars, and electric bass.
In 1974, he moved to the Los Angeles area, USA, where he signed a contract with Island Records Later he opened the East Quest Studios there. In 1991, Kitajima released his critically acclaimed album "Behind the Light" in the USA (Higher Octave Music), again under his own name. In it, he blended elements of New Age and traditional Japanese music, e.g. he used the sounds of koto and shakuhachi.
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