Japanese, Tokyo based, Akiko Kiyama holds a hefty 30 releases including 3 albums to her name on world renowned labels such as Contexterrior, MEAN, Nervmusic and op.disc amongst others.
Akiko grew up in Tokyo, Japan with an education dominated by music, a classically trained pianist and guitar player by the age of twelve, she went on to explore and teach herself how to fuse her classic skills with sounds created by electronic equipment. Over the years that followed Akiko fell deeper into dance music, eager to evolve and create electronically manipulated sounds and atmospheres, she began producing in 2002. Akiko’s first works were released in 2004; her debut EP “Dimension” on London’s Sud Electronic received outstanding support from the industry and names such as Richie Hawtin, Sven Vaeth and Ricardo Villalobos. Inspired by such an overwhelming debut Akiko went straight back into the studio, the result of which was her “Like Ancient” track being licensed by M-nus Records and going on to appear on Richie Hawtin’s DE9 Transitions Compilation.
Akiko’s sound is a complex pattern of sounds. Raw and industrial, dark and moody, her signature sits firmly within the minimal style, but with harmonic narratives giving shape and structure. It’s rare that a sound so minimal results in something so engrossing, something that sucks you in and keeps you listening intently on what’s going to happen next. Akiko’s tracks feel like stories, captivatingly told through her experimentation with sound.
In 2015, her own label “Kebko Music” has been established. In the label, Akiko will release her 4th album, which is a ten track showcase of this artist complex talent, showing a new direction of electronic music with her humorous textures and rather adhesive groove.