Yasutaka Nakata (中田 ヤスタカ, Nakata Yasutaka, born February 6, 1980) is a Japanese music producer and DJ. He formed the band Capsule in 1997 with vocalist Toshiko Koshijima and himself as composer and record producer. The band debuted in 2001 with the song "Sakura".[2]
He is known for being the music producer of Japanese girl group Perfume and Japanese model-turned-singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu since 2003 and 2011, respectively. These artists have gained commercial success for the songs that Nakata wrote and produced, such as "Chocolate Disco", "Polyrhythm", "Fashion Monster", and "Ninja Re Bang Bang". Nakata has worked with several other Japanese pop singers, including MEG, Ami Suzuki, and SMAP, and has also remixed songs by other artists, including M-Flo and Leah Dizon. He ran his own label, Contemode, in association with Yamaha. After Towa Tei, he was the second Japanese artist to officially remix Kylie Minogue,[3] contributing a version of her single "Get Outta My Way". He also formed Coltemonikha with singer, model, and fashion designer Kate Sakai. In July 2012, he won the "Creator" award for the "Change Maker of the Year 2012" event.[4] The Japan Record Awards also awarded Nakata the Best Music Arrangement Award twice, the first for the songs "Tsukema Tsukeru" by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and "Spice" by Perfume in 2012, and the second one for Kyary's songs "Harajuku Iyahoi" and "Easta" in 2017. Nakata released his first solo album, Digital Native, on February 7, 2018.
As of September 25, 2019, Nakata has yielded a total of ten number-one albums, mostly under his production with Perfume (six albums and two compilations)[5] and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (two albums).[6]
^北陸新幹線、金沢駅に中田ヤスタカ氏の発車メロディー採用 [Departure melody by Yasutaka Nakata to be used for Hokuriku Shinkansen Kanazawa Station]. Nihon Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: Nikkei Inc. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
