In June 2014, as Koki Nakano prepared for a concert at the Maison de la Culture du Japon a Paris, he was more nervous than usual. The Fukuoka-born pianist had played countless live shows before, both as a solo artist and with his electro-rock band Gas Law, but this time was different. In the audience to watch his concert was Laurent Bizot, executive producer and founder of highly-respected French independent record label No Format!. The concert would change Nakano's life, initiating his eventual move to France.
"The main reason I headed out to Paris was because of the label," Nakano says. "I'd been a fan of No Format! since I was 18. It's an organization that invests in original music projects but is extremely selective in terms of artists. I knew my performance had to be flawless if there was any chance of me being signed. My manager arranged for Bizot to come and I put my case to him after the concert. He said my playing was great, but too classical and was, therefore, interested in listening to more of my work."
Nakano, who started playing the piano at the age of 3, sent some pieces he wrote featuring the cello and Bizot again liked what he heard. A plan developed for the Japanese musician to work on an album in Paris with revered cellist Vincent Segal, a man known for his collaborations with a variety of artists, including Sting and Elvis Costello. Before the partnership could form, however, the Frenchman would need some convincing.