Since the '90s, Mark de Clive-Lowe has made his name as an international electro-jazz wizard. But behind the scenes, the Japanese-Kiwi musician and composer says a search for belonging has been his main driver. This year, after 15 years of living in Los Angeles, de Clive-Lowe relocated to Tokyo - the birthplace of his late mum, Mizugaki.
On The Mixtape , he chats to Charlotte Ryan about coming of age in Auckland's "magical" 1990s jazz scene, discovering his great-grandfather composed music in te re Māori and why 50 is the new 30. For de Clive-Lowe, who grew up with a deep connection to Japanese culture through his mother, living in Tokyo as an adult has been a long time coming. "I started going there when I was 10 years old, then I'd go every summer to see relatives.
My first international shows were in Japan in '96 and then I was touring there once or twice a year every year. I also finished high school there. Japan has been a big character in my play, for sure.
" He is hopeful that within the next couple of years, his Japanese language will progress from what he describes as "good" to the level that Japanese people refer to as "native". "I don't think you can really understand a culture anywhere without knowing the language. They're just so inextricably linked and intertwined.
" While moving to a new country is not exactly easy, for de Clive-Lowe the sense of freshness and momentum it's delivered has been more than worth the effort. "There's something about going through al.