is a Japanese musician, best known for his intensely physical style of free improvisation on the alto saxophone and his deployment of long, laden silences. He has sometimes been compared to the late Japanese free jazz altoist Kaoru Abe

Kaoru Abe

was an influential Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist, who is often regarded as having the greatest abrasive saxophone sound.He generally performed solo. He was married to the author Izumi Suzuki, and a cousin to singer Kyu Sakamoto. He died of a drug overdose at the age of 29.-References:* Yuko...

.
He has played with many underground musicians in Japan, including Chie Mukai

Chie Mukai

is a female Japanese composer and musician, best known for her underground improv-folk group Ché-SHIZU. She has been involved in improvised performance since 1975, when she participated in the East Bionic Symphonia group, a graduation project for students of Takehisa Kosugi at the Bigakko art...

 (Ché-SHIZU

Ché-SHIZU

Ché-SHIZU Ché-SHIZU Ché-SHIZU (シェシズ）is an underground Japanese improv/folk group consisting of Chie Mukai (向井千恵) and others. The group's sound is dominated by Mukai's vocals and er-hu playing. The group was formed in 1980, but is currently inactive...

), Kan Mikami

Kan Mikami

is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter. His music, heavily influenced by American blues, was popular in Japan in the 1970s. He re-wrote the lyric of the song "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" for his cover version in 1972...

 (Sanjah), Hiroshi Hasegawa

Hiroshi Hasegawa

, is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Hasegawa began his Grand Prix career in 1963 with Yamaha. He enjoyed his best season in 1966 when he finished the season in tenth place in the 250cc world championship. Hasegawa won the Macau Grand Prix in 1967 and 1968.- References :...

 (Astro

Astro (band)

Astro is the project of Japanese musician Hiroshi Hasegawa of the influential noise music group C.C.C.C. Astro's music is made using assorted analog equipment including Moog, EMS, and Flower Electronics synthesizers...

, C.C.C.C.), Junko (Hijokaidan

Hijokaidan

Hijokaidan is a Japanese noise and free improvisation group with a revolving lineup that has ranged from two members to as many as fourteen in its early days. The group is the project of guitarist Yoshiyuki "Jojo" Hiroshige its one constant member, who is head & owner of the Osaka-based Alchemy...

) and the psychedelic rock group Kousokuya

Kousokuya

Kōsokuya is a Japanese dark psychedelic rock band. This rock outfit, founded by guitarist Jutok Kaneko in the late 1970s, has released only a handful of recordings internationally, and scant more in their local Tokyo underground scene...

. Recently he formed the group Sanjah, with folk singer Kan Mikami

Kan Mikami

is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter. His music, heavily influenced by American blues, was popular in Japan in the 1970s. He re-wrote the lyric of the song "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" for his cover version in 1972...

 and drummer Toshi Ishizuka. He also performs with the Paris-based dancer Yukiko Nakamura.

Discography

• Solo
  • Solo LP/CD (PSF, 1996)
  • Ju A Brute 2LP (no label, 2000)
  • Rock n Roll Breathing video (There, 2001)
  • Urklang CD (Tiliqua, 2001)
  • Soingyokusaiseyo LP (Elevage de Poussiere, 2002)
  • Ware wa seidai no kyojo zo CD (PSF, 2003)
  • V.A., Amaterasu 2CD (Fractal, 2003)
  • V.A., Undecided CD (PSF, 2004)
  • V.A., Somethings #1 CD (Last Visible Dog, 2007)
  • 真夏の旗 [The Flag of Midsummer] CD (PSF, 2008)

• Collaborations
  • Nazareth CD w/Ché-SHIZU (PSF, 1993)
  • The Dark Spot CD w/Kousokuya (PSF, 1997)
  • Duo 1988 LP w/Hiroshi Hasegawa (Siwa, 1999)
  • Masayoshi Urabe & Gary Smith CD w/Gary Smith
    Gary Smith (Guitarist)
    Gary Smith is a avant-garde guitarist, improviser and composer from the United Kingdom. He is known for developing dense extended techniques on electric guitar...
    
     (Paratactile, 2001)
  • Dual Anarchism LP w/Chie Mukai (Siwa, 2002)
  • Dual Anarchism video w/Chie Mukai (There, 2002)
  • Chi no kioku video w/Yuji Itsumi (PSF, 2003)
  • V.A., PSF & Alchemy 20th Anniversary Live CD w/Junko (PSF, 2005)
  • Musen/Izu CD w/Sanjah (PSF, 2006)

• Samples
  • Urabe Breathes on Cory Allen's
    Cory Allen (musician)
    Cory Allen is a musician, composer, producer and record label owner. Music released under his own name is usually categorized as minimal and/or ambient electronic music and has been described as 'clever and intricate structures that will repay the careful ear'...
    
    album Gesemi Tropisms (Bremsstrahlung , 2005)

External links

• Photographs and movie of Urabe at Lethe Voice festival
• Live review Leeds, 2002