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HITOSHI KOJO
Hitoshi Kojo is a Japanese sound-painter who currently lives in Belgium.
He has been working with multiple media - music composition, installation, performance, painting, sculpture, video, photo and those mixtures.
The extensive activities are based on his animistic sensitivity that all the matters and the spaces have their own memories.
Touching the objects, Talking to animals and plants, Resonating with atmosphere in the space. Such daily activities since the childhood are the basis of his works.
Since the move to Europe in 2004, the sound works such as making compositions, concerts, recordings have been placing more weight than other activities.
His sound works are typically formed by dense layers of textures and tones, that are carefully arranged in the space.
The sound of nature, noise, voice, instruments, etc. all the sounds are equally treated, and become elements to forming a molecular harmony in the sonic space that presents micro and macro-scape at the same time.
His music physically osmoses into the body of listeners and makes continuous fluctuations to their physical barrier. In that sense, the listeners can become a part of the sonic universe while listening to it.
Therefore he does not consider his recording only as a piece of composition nor as a document of a work, but also as a prepared material that can unfold a sound installation in any location.
His sound compositions have been released by experimental music labels such as Drone Records (Germany), Mystery Sea (Belgium), Kaon, Taâlem (France), Helen Scarsdale Agency, Alluvial Recordings, Olde English Spelling Bee, Peasant Magik (USA), etc, as well as his own label Octpia (until 2006) and omnimemento.
Several compositions were released by aliases, mostly as Spiracle until 2010.
He has been also creating experimental folkloric music with his wife Carole as Jüppala Kääpiö since 2006.
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CHRONOLOGY
Here is my brief chronology of cultural influences, meetings, and other experiences that might have influenced my current works.
The feeling of my time line is not straight at all. It's spiraled, repeated, and discontinuous in the same time.
That's why the invention of a straight time line is sometimes helpful to know or to let you know where I am now. Although I no longer need to confirm it now.
1969
Born in Ibaragi, Japan
1972/73
Making drawings of monsters, ghosts, and spirits
1974
Sister's birth
1974-78
Affected by villains of anti hero stories of Manga and TV programs
1979/80
Sound improvisations with a younger sister, using child's instruments and objects
Fallen into the total friction of the human relation
Found the books of Indian philosophies, Buddhism and aboriginal cultures
1979-84
Piano practice
1981
Began to listen Techno, New Wave
1982/83
Consciously began to make illustrations and paintings, influenced under Trans Avan Garde
1983/84
Discovered Surrealism and Dadaism
Began to make multi-track recordings with a synthesizer, a radio, etc...
1985
Began to listen Ambient Music and Ethnic Music
Began to study painting for the examination of an art university
1986
Discovered Greek philosophies, French post-modern philosophies and literatures
Began to listen Noise, Experimental Music
1988
Move to Tokyo to enter a preparation school for an art university
Interested in so-called Occultism
Sister's death
1989
Entered to "Tokyo National University of Fine Arts" - Faculty of Fine Arts - Oil Painting Course
1990
Began to play and sing in my band called "Obscure Organs"
First sound installation
1992-94
Noise rock group "Maboroshi Genjin" (Phantom Primitive Man)
1992
Met Kanae Kasahara and Wataru Kasahara (Nobu Kasahara), collaborative freaky improvisations
1993
Graduated from the art university
1994-95
Noise folk rock band "1000000 Suns"
1995
Visited Yaku Island, shocked by the nature
Consciously began to do Field Recordings
1996
Moved to Kagoshima where is the origin of my parents
Material Actions, Field Recordings, Meditations, etc... as a self psychotherapy
1998
A mystic experience, succeeded to escape from long depression since sister's death
Began to release recordings from self-publishing label "Vyakura" (white spiral)
First trip to Europe to look for an opportunity to move
Met Hermann Nitsch
1999
Trip to India and Nepal where I had unavoidably been influenced since 10 years old.
2000
Returned to Tokyo from Kagosima
Changed the name of self-publishing label to "Octpia"
Began to use a pseudonym "Spiracle" for drone music releases
2004
Began to wander in Europe
Participated in "120th Das Orgien Mysterien Theater" of Herman Nitsch
Met Michael Northam, began to collaborate as "Kodama"
2006
Met Carole Zweifel, began to collaborate as "Jüppala Kääpiö"
2007
Stayed in Canada with Carole, had inspirational experiences in vast forests.
2008
Stayed in Mongolia with Carole, met Nanjidiin Sengedorj, visit a shaman and reindeer herders in taiga forest
Marriage to Carole Zweifel
2009
Settled in Switzerland
2010
Changed the name of self-publication label to "omnimemento"
2011
Moved to Belgium
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