Tatsuya Oe

“Captain Funk will make you believe!” was The Ministry of Sound magazine’s opinion, while Time Out Mag described his music as a “Vibrant delight!” Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) described his record as “F***ing insane!” and demanded extra copies. The Fatboy was not alone obviously, as Tatsuya has earned the praise and respect of international DJs from across the board such as Coldcut, Si Begg, Freddy Fresh, Ken Ishii and Carl Cox. Captain Funk released successful singles, mix CDs and albums including Bustin’ Loose EP, Dancing in the Street, Style, etc. Especially his second album Songs of the Siren was selected as one of “The Year in Music 2001 Critic’s Choice” of the Billboard magazine.

In April 2018, Saga won the 16th Annual Independent Music Award (IMA) for Best Dance/Electronica Album.

In February 2014, Captain Funk “Endless Possibilities (feat. Raj Ramayya)” was featured in ABC Family's TV drama “Switched at Birth. Also “Somebody Like You feat. Meri Neeser” was used in the trailer of web channel "Wigs" drama “Blue (Season 3)” starring Julia Stiles.

In 2014 May, half a year after Tatsuya relocated from Japan to the United States, Tatsuya's label Model Electronic released the debut album of Dark Model in the form of CD and digital downloads. In 2017 March, Dark Model's second album Saga was released. In addition to the original release in the U.S, and the album was licensed and released in Japan.

He runs his own music library, Model Electronic Music Library (formerly Club Model Electronic), for licensing his compositions to music and media professionals. As of 2014, his music has been licensed and used in TV advertising and promotion movies in the US territory of Burger King, Skechers, Oprah Winfrey Network, and Macy's.

In July 2013, Tatsuya released “Chronicles 2007-2013, Vol. 1 & 2″(all 98 tracks) in the form of digital download, which was the collection of tracks which have been produced since 2007 under the moniker of Captain Funk.

He is known for his mastery and diversity of composition and music production in electronic, dance, rock, pop, and dramatic scores. In addition to commercial releases under recording artist monikers of Captain Funk, (Tatsuya) OE, and Dark Model, he has composed for and has been often featured on TV, film, video games, animation projects, and corporate branding campaigns in the US, Europe, and Asia markets. In July 2012, his composed piece as Dark Model was included on the first footage reel of 2013 movie Elysium (starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster. dir: Neill Blomkamp) played at Comic-Con, San Diego.

In 2012 June, Tatsuya launched his new project Dark Model which is focused on edgy, epic, and cinematic instrumental music. In 2012, his composed piece as Dark Model was included on the first footage of the 2013 movie Elysium (starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster).

In 2012 Dec, Dark Model “Oath (Dubstep Remix)” was licensed and featured in Verizon Wireless TV Commercial “Droid DNA -Extra Sensory” with its artwork, which was aired all over the U.S. Dark Model's music has been licensed and used in numerous media projects, including cinema trailers for films such as "The Paperboy" (starring Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack) and in advertising campaigns for Lexus, Oakley, Xbox, Wilson Sporting Goods, among others.

In July 2011, the latest release as Captain Funk "Versions2011" got ranked No.1 in “Dance/Electronica” & No.2 in “Pops” at MP3 Album chart on Amazon.co.jp.

While continuing collaboration and remix work for other artists such as Dúné, Radiopilot and Ami Suzuki, in August 2009 he released Captain Funk's next album Sunshine in Japan (worldwide in October 2010), which includes “Weekend (kissing, touching, tasting, loving)" feat. Adnan Kurtov and “Piece of you ” feat. Meri Neeser. “Weekend” was ranked in several radio charts in Japan, and “Piece of You" was featured by Forever 21 (US) for their sales promotion and aired in nine movie theaters in the western United States, as well as in Forever 21's 400+ stores.

In 2008 his company Model Electronic Inc launched a new online shop called "Club Model Electronic". “It's a membership based company/label's "direct shop" to deliver our sounds & exclusive info to listeners, especially in the areas where our products have been hardly purchasable.”

As the first project of this company, he released Captain Funk's albums, Heavy Metal and Heavy Mellow (2007). These albums display his way of fusing together the early Captain Funk's uplifting vibes and his songwriting skills acquired through OE's works. Several tracks, as represented by “Hey Boy, Hey Girl” feat. Meri Neeser, not only became popular in Japan but also was played in overseas radios, parties, and shops such as Club Sandwich and Dior Homme shop in Paris.

From the 2002 release Here and You, he started another solo project simply under his real last name OE to focus more on cutting-edge and introspective music. After collaboration with Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet “ONJQ+OE“, he released two albums Physical Fiction and Director’s Cut. During his OE era, he did an opening act for Kraftwerk, Holger Czukay, and David Bowie (as Groove Syndicate) in their Japan tours.

Oe participated in Panasonic's global branding movie Experience Color which won “The Finalist Award” in New York Festivals, as well as “Silver Prize” for the Tokyo Interactive Ad Awards. Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) described his music as “F***ing insane!” Captain Funk's album, “Songs of the Siren,” was selected by Billboard for their feature story “Year in Music 2001/Critic's Choice", and his song “Twist & Shout” was featured as a theme song in SABU's movie “Monday.” In autumn 2013, he relocated from Japan to the United States.

Tatsuya Oe was born in Hiroshima, Japan. At the age of 12, he showed great interest in rock, pop, and electronic music, and at the age of 14, decided to buy his first electric guitar, synthesizer, and sequencer. In school days he formed several bands performing rock, synthpop/new wave, heavy metal, and even prog rock. While he couldn't find bandmates for playing his favorite funk or black music since those kinds of music was nearly unknown in Japan at that time, a few years later he found excitement in playing DJ to the audience and got attracted by dance/club music such as rare groove, disco, house, and hip hop. After he majored in economics at and graduated from Tokyo University, while working for an advertising company, he started composition/music production with his computer. His demo tapes were acclaimed by several European dance/techno labels and he released his debut 12 inches called Dazzlin' from Italian label ACV under the name of Tatsuya Oe in 1997. Since Encounter with... album (1998), he burst onto the club scene as the maverick solo project “Captain Funk."

Tatsuya Oe (オオエタツヤ, born 1969) is a New York-based Japanese composer, recording artist, music producer, and DJ, best known for the moniker of Captain Funk.