Much time had passed since our last artist of the month was woman. It is time to change that and give to your hands a mix produced exactly by those with more sensitive and feminine hands. The guest of our New Year's Eve, the January podcast is coming from Cherry Blossom Land, Akiko Kiyama. Especially for our readers, she has prepared a unique set of sounds mixed live. Known for her experimental approach to making music, she will undoubtedly surprise more than one demanding listener, leaving behind the common schemes, which we face every day. We kindly invite you to listen to the mix, and to read our interview with Akiko.

BIOGRAPHY
Akiko was born in Tokyo,Japan, 1982. She has been surrounded by classical music education since she was a young girl. At the age of 14, she was absorbed in Drum'N'Bass that was occurring in London at the time, and it was then that she made a commitment to club music, to pursue and evolve with the ever changing sound of techno.

She started to create her own tracks with a laptop since 2002 and has been performing at many of the clubs in Tokyo with artists locally and from abroad.

She has been releasing tracks for some time now, her original track was picked for the compilation "Newsdays" EP from Sud Electronic in July 2004. Also her first solo EP "Dimension", released on Sud Electronic in October 2004, which got great reviews by top world class DJ's. In November 2005, her track on Contexterrior, was selected by Richie Hawtin in his well received mix "DE9 Transitions".

Her sound twist and turns and surprises you at every listen, they have the strangest way of creeping up on you, then finally enveloping you into Akiko's world. This year she will be moving to Berlin to follow through with her commitment to dance music and to develop her style further, what better place to do so. 

INTERVIEW 

 electronicmusic.pl: How are you and how was your day?

Akiko Kiyama: I'm fine thanks. I have been making some new tracks.

 I would like to ask you about the weather in Tokyo this part of year. Is it similar to that in Central Europe?

 In Japan, especially in Tokyo i think we have good weather fortunately. Of course the summer is bit to humid and too hot but still acceptable. And this winter season, normally we have sunny days.In my opinion i prefer Tokyo weather than Europe ones.

 From the early ages you were brought up on classical music. Was this experience very helpful for you ?

I think so. Even if it's not directly. Listening to the music very carefully is one of the important things that I have learned from classic music.

 What circumstances led you into electronic music world?

Electronics. I noticed when i use electronic stuff like amplification or mixer or drum machine or synths or pc.The possibility to express the music is unbelievable large.

 You have been producing music since 2002. What people, labels or events inspired you mostly to create techno sounds in the beginning?

Sutekh liveset in 2002 in Tokyo. It inspired me a lot. After seeing his liveset i was more into "liveset" and " real time". And basic channel or some deep minimal stuff. I like deep and long and stoic mixed stuff.

 In 2008 you came up with your first artist album "7 years". I hope that we will not have to wait so long for the next one. Do you think about the new album?

I'm planning and i would like to release the second one soon, but i can't say now when exactly. But so far i have just started to my new project which is called "Black Eyed Pop" and i'm making the experimental album for 2010 as this name.

 What do you consider as your greatest success so far?

I have never thought i'm successful. Right now i'm still on the way. But to tell the truth, i'm not really into success in general. But of course at first, i have to be satisfied with myself or my music which means something like success maybe.

  What kind of set-up do you prefer recently - livePA or DJ sets?

 Normally i only play live set at the clubs. But sometimes i try to play dj set to feel how the djs mix the music . I'm curious about how different my mind is when i play dj or liveset.

 Techno music scene seems to be very big in Japan, lots of people love to travel there, what is so special about your country?

In Japan we had very big scene in 90s. Recently still there are a lot of parties but is getting really commercial and is what i feel sad for Japanese recent scene. I think it's not only in Japan, i can say it's happening to many cities.

 How do you solve the problem of constant traveling, have you decided, as many DJ's did, to move to Europe for couple of months ?

The first years in 2007 and 2008, i have traveled much and was very very tiring me and made me feel lonely. I didn't have the bass place, to tell the truth. From 2009, i try to be in Berlin or Tokyo as much as possible. Of course i feel like i wanna be in the places for some days more, but another time apart from gigs. I try to separate to go for gigs and for vacation.

 What is your first association when you think about Poland? Have you ever been here?

Unfortunately not yet to go there, i hope someday soon. When i was in Toronto for Red Bull Music academy, i met another participant from Poland. It was my first time to relate to Poland. We had the lectures, studio time together.

 How and where was the mix recorded?

This liveset is some months before, in later october. I played for my friend's birthday party in Berlin.

 Your favorite track in the mix?

Hmm, i use a lot of tracks untitled and unfinished. Becasues live set is more forward than tracks mostly. I have to work and finish the track and decide the title to answer this question.

 Can you give us some top album picks you listen to at the moment?

Plaid - Heaven's Door

Stimming - Reflections

Zapmama - Zapmama

VA - Chimera Music Vol.0

 What are your release plans for the upcoming year? Is there something you want to change also?

I just have released my new single on Lick My Deck. Later i will release two singles on Neptune and Adjunct in this winter and spring. Neptune is the label i'm running with Hugo Duran(Underline) and its totally new label. Also as i said, i will release the experimental album as Black Eyed Pop. So far like this. Recently house music is quite big and i like it somehow just for listening. But also i'm missing something more hard one, maybe hard minimal or detroit or.. these stuff. I might go to be more fast or hard but i don't know.

 How can you describe your own music?

Hmm, i don't think my music is good for dance, even if it still has kick and bass and rhythm. Actually many people say my music is experimental. It's somehow true. Deepness, depression, beauty, irony, fun - these are keywords for my music also my life itself.

DISCOGRAPHY
Releases:
2004 : Dimension / Süd Electronic
2006 : Kitchen Sink Actress / Contexterrior
2006 : Op.Disc 007 / op.disc
2007 : Anchor EP / District Of Corruption
2007 : Solo EP / Safari Electronique
2007 : Patchouli / Contexterrior
2007 : Venus, Deliciously Eaten By A Cat / Thema
2007 : Fungi / Lick My Deck
2007 : Cutting Tears / Neopren
2007 : Get What You Deserve EP / District Of Corruption
2008 : 7 Years A+B / District Of Corruption
2008 : 7 Years C+D / District Of Corruption
2008 : 7 Years CD / District Of Corruption
2008 : Be At Half EP / Sunplay
2008 : Fungi Reworked / Lick My Deck
2009 : Flash Got Spirit / Lick My Deck

Remixes:
2007 : Recollection Series Remixes Vol. 1 / Revolver Recordings
2008 : Get In Trouble / Circus FM / Doxa Records
2009 : Chicks & Cuts / Neopren Recordings
2009 : Moonraker Remixes / Müller Records
2009 : Sapukai EP / Sunplay
2009 : Tante EP / Resound Records

Tracks appear on:
2004 : Newdays"Play Sick" / Süd Electronic
2005 : DE9 | Transitions (DVD + CD)"Like Ancient" / M_nus
2005 : DE9 | Transitions (DVD + CD)"Like Ancient" / NovaMute
2005 : No Compromise Mini Comp 2"Strain" / Contexterrior
2006 : DE9 | Combined (2xCD) "Like Ancient" / M_nus
2006 : DE9 | Combined (2xCD) "Like Ancient" / NovaMute
2006 : DE9 | Combined (2xCD) "Like Ancient" / Third Ear Recordings
2006 : MindinBusiness Part 1 "The Minimal Grind" (2xCD) "Dune" / Tuning Spork Records
2007 : Sampler EP 2"Shift" / Safari Electronique 
2007 : DJ-Kicks / Studio !K7
2008 : Hub Solo & Collabo 2006-2008 / op.disc
2008 : Tsugi Sampler 009 / Tsugi Sampler
2008 : Various Assets - Not For Sale: Red Bull Music Academy Toronto 2007 / Red Bull Music Academy
2009 : Hub Opus Tokyo / op.disc
2009 : Session 046 / 6-Ryl Sessions
2009 : The Lab 01 / NRK Sound Division
2009 : Werkmas / Flexible Audio