Masahide Sakuma

Following his time as the bassist of the progressive rock group Yonin Bayashi, which was formed in 1971, Sakuma began work as a composer, music arranger and session musician. He worked as a producer for many artists such as BOØWY, L’Arc~en~Ciel and TOKIO, helping many musicians find their big break. He has produced more artists than anyone else in Japan.
Sakuma used a characteristic type of backward-angle picking that is also known as the “Masahide Sakuma way of picking.” By picking in this manner, musicians can play the strings harder, creating an even stronger sound than slap bass. Because of this, he influenced many artists such as Tsunematsu Matsui of BOØWY, JIRO of GLAY, and HITOKI of KUROYUME. Sakuma was originally a guitarist and was skilled at playing many other instruments such as the keyboard.
Sakuma passed away in 2013.
Official Website: http://www.masahidesakuma.net/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/masahidesakuma
Twitter: http://twitter.com/masahidesakuma
Myspace: http://myspace.com/masahidesakuma

Masahide Sakuma