profile
Otomo Yoshihide
Born in 1959. Turntable and guitar player, composer, and producer. Actively works on concerts and recordings not only in Japan but also around the world. Always takes an independent stance and collaborates extensively with other artists. His work is wide in its range from massive volume works involving noise and audio feedbacks to quiet and spontaneous ones focused on the sound occurrence itself. He is given great reviews as a composer of numerous movie sound tracks. On one had he pursues complete sound works through "Filament," an electronic sound project with Sachiko M, and "I.S.O.,"an improvisation trio with Sachiko M. and Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, but on the other hand he is also working on "ONJO (Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Orchestra),"which attempts to revive Jazz from today's point of view.
I.S.O.
Formed in 1997 by Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, a unique drummer from west Japan who used to actively play in groups such as "Omoidehatoba" and currently known for his drummer version of VJ "Dravideo," Sachiko M who abandoned memory from sampling and pursue musical possibility from alternative point of view by focusing on sine waves, and Otomo Yoshihide who had just broken up his own band "Ground Zero." The group made a tour around dozens of places throughout the U.S. and Europe in 1998, which became a trigger event for the group to drastically transform into a sound improvisation unit from previous improvisations focused on performances. The performances in this tour led to a significant change in the concept of improvisation music in the U.S. and Europe. The unique technique of making the most out of the sound itself rather than using the PA system can be found in CDs such as the one that recorded the outdoor live performance from Sesshutei at Joeiji (temple) in the city of Yamaguchi in 2002.