Dark Model is back with more progressive, melodious, and dramatic orchestral electronica. Following the highly-acclaimed first album, which was nominated for the 14th Independent Music Awards, "Saga,” this 2nd album, takes the audience on an epic high-energy journey through 13 tracks of massive electronic beats with intricately layered symphonic sound. It jumpstarts an awakening to the listener’s soul and will continue to resonate for years to come. - About Dark Model - Dark Model is the latest project of award-winning music producer Tatsuya Oe, focused on epic, emotional, and beat-oriented orchestral electronic music. Oe was born in Hiroshima, Japan and is now residing in New York. Oe has an exceedingly diverse background in music, which has continued to evolve over the course of his twenty-year career. He has released several hundred signature tracks under the names Captain Funk, OE, and Dark Model, while also having completed remixes and collaborative projects with other artists such as James Brown, Serge Gainsbourg, Ron Sexsmith, Chic, Simon Lebon, and Yoshihide Otomo. Music journalists have referred to Oe as the “Remix Wizard,” and the “Modern Renaissance Man,” “…sailing into the uncharted waters of dance music.” Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) described his music as “F***ing insane!” Dark Model’s first album (2014) was nominated for the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards (The IMAs) in the Dance/Electronica Album category. Dark Model and Oe’s music has been featured in numerous media projects, from box office film trailers like “Elysium”, “The Paperboy”, and "Money Monster," to advertising campaigns for Lexus, Verizon "Droid," Xbox "Forza Motorsport 5", and to a contemporary dance choreography by Northern Ballet. - "Musical Narratives” - The music of Dark Model is based on a concept that Oe has unvaryingly embraced throughout his career: incorporating a diverse range of musical ideas and elements into what he calls “Musical Narratives." As can be heard in preceding releases such as Captain Funk's “Songs of the Siren,” chosen as "The Year in Music" by Billboard magazine, Oe has a keen interest in “building and telling a story through music.” In this album, "Saga," not only does the whole album form as one epic story consisting of thematic tracks (as represented by the adventurous "Avalon," "Survivors," the apocalyptic and uplifting "Rage and Redemptions," "Danse Macabre," and the introspective "Dawn of Resurrection"), but some tracks such as “Inferno Suite,” “Storm Goddess,” and “Elegy 1” are also composed as a self-contained "suite," a sequence of short musical dramas. Oe likens his music production style to making an animated/manga film. Just as a director/animator would do "visually," he develops several characters, emotions, and actions "musically" into one time-based work. About the Artwork For the artwork of this album, Oe came up with an idea of creating Dark Model's Kamon (Japanese heraldic symbol/icon/brand) based on the real emblem of his family. In the era of feudalism, Kamon was heavily used to identify an individual or family, not only in peacetime but also in wartime. It worked as the most definitive and effective way of tightening their family bond (including their blood, root, and creed) and demonstrating the strength and authenticity to their enemy. Oe thought using the "evolved" Kamon for the artwork would be meaningful for representing the theme of this album as well as his identity as an artist. Under the concept, Oe's design team morphed and developed his Kamon substantially into the modern symbol. - Excerpts from Dark Model's first album reviews - “Tatsuya Oe has created one of the best electronic music efforts in recent memory and easily one of the most grandiose and memorable of 2014. The fact that his self-titled album as Dark Model is merely a debut should be nothing short of intimidating to all other producers within the world of EDM. (Score: 9.5/10)” (Under The Gun Review) “Dark Model’s self-titled album offers up an electronic sound like no other. The symphonic experience is one of a kind as Dark Model provides listeners with an orchestral theme on 16 cuts. (5 out of 5 stars Final Grade: A)” (Examiner.com) “This disc really surprised me. It’s not exactly my kind of music. This album, though, just blew me away. In fact, it’s likely to make my best of 2014 list. I’m pretty impressed with this. It works really well and is a great ride.” (Music Street Journal) “This opens up the possibility to combine different musical genres, and by using them to express varied emotional states of the artist. A musical torpedo. (Score: 100%, 5 stars)” (Alternation.eu) “As the album comes to its end, it’s clear that Dark Model is a rarity – ambitious in its attempt to fuse cinematic scores with up-to-the-minute dub aesthetics, and overall it’s successful in what it has set out to do.” (Skopemag) “I can guarantee you’ve never heard anything quite like Dark Model. The record is so well-executed, it’s almost impossible to believe that it’s the work of one person. I’d be more likely to believe that a team of the industry’s finest gathered in secret to remix some obscure centuries-old masterpieces.” (Indiemunity) “What really sets Oe apart from his electronic peers is his originality. He creates a sound that cannot be compared to any artist who has come before him. Surely emerging artists will try to emulate Dark Model’s sound, but Oe brings a complexity to his work that is interesting and irresistible. (5 out of 5 stars)” (VeggieFans) “His first album, self-titled Dark Model, is an audio storyboard or sorts, and unfolds just as you’d expect from a superhero sound engineer: thrilling adventure, dire downfalls, and triumphant victory.” (Dance Music Northwest) “In other words, if a Tron 2 were to be released, I think Daft Punk would know who to collaborate with next.” (What’s Good With It) “If you want electronic music with depth, this is it.” (DJZ.com) “Tatsuya Oe has created an album that many different music fans can enjoy. The skill demonstrated in this collection of tracks can not be ignored because Tatsuya Oe has a spectacular understanding of what he wants to do with each piece.” (Guardian Liberty Voice) “Dark Model rides that wave the way a knight would ride into battle. Tatsuya Oe, the brain behind the name, and also known as DJ Captain Funk, blends cinematic orchestrations with new edged electronic music to create music with an intensity that few could achieve.” (Wordkrapht) “Crossing genres is tricky to do and be taken seriously, but Dark Model is an example of how it sounds when you do it right. There is an obvious appreciation of diverse musical backgrounds in every track on the album with a flair for the heroic that can unironically be described with terms like “soundscape”. It’s music that truly transports the listener.” (Quip Magazine) “Oe remains in high demand because he creates a completely idiosyncratic style of electronica, one that can be found pulsating at clubs just as likely as at the desk of a music critic impressed with Oe’s broad stylistic grasp.” (Obscure Sound) “Listening to Dark Model’s debut release really put me in a state of trance. His music does exactly what he wanted it to do, and that’s to build and tell a story.” (The DJ List) “This is dancey to please most educated club kids , but also serves as his calling card to Hollywood as this album is almost a tapestry of would be soundtracks.” (Soletron.com) “You could call him an electronic artist, but that would seem to sell him short.” (We All Want Someone To Shout For & Hype Machine) “Dark Model is a collection of 16 awesome instrumental tracks that just keep you mesmerized.” (The Music Universe) “Are you a gamer who also likes to dance ? Well here is the soundtrack to your next MMO.” (Hiplanta.com) “Dark Model’s Electronic Orchestral Album Is A Cinematic Spectacle” (Death By Electro)