View source for Towa Tei


{{Short description|Japanese musician (born 1964)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name              = Towa Tei
| image             = TeiTowaJI1 (cropped).jpg
| caption           = Towa Tei in 2007
| image_size        = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| background        = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| origin            = [[Tokyo]], Japan
| alias             = Sweet Robots Against the Machine
| birth_place       = [[Yokohama]], Japan
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1964|09|07}}
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| instrument        = {{flatlist|
* [[Electronic keyboard|Keyboards]]
* [[phonograph|turntables]]
}}
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Electronica]]
* [[house music|house]]
* [[trip hop]]
* [[shibuya-kei]]
* [[big beat]]
* [[drum and bass]]
}}
| occupation        = {{flatlist|
* [[Record producer]]
* [[Disc jockey|DJ]]
}}
| years_active      = 
| label             = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| associated_acts   = {{flatlist|
* [[Deee-Lite]]
* Metafive
* [[Teriyaki Boyz]]
}}
}}

{{nihongo|'''Towa Tei'''|鄭 東和|Tei Tōwa|born September 7, 1964}} is a Japanese artist, [[record producer]], and [[Disc jockey|DJ]]. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Towa was a member of [[Deee-Lite]], from the US [[record label|label]] [[Elektra Records]] in 1990 and shot to fame via their international [[hit single]], "[[Groove Is In the Heart]]". He made his solo debut with the album ''[[Future Listening!]]'' in 1994. He has since relocated from New York to rural [[Nagano prefecture|Nagano Prefecture]] in Japan.<ref name="JPTimes">{{cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20090213a1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215153847/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20090213a1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 15, 2009 |title=Towa Tei wallows in optimism for art's sake |author=Robert Michael Poole |work=[[The Japan Times]] |access-date=May 6, 2011 |date=February 19, 2009 }}</ref>

Towa's second studio album, ''[[Sound Museum]]'' (1997), became his highest charting effort at number 17 on the ''[[Oricon]]'' charts. Its single, "[[GBI (German Bold Italic)]]" featuring [[Kylie Minogue]] and [[Haruomi Hosono]], reached number 50 and 63 in Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively. He saw continued success with 1999's ''[[Last Century Modern]]'' as its single, "[[Let Me Know (Towa Tei song)|Let Me Know]]" featuring [[Chara (singer)|Chara]], peaked at number 34 in Japan, his highest entry.

Towa has collaborated with [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], [[Yukihiro Takahashi]], [[Akiko Yano]], [[Ringo Sheena]], and [[Arto Lindsay]], among others. His concept party, "Hotel H", started in 2009 as a social spot for music industry people in Tokyo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oops-music.com/info/view_news.html?nid=50205 |title=Oops-music.com |publisher=Oops-music.com |access-date=December 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727020054/http://oops-music.com/info/view_news.html?nid=50205 |archive-date=July 27, 2011 }}</ref>

==Biography==
Towa is a third-generation [[Koreans in Japan|Korean-Japanese]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/05/style/towa-tei-finds-solo-success-as-a-djproducer-life-after-deeelite.html?mcubz=0 |title=Towa Tei Finds Solo Success as a DJ-Producer : Life After Deee-Lite |access-date=August 29, 2017 |last=McClure |first=Steve |date=July 5, 2000 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829123110/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/05/style/towa-tei-finds-solo-success-as-a-djproducer-life-after-deeelite.html?mcubz=0 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2477863.stm|title=Korea's pop diplomacy|last=Levinson|first=Hugh|date=November 14, 2002|publisher=BBC News|access-date=November 22, 2017|language=en-GB|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044025/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2477863.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Towa began making demo tapes at the age of 16 having bought his first synthesizer, a [[Korg MS-10]]. While studying at [[Musashino Art University]] Junior College of Art and Design, he sent his tape to a radio program of [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]] titled ''Sound Street''.

In 1987, Towa moved to the U.S. to study graphic design and joined house act [[Deee-Lite]], a trio with Supa DJ Dimitry and [[Lady Miss Kier]], enjoying almost instant success after debuting in 1990 with their album ''[[World Clique]]'' and the single "[[Groove Is In the Heart]]".

In 1991, Towa collaborated with his idol [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]] on Sakamoto's album ''[[Heartbeat (Sakamoto album)|Heartbeat]]''. He also appeared on Sakamoto's follow up album ''[[Sweet Revenge (Ryuichi Sakamoto album)|Sweet Revenge]]''.

In 1994, Towa returned to Japan after seven years in New York.<ref name="JPTimes" /> He sustained a back injury falling from a stage during a performance with Deee-Lite in Brazil. While recovering, he began to drift toward other musical styles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/3330/Towa-Tei-the-interview |title=Towa Tei: The Interview |access-date=July 8, 2011 |last=Hadfield |first=James |date=May 18, 2011 |work=[[Time Out Tokyo]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804101427/http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/3330/Towa-Tei-the-interview |archive-date=August 4, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/151885/towa-teis-music-on-display-in-sound-museum/ |title=Towa Tei's Music On Display In ''Sound Museum'' |access-date=December 10, 2018 |last=Smith |first=Dakota |date=May 7, 1998 |work=[[MTV News]] |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013211707/http://www.mtv.com/news/151885/towa-teis-music-on-display-in-sound-museum/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He debuted as a solo act with ''[[Future Listening!]]'' that same year, incorporating an array of styles, including electronic, bossa nova, house, jazz and pop. It featured collaborations with [[Joi Cardwell]], [[Bebel Gilberto]], [[MC Kinky]], [[Hiroshi Takano]], [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], [[Haruomi Hosono]], Toshihiko Mori, [[Satoshi Tomiie]], Yuichi Oki of [[Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra]] and [[Pizzicato Five]] vocalist [[Maki Nomiya]].

''[[Sound Museum]]'' followed in 1997, then ''[[Last Century Modern]]'' in 1999. 2002 brought the album ''Towa Tei'', under the pseudonym [[Sweet Robots Against the Machine]]. ''[[Flash (Towa Tei album)|Flash]]'' surfaced in 2005<ref name="JPTimes" /> by which time Towa was DJing regularly in Japan. He has admitted, though, that he does not enjoy performing and prefers producing and using computers.<ref name="JPTimes" />

''Big Fun'', featuring [[Verbal (rapper)|Verbal]] and [[Mademoiselle Yulia]], was released in 2009 and was the third album to feature the artwork of San Franciscan painter and [[graffiti artist]] [[Barry McGee]].<ref name="JPTimes" /> For the album, Towa utilized [[MySpace]] to collaborate with artists from around the world, even if he didn't know them, such as with German act Taprikk Sweezee.<ref name="JPTimes" /> Another collaborator he worked with for ''Big Fun'' was [[Miho Hatori]] of [[Cibo Matto]], though they also met only on MySpace.<ref name="JPTimes" />

Towa has established his own creative company, '''hug inc''', which, among other things, manufactures his trademark sunglasses.<ref name="JPTimes" />

==Discography==
{{Main|Towa Tei discography}}
* ''[[Future Listening!]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Sweet Robots Against the Machine]]'' <small>(as Sweet Robots Against the Machine)</small> (1997)
* ''[[Sound Museum]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Last Century Modern]]'' (1999)
* ''Towa Tei'' <small>(as Sweet Robots Against the Machine)</small> (2002)
* ''[[Flash (Towa Tei album)|Flash]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Big Fun (Towa Tei album)|Big Fun]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Sunny (Towa Tei album)|Sunny]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Lucky (Towa Tei album)|Lucky]]'' (2013)
* ''Cute'' (2015)
* ''Emo'' (2017)
* ''3'' <small>(as Sweet Robots Against the Machine)</small> (2018)
* ''LP'' (2021)
* ''Zoundtracks'' (2023)
* ''Touch'' (2023)
* ''[[Metallic Rouge]]'' (2023)
* ''AH!!'' (2025)
* [[Star Wars: Visions|''Star Wars: Visions - The Song of Four Wings'']] (2025)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.towatei.com Official website]
 
{{Towa Tei}}
{{Deee-Lite}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tei, Towa}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Japanese dance musicians]]
[[Category:Japanese DJs]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Tokyo]]
[[Category:Japanese remixers]]
[[Category:Shibuya-kei musicians]]
[[Category:Zainichi Korean musicians]]
[[Category:Deee-Lite members]]
[[Category:Trip hop musicians]]
[[Category:Electronic dance music DJs]]