Ichiko Aoba (Japanese: 青葉市子, Hepburn: Aoba Ichiko; born 28 January 1990) is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter and guitarist. She plays multiple instruments including guitar, piano, clarinet, accordion, and flute.[1]
Ichiko Aoba 青葉市子 | |
|---|---|
_(53331891033)_(cropped).jpg) Aoba in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 28 January 1990 |
| Origin | Kyoto Prefecture, Japan |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels |
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| Member of | NUUAMM |
| Website | www |
Aoba is known for her acoustic sound and songwriting inspired by her dreams,[2] as well as her use of field recordings, largely owed to frequent collaborator ZAK of Fishmans fame.[3]
Early life
editAoba was born in Urayasu, Chiba on 28 January 1990. She was raised in Japan's Kyoto Prefecture, at the foot of a mountain, whose nature—and particularly its mudslides—"instilled" both an "awe" and "fear" of nature.[4] This was inspired by her father, who was a craftsman and involved himself in environmental communities in Kyoto.[5] Her mother, who used to do work for Disney and sing everything from traditional Japanese folk music to modern pop songs,[5][6] which introduced Aoba to Disney films from a young age.[1][6] Aoba also watched Studio Ghibli films, particularly Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke, which would later inspire much of her sound.[1][4] Beyond these formal mediums of inspiration, Aoba was also drawn to noticing the sounds of household appliances and items, including those of her red toy piano;[5][6] on it, she would learn her first song, the opening theme of the Sailor Moon anime series, "Moonlight Densetsu," by ear from the episodes airing on television.[5]
Aoba attended a number of Catholic high schools in Kyoto where she sang in a choir.[6][7] However, Aoba said she has always "[felt] a sense of inferiority that I [she] cannot sing loud,"[6] leading her to drop out of her choir in junior year and join the brass band as a clarinetist,[5][7] choosing not to practice singing further.[6] Her time outside the home in these schools left her with both painful and positive memories that was "[sometimes so] hard I [she] felt like I [she] was going to die." However, she feels reliving those memories gives her "a toolbox with which to weave a tapestry of music and art."[5]
Aoba would start playing electric guitar at age 15 but quickly switched over to classical guitar by picking up the budget short-scale classical guitar Yamaha CS40J which she still uses for live performances today.[8] At age seventeen, Aoba attended a concert of Japanese singer-songwriter and eight-string classical guitarist Anmi Yamada, which moved her so much so that sought his mentorship.[9] During her initial learning, she loved covering the songs of Yamada, whom she would later begin to call over the phone for lessons.[6][7] Under his mentorship, Aoba learned to play a range of composed pieces, including those of Django Reinhardt and Taeko Onuki—the latter of whom continued to inspired Aoba longer after first learning the pieces.[6] A year later, she moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, partly to continue learning from her first and only mentor, Yamada.[2][10] Here, she would perform her first live shows in Tokyo's Ginza District, playing songs from Yamada's repertoire. In time, Yamada both encouraged Aoba to sing and pursue her own songwriting.[5]
Musical career
edit2008–2013: Kamisori Otome, Origami, Utabiko, and 0
editBetween moving to Tokyo and the eventual release of Razorblade Girl (Japanese: 剃刀乙女, romanized: Kamisori Otome), Aoba wrote her first song, "Kokoro no Sekai," (Japanese: こころ の せかい, lit. '"The World of the Heart"') largely in dedication to Yamada.[5] In 2010, Aoba, aged 19, released her first album, Kamisore Otome.[11]
Around 2012, Aoba was introduced to Gezan frontman Mahito the People by their mutual friend Koji Shimotsu (frontman of Odotte Bakari no Kuni).[12] Aoba and Mahito formed the collaborative duo NUUAMM, which has since released two studio albums: NUUAMM (2014) and w / ave (2017).[13][14]
0 features a cover of one of her mentor Yamada's songs.
2012–2014: Mahoroboshiya and qp
editIn 2013, Aoba was asked to work for a theatre production of 9 Days Queen, a stage play by playwright Go Aoki. She has also worked with Takahiro Fujita's Mum & Gypsy company in a production of Cocoon, as well as a revival of Lemmings by Shūji Terayama,[2] the latter in which Aoba played the role of "The Girl" and performed alongside the late Tengai Amano and Yukichi Matsumoto.[3]
Aoba features on the soundtrack of the 2019 Nintendo Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Her arrangement was used to promote the game in Japan.[15]
Aoba has collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Taylor Deupree, Cornelius, Haruomi Hosono, Mac DeMarco, Sweet William, and Mahito the People.[16]
Qp features a cover of one of her mentor Yamada's songs.
2019–2020: Ayukawa no shizuku and Windswept Adan
editWindswept Adan was released in 2020 under her newly created Hermine label.[3] Windswept Adan was inspired by the Ryukyu island chain and, according to Aoba, the album intended to "[get] an impression of the islands."[17]
2021–2023: Amiko and live albums
edit
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2024–present: Luminescent Creatures
editIn preparation for Luminescent Creatures, Aoba and the team that worked on the album spent most of their time on Hateruma, the southernmost and smallest island of the Ryukyu chain, understandings its tradition and ecosystem.[17]
Luminescent Creatures, which Aoba has described as "closely related" to and "born from" Windswept Adan, is an ode to Hateruma.[17][18]
Artistry
editInfluences
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2026) |
Musical inspiration and process
editDreams are "the most important thing" to Aoba's artistic inspiration; she says she "dream[s] a lot," which she writes down and draws to remember them.[17] Furthermore, she is in a better state of mind to make music when she is sleepy because being awake makes things seem "real."[19] To help her "[need]" to digest "everything that happens to [her]," Aoba always carries around a notebook and pen.[17]
Aoba creates the "story" of her works before the music itself. She uses doodles as a means of creating imagery for the story, which upon completing mentally, she will "express" through music. Aoba believes that "being stuck is [a very important] part of the process"—a struggle which "is part of the joy of making [music]," despite "not always [being] fun." When facing difficulty during this process, Aoba says she finds "the spring of inspiration" at the middle of the chaos, which she has described as "an adventure." She believe much of this process is "a very mono action," adding that it reminds her of the "aloneness that we all have."[17]
Musical style
editAoba's primary instruments are the guitar and voice, but later expanded to include more orchestral instrumentation.[18] She describes her instruments as her "best friends," preferring "singing to talking."[17] Despite feelings of inferiority, Aoba says that "for as long as I can use my voice, I want to make music."[19]
Other ventures
editAoba founded her own independent record label, Hermine, in 2020.[3] She chose to found it due to "a gap between the music industry and what I [Aoba] want to do."[17]
Personal life
editDespite Aoba attending a Catholic school and her father being involved with Buddhism, Aoba has described herself as "not subcrib[ing] to a certain religion."[17]
Aoba supports her music being used on and shared across social media platforms, but reserves that its use in advertising "needs more moderating."[17]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- 2010: Kamisori Otome (剃刀乙女)
- 2011: Origami (檻髪)
- 2012: Utabiko (うたびこ)
- 2013: 0
- 2016: Mahoroboshiya (マホロボシヤ)
- 2018: qp
- 2019: Ayukawa no shizuku (鮎川のしづく)
- 2020: Windswept Adan (アダンの風)
- 2022: Amiko (Original Soundtrack)
- 2025: Luminescent Creatures
Live albums
edit- 2011: Kaizokuban (かいぞくばん)
- 2014: 0%
- 2017: Pneuma
- 2020: "gift" at Sogetsu Hall
- 2021: Live at Ginza Sony Park
- 2021: "Windswept Adan" Concert At Bunkamura Orchard Hall
- 2021: Live at Jazzstate, 4 December 2019 (with Albert Karch)
- 2023: Live at Milton Court (with 12 Ensemble)
- 2025: Live at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall (15th Anniversary Concert)
Other releases
edit- 2011: Hinoko (火のこ) – Ichiko Aoba & Kazuhisa Uchihashi
- 2012: Meteor (流星) – Haruka Nakamura & Ichiko Aoba
- 2013: Radio (ラヂヲ) – Ichiko Aoba and the Fairies (青葉市子と妖精たち)
- 2013: Yura Yura feat. Ichiko Aoba – Ovall (Dawn)
- 2013: Soto wa Senjou da yo (外は戦場だよ) feat. Ichiko Aoba – Cornelius (Ghost in the Shell: Arise OST)
- 2019: Amaneki (あまねき) – Sweet William & Ichiko Aoba
- 2020: amuletum bouquet – Ichiko Aoba
- 2020: "gift" BGM – Ichiko Aoba
- 2020: Seabed Eden (海底のエデン) – Ichiko Aoba
- 2021: Asleep Among Endives (アンディーヴと眠って) – Ichiko Aoba
- 2021: Windswept Adan Roots – Ichiko Aoba
- 2022: hello – Ichiko Aoba
- 2023: Space Orphans – Ichiko Aoba
- 2023: meringue doll – Ichiko Aoba
- 2023: Sketch (青葉市子) – Ichiko Aoba
- 2024: Seabed Eden - French version – Ichiko Aoba & Pomme
- 2024: Grandiose - Japanese version – Pomme & Ichiko Aoba
- 2024: Lullaby – Ichiko Aoba
Awards
edit| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mainichi Film Awards | Best Soundtrack | Amiko | Won |
| Reeperbahn Festival | ANCHOR | Herself | Won |
References
edit- 1 2 3 Mostafa, Vanessa (27 February 2020). "Creating dreams with Ichiko Aoba". Asia Live 365. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- 1 2 3 Hadfield, James (17 January 2016). "Inspiration that comes in dreams and rice balls". The Japan Times. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 Kim, Joshua Minsoo (23 February 2025). "Tone Glow 176: Ichiko Aoba". Tone Glow. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- 1 2 Zhang, Cat (7 March 2025). "Ichiko Aoba Loves the Sea". The Cut. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pedder, Alan; Kobayashi, Kodai (26 February 2025). "The life aquatic of Ichiko Aoba". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Aoba, Ichiko (n.d.). "Fifteen Questions Interview with Ichiko Aoba: Flow and Create" (Interview). Interviewed by Tobias Fischer; Lara Cory. Fifteen Questions.
{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: interviewers list (link) - 1 2 3 Sawa Berning, Dale (11 February 2025). "'Fans say my concerts are safe spaces where they can forgive': the cult of Ichiko Aoba". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ↑ Sofia Roger Williams (28 May 2025). "Interview: Ichiko Aoba" (Interview).
- ↑ "Ichiko Aoba - The Ethereal Voice of Japanese Folk Music". Yoko Gao Magazine. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ Helfand, Raphael (27 February 2025). "Ichiko Aoba sings for life in all its forms". The Fader. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Aoba, Ichiko. "About - Ichiko Aoba". ichikoaoba.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ↑ "NUUAMM". TuneCore Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ Music Natalie Editorial Staff (10 October 2014). "青葉市子とGEZANマヒトゥが新ユニット結成". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ↑ "NUUAMM". Spotify. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ Barder, Ollie. "The 'Zelda: Link's Awakening' Soundtrack Set Is Entirely Legendary". Forbes. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ "Barbican announces Ichiko Aoba & 12 Ensemble | Barbican". www.barbican.org.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Greta Rainbow (13 March 2025). "On being stuck as a form of adventure" (Interview). Translated by Juri Onuki. The Creative Independent.
- 1 2 "Ichiko Aoba". Ensemble Arts Philly. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 Tan, Charmaine (8 March 2023). "In Conversation With Ichiko Aoba, Soccer Mommy and Thuy On The Rhythm Of Life And Music". Men's Folio. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
External links
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