Taka Hirose
The steadfast Japanese bassist whose melodic grooves provided the rhythmic backbone for Feeder's anthemic Britrock sound for decades.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Japanese musician and chef·Birthday: July 28·Generation X
Biography
Taka Hirose brought a trans-Pacific pulse to one of Britain's most enduring rock bands. Joining Feeder in 1995, just as they were finding their footing, his solid, melodic bass lines became an inseparable part of their sonic identity. While the band weathered the tragic loss of drummer Jon Lee, Hirose's consistent presence alongside frontman Grant Nicholas provided stability. His playing, never flashy but always essential, anchored hits like 'Buck Rogers' and 'Just the Way I'm Feeling', helping to drive Feeder to multi-platinum success in the UK. Offstage, Hirose cultivated a parallel life as a sushi chef and restaurateur, a passion that speaks to his disciplined focus and creative energy beyond music.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Taka was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Taka Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Taka's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has been the bassist for the rock band Feeder since 1995, appearing on all their major albums.
- Played on the band's breakthrough album 'Echo Park', which spawned several UK top 10 singles.
- Contributed to Feeder's sustained success, including multiple UK number-one albums like 'Comfort in Sound'.
Did You Know?
He is a trained sushi chef and once ran a Japanese restaurant in London called 'Hirose'.
Hirose originally moved to the UK to study English, not to pursue music professionally.
He is a fan of football and supports the London club Chelsea FC.
“A good bass line is like a great stock in the kitchen—essential and foundational.”
