DUAL CORE 双核: An Immersive Hybrid Drum Performance by Kazuya Oi 大井一彌
Kazuya Oi is a professional drummer and music producer based in Tokyo, Japan. He has toured and performed with a variety of major Japanese artists, including his own band yahyel, always focusing on fusing acoustic drumming with electronics.
Inspired by his admiration for both heavy metal and cutting-edge electronic music, his latest piece, Dual Core, utilizes Sensory Percussion to add sonic layers played live with no backing tracks. Using some fancy camera trickery, the piece unfolds as a duet with himself: two clones playing different parts that interlock to create a percussive call and response that blurs the line between analog and digital. We caught up with Kazuya to ask him how it all came together and learn a bit about his philosophy on modern music-making techniques.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your musical background?
Born in the 90s in Tokyo, I picked up the drums during my student years, heavily influenced by my father, who is a huge jazz enthusiast. In my youth, I formed a band playing '60s psychedelic rock. Inspired by the multi-track recording techniques and early electronic music of artists like the late-era Beatles and Silver Apples, I naturally developed a deep fascination for techno and electronic music.
A turning point in my career came when I had the immense honor of stepping in for the legendary Japanese drummer Yukihiro Takahashi at one of his concerts. Since that performance, I have been recognized by many as the successor to Takahashi, who was the iconic backbone of the pioneering Japanese electronic band, Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).
Currently, in addition to my work with my electronic band yahyel, I'm active as a studio and touring musician, providing live and recording support for a wide range of major artists from rock to pop. I also produce beat tracks for video games, advertisements, and art exhibitions.
What made you first interested in using Sensory Percussion? Did you have prior experience with other electronic drums?
Almost as soon as I started playing drums, I became fascinated by the hybrid setup of acoustic drums and electronic instruments. While many drummers naturally gravitate toward vintage Slingerland kits or old K Zildjian cymbals, I was drawn to the 1980s electronic drum movement and heavily researched vintage synth drums like SIMMONS. Through that research, I discovered Bill Bruford (the drummer for Yes and King Crimson), who remains my ultimate drum hero to this day.
Being based in Japan, Roland products have always been close to me. I started with the SPD-SX, and today I frequently use V-Drums and the TM-6 PRO in my setups. In fact, my relationship with Roland runs deep; I was approached by their development team to collaborate and provide input during the product development of the SPD-SX PRO.
However, every electronic drum system I had experienced relied on traditional piezo sensors to trigger sounds. Sensory Percussion, on the other hand, introduced a completely revolutionary approach to capturing sound and vibration. The moment I discovered it on Sunhouse's Instagram, I was completely captivated by its potential.
Tell us a little bit about the concept behind "Dual Core" and how the idea first started.
Historically, when a live drummer approaches electronic music, the standard method has almost always been to play acoustically on top of a pre-designed, rigid backing track. However, my ultimate goal is to create music where the electronic elements and the human element dynamically influence each other in real-time, functioning bi-directionally. I wanted to express this co-existence of two distinct musical "cores," which is why I titled the piece "Dual Core."
To bring this idea to life, I set up two different drum kits: one is a traditional acoustic drum set, and the other is a drum kit fitted with mesh heads and Sensory Percussion sensors.
The piece represents the two extremes of my identity—the side of me that loves the pure, natural sound of an acoustic kit, and the side that loves electronically transformed gadgets. To visualize this duality, I used a cloning effect in the video, presenting it as a visual artwork where two versions of myself are performing together and interacting simultaneously.
What role did Sensory Percussion play in this piece?
In "Dual Core," I used Sensory Percussion to dynamically control four distinct instruments, utilizing the sensors to drive complex MIDI modulations in Ableton Live.
Harp-like Synthesizer (Main Melody on the Snare)
I set up the maximum number of zone divisions on the snare to capture a dense range of MIDI notes. While these notes are randomly assigned to the song's musical scale, I programmed it so that higher hit velocities increase the probability of triggering higher pitches, while softer hits favor lower pitches. Additionally, center hits keep the reverb centered, but moving toward the edge gradually widens the reverb's stereo image.
Rack Tom (Jungle / Drum & Bass Samples)
During the middle section, where Drum & Bass samples are heavily triggered, I mapped the stroke speed to the sample playback length. If I hit the tom slowly, the samples time-stretch and play back slower than the original tempo. Conversely, rapid rolls or faster strokes automatically shorten and compress the sample, triggering it at a much faster tempo.
Floor Tom (Acid Bassline)
In the final movement, I used the floor tom to perform a TB-303-style bass synthesizer. By mapping specific notes of the scale to different zones on the drum, I was able to play intentional, driving acid techno basslines entirely through my drum layout.
Acoustic Kick Drum (Distorted Guitar Riffs)
During the abstract metal section in the latter half, I attached a Sensory Percussion sensor to my traditional acoustic bass drum. This was set up to trigger heavy, distorted guitar riff one-shots in perfect unison with the kick. It allowed me to execute that signature heavy-music styling—where the kick and guitar rhythm are tightly locked—completely live, following my improvisational drumming on the fly.
What led you to use Sensory Percussion instead of using all traditional triggers?
As I mentioned earlier, the main reason comes down to the sheer volume and density of information that the sensors can transmit.
With a traditional piezo-pickup trigger (like the Roland RT-30HR), you are limited to transmitting only about two MIDI notes per drum (head and rim). In contrast, a single Sensory Percussion sensor allows you to map up to 10 distinct zones.
Historically, traditional drum triggers have been used to narrow a drum's sonic range—for example, making sure a powerful snare sample fires consistently no matter where or how softly you hit the head, or playing uniform, machine-like patterns similar to a classic drum machine.
Sensory Percussion, however, is designed for the exact opposite: it deeply approaches a more natural, wider range of expressiveness. In "Dual Core," this nuance was essential. It allowed me to assign melodic instruments to the drum kit to play intricate melodies, and to introduce detailed, evolving sonic changes as the performance built up in intensity. This level of dynamic, multi-zone control is something that could only be achieved with Sensory Percussion.
How did you find the experience of writing and performing with Sensory Percussion?
It was an absolutely incredible experience.
In the past, my approach to combining these worlds was purely built on contrast: placing the raw, randomized "human error" of live drums on top of a rigid, cyclical electronic sequence. By introducing Sensory Percussion, however, I was able to make the electronic sounds themselves behave with complex, organic randomness based on my physical input. As a result, the music became fundamentally more organic and alive.
I truly feel this workflow offers a powerful hint at how we can dismantle the modern, rigid mindset that music cannot exist without the perfection of "quantization." It shifts the paradigm for contemporary drummers and performers, opening up a space where digital music can breathe just as naturally as an acoustic instrument.
Can you reveal the secrets behind how you achieved the effect of cloning yourself?
I collaborated with my partner and videographer, Risa Nishimura, to bring this visual concept to life.
The technique itself is actually quite straightforward: we used a fixed-angle camera and split the frame into left and right halves, filming the two separate performance takes individually, and then seamlessly composited them in post-production.
To ensure the two "clones" were perfectly synced, a shared vocal countdown cue plays right at the transition points between musical sections, allowing both versions of myself to drive the music forward in perfect lockstep.
While it's a simple concept on paper, executing it with precise timing made it an incredibly effective and striking visual statement that perfectly mirrors the fusion of acoustic and electronic worlds.
Any plans to make more music and/or music videos with Sensory Percussion?
Absolutely!
For my next experiment, I want to see how far I can push the limits of minimalism by routing an entire electronic ensemble through just one instrument. My plan is to use a single snare drum equipped with Sensory Percussion to control and trigger all of my hardware synths and percussion gear.
It's somewhat inspired by that viral video from a while back, where someone used a pigeon pecking at seeds in a park to trigger a complex electronic music sequence. I want to expand on that concept on a much grander, professional scale. Imagine triggering my Polyend Perc, my Sequential Prophet, and other fascinating electronic instruments—all dynamically played and articulated through the expressiveness of just a single snare drum. That is exactly what I am working on next!
Any other projects that you'd like to promote?
First and foremost, I'd love for you to check out my band, yahyel, where I play drums and work as a sound producer. We combine electronic textures with a dark, intense live energy, so I highly recommend giving our music a listen!
As a touring drummer and independent artist, my projects span across many different genres. You can keep up with all my latest work, live dates, and tracks by checking out my official website and following my social media channels.
Also, I know there are so many brilliant, passionate creators and researchers around the world pushing the boundaries of forward-thinking music—but my network of global peers is still small. I am incredibly eager to connect and exchange ideas with anyone trying new, interesting concepts in music. Please feel free to shoot me a DM anytime! Let's connect.
Instagram / X (Twitter): @oioiiioiooi
