Clive Bell (musician)

Lore & Background

Bell studied shakuhachi in Tokyo for two years with master Kohachiro Miyata, and also received instruction from Yamaguchi Gorō, a Living National Treasure, as well as Okamoto Chikugai and Fujii Kunie. He has traveled extensively in Japan, Thailand, Laos and Bali, researching music and meeting local practitioners, and studied the khene in Laos and Thailand. His shakuhachi playing has been featured on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction and In Tune.

Bell performed shakuhachi on both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010–2011), scored by Alexandre Desplat, and on The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), scored by Howard Shore. He recorded shakuhachi and shinobue for the video game Ghost of Tsushima (2020), composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi, at Abbey Road Studios, AIR Studios and RAK Studios. He has also contributed to The Sims series.

As an improviser, Bell has collaborated with Fred Frith, Jah Wobble, David Sylvian, Steve Beresford, David Toop, Jochen Irmler, Paul Schütze, Bill Laswell, and Kazuko Hohki. He regularly performs in duos and trios with David Ross, Sylvia Hallett, Mike Adcock and Peter Cusack. He writes regularly for The Wire and serves on the board of the European Shakuhachi Society as Publications Officer for BAMBOO Magazine.

Reader's Guide

Clive Bell's significance lies in his role as a bridge between traditional Asian wind instruments and contemporary Western media. His shakuhachi performances on major film franchises like Harry Potter and The Hobbit, as well as the blockbuster video game Ghost of Tsushima, brought the sound of the Japanese bamboo flute to global audiences. Beyond commercial work, Bell's extensive collaborations in experimental and avant-garde music—with figures such as Fred Frith, Jah Wobble, and David Sylvian—demonstrate his versatility and commitment to improvisation. His journalism for The Wire magazine and his position on the board of the European Shakuhachi Society further establish him as an advocate and scholar of the shakuhachi. Bell's discography includes solo albums like Kurokami and Shakuhachi: The Japanese Flute, as well as collaborative works with musicians from diverse traditions. His participation in the British Council's 'Sound & The City' project in Beijing with Brian Eno and others highlights his engagement with cross-cultural musical exchange. Bell's legacy is that of a specialist who expanded the shakuhachi's reach into film, gaming, and avant-garde contexts.

Did You Know?

• Bell studied shakuhachi in Tokyo for two years with master Kohachiro Miyata.
• He performed shakuhachi on both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
• Bell recorded shakuhachi and shinobue for the video game Ghost of Tsushima at Abbey Road, AIR, and RAK Studios.
• He toured for over a decade with Jah Wobble, including performances at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and Glastonbury Festival.

Training & Musical Foundation

Clive Bell's deep connection to Asian wind instruments began with an intensive period of study in Tokyo, where he spent two years under the tutelage of Kohachiro Miyata, widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's most accomplished shakuhachi performers and composers. His education did not stop there; he also received instruction from Yamaguchi Gorō, a Living National Treasure and among Japan's most revered shakuhachi masters, as well as from Okamoto Chikugai and Fujii Kunie. Beyond Tokyo, Bell travelled extensively across Japan, Thailand, Laos, and Bali, seeking out local practitioners and immersing himself in regional musical traditions. It was in Laos and Thailand that he studied the khene, a bamboo mouth-organ central to Lao and Thai music. This multi-teacher, multi-country approach gave him a breadth of knowledge in Asian wind instruments that few Western musicians possess, and it became the foundation for every subsequent phase of his career.

Film & Game Soundtrack Work

Bell's shakuhachi playing has found a prominent place in some of the most widely heard film and video game scores of the twenty-first century. He performed on both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010–2011), contributing to Alexandre Desplat's score, with recordings made at Abbey Road Studios. He also played shakuhachi across The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), working with Howard Shore. In the video game sphere, Bell recorded shakuhachi and shinobue for Ghost of Tsushima (2020), Sucker Punch Productions' PlayStation 4 title, whose score was composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi. Those sessions took place at several prestigious London studios, including Abbey Road, AIR Studios, and RAK Studios. He has additionally contributed shakuhachi to soundtracks for The Sims series. The breadth of these projects—spanning fantasy epics and interactive gaming—demonstrates how his instrument has become a sought-after timbre for composers seeking an authentic East Asian voice within large-scale orchestral and electronic scoring.

Improvisation & Experimental Collaborations

Outside the studio, Bell is a vigorous improviser whose work sits firmly in the experimental and avant-garde tradition. His collaborative roster reads like a who's-who of boundary-pushing musicians: Fred Frith, Jah Wobble, David Sylvian, Bill Laswell, David Toop, Jochen Irmler of Faust, Paul Schütze, and Kazuko Hohki, among others. He has performed in duos and trios with David Ross, Sylvia Hallett, Mike Adcock, and Peter Cusack, and his discography reflects this spirit, with albums such as An Account of My Hut (2007, with ney player Bechir Saade), Tales of Hackney (2019, with Arild Andersen and Mark Wastell), and the cosmically themed trilogy completed by Minor Planets (2021). His touring history is equally impressive: he spent over a decade on the road with Jah Wobble, appearing at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and the Glastonbury Festival, and he has also toured with the Japanese drumming ensemble Taiko Meantime. In 2005, he joined Brian Eno, David Toop, and Peter Cusack for the British Council's "Sound & The City" project in Beijing, blending his improvisatory practice with a distinctly international context.

Journalism, Community & Recorded Legacy

Bell's relationship with the shakuhachi extends well beyond performance into scholarship and community stewardship. He writes regularly for The Wire, the monthly magazine devoted to experimental and non-mainstream music, where his articles profile shakuhachi players and examine the instrument's evolving role in contemporary musical contexts. He also serves on the board of the European Shakuhachi Society as Publications Officer for BAMBOO Magazine, helping to sustain a small but dedicated international community of practitioners. His recorded output spans more than three decades, from the solo album Kurokami (1988) through Shakuhachi: The Japanese Flute (1994, reissued 2005), Asakusa Follies (2017), and Shakuhachi for Latin Lovers (2020). He performed the 2005 premiere of Karl Jenkins' Requiem at Southwark Cathedral, a recording released on EMI, and in September 2013 he and Sylvia Hallett provided a live soundtrack for Yasujirō Ozu's 1930 comedy gangster film Walk Cheerfully at the BFI. His BBC Radio 3 appearances on Late Junction and In Tune further cement his presence in the UK's classical and experimental music landscape.