Ted Taforo, ddddeeeellllaaa

Biography

Ted Taforo and ddddeeeellllaaa are two independent artists whose collaborative output appears on Spotify under their combined name. Ted Taforo is a saxophonist, composer, and arranger originally from Mount Shasta, California, who studied at the Eastman School of Music before earning his MFA from CalArts (arriving 2012), where he began fusing jazz with Javanese gamelan, funk, and electronic music using Ableton, Casio MT-100, and Yamaha DX-7. He is a two-time ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award recipient and has built a prolific solo discography spanning chamber miniatures, ambient jazz, and indie-inflected nu-jazz, with placements on Netflix's Chef's Table and HBO's Faye. His track "Dog Dad" was featured on Spotify's Fresh Finds Jazz Best of 2023. ddddeeeellllaaa is the project of Satoshi Onodera (stylized SAtoSHI OnoDELA), a Tokyo-based synthesizer composer and beatmaker whose work spans jazztronica, ambient, and experimental hip-hop. His precise origin story and formal training background are not publicly documented, but his releases—beginning around 2022–2023 on Bandcamp—demonstrate a meticulous approach to synthesis and layered texture.

The two artists collaborate under the banner "Professional Pizza Makers," releasing a series of singles through SETO CHORD MUSIC (Ehime, Japan) and Urban Waves Records. Releases in the series include "Ortolana" (2024), "Diavola" (2024, featuring bassist Emiliano Lasansky), and "Salmone" (2024, which also features Efajemue). The project blends Taforo's warm saxophone lines with ddddeeeellllaaa's synthesizer-driven production in a style that sits comfortably within nu jazz and jazz beats aesthetics—understated, melodic, and rooted in groove. Both artists share a connection to Urban Waves Records, the Canadian label known for ambient and jazz-adjacent electronic releases.

While neither artist has achieved mainstream visibility, both maintain active independent careers. Taforo is also a working session musician (he contributed saxophone to Spoon's GRAMMY-nominated album Lucifer on the Sofa) and offers private lessons via Lessonface. ddddeeeellllaaa remains more elusive publicly, with no documented press coverage or interviews as of early 2026, communicating primarily through his Bandcamp and social media output. Their cross-continental collaboration—Los Angeles meets Tokyo—reflects a broader trend in nu jazz and lo-fi jazz fusion scenes where geographic distance is bridged by shared aesthetic sensibility and digital distribution.

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Fun Facts

• Ted Taforo recorded his saxophone part for Spoon's GRAMMY-nominated album Lucifer on the Sofa in approximately one take.
• Ted Taforo's track 'Dog Dad' was selected for Spotify's Fresh Finds Jazz Best of 2023 playlist.
• ddddeeeellllaaa's real name is Satoshi Onodera — the stylized project name 'ddddeeeellllaaa' is derived from the letters of his surname 'Onodera' rearranged and multiplied.
• Their Professional Pizza Makers collaboration series is released through SETO CHORD MUSIC, a label based in Ehime, Japan — making it a cross-continental project between Los Angeles and Tokyo.
• Ted Taforo studied Javanese gamelan at CalArts and incorporates those influences alongside Casio MT-100 and Yamaha DX-7 synthesizers into his jazz compositions.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Eastman School of Music Faculty - Ted Taforo completed his Bachelor of Music at Eastman, foundational jazz training [pre-2012]
• CalArts Faculty - Ted Taforo earned his MFA at CalArts, where he developed his cross-genre synthesis of jazz, gamelan, and electronic music [2012–2014 approx]

Key Collaborators

• Efajemue - JUNO-nominated Canadian artist; co-released Teleporting (2023) and Salmone (2024) with Taforo and ddddeeeellllaaa on Urban Waves Records (Teleporting, Salmone) [2023–2024]
• Emiliano Lasansky - Bassist (Hancock Institute); featured on Professional Pizza Makers single Diavola (Diavola)
• Spoon - Ted Taforo contributed saxophone to their GRAMMY-nominated album Lucifer on the Sofa (Lucifer on the Sofa) [2021–2022]
• Duncan Thum - Composer for Netflix's Chef's Table; Taforo's music appeared alongside his work [2020s]
• Zephyr Avalon - Collaborator on Pizza Dreams (Urban Waves Records) (Pizza Dreams) [2023–2024]
• Chino Corvalán - Chilean musician; collaborated on Cloud Feelings (Cloud Feelings) [2020s]
• Lenka Shockley - Vocalist featured on Ted Taforo single Island (Island) [2020s]
• Paul Grant - Featured on Pizza Dreams alongside Efajemue and Zephyr Avalon (Pizza Dreams)

External Links

• Spotify