Profile

Yoshio Machida
(composer, steelpan player, visual artist)

A Tokyo-based artist, he studied contemporary art, music and video at Tama Art University. He has engaged in international development and cooperation work in Asia and Africa. Through this experience, he had opportunities to touch to rare ethnic musics and learned a lot. His 1st album “Hypernatural” is inspired by these experiences.

He made original steelpans called "Amorphone" for interest of overtone of metal instrument. His generative music is introduced on a book "Haunted Weather" by David Toop, along with Brian Eno and Oval.

He has composed music for 12 solo projects, 10 band/group projects, and various compilations, and has participated in music festivals and tours in 16 countries. He has also workshops at orphanage, elementary school and institute.

He founded a music label AMORFON, directed the world's first album of baby improvisation music, published his creative card & application "Narativ Cards 1.0", contributed to music magazines, planned international exhibitions, has composed soundtracks for Van Cleef & Arpels exhibitions and TV documentaries.

Inspirations: Eno, Kandinsky, Tarkovsky, Hedesaburo Hagiwara, Rupert Sheldrake, Russell Mills, Ian Walton, Joy Division, Yasujiro Ozu, Cock C’Nell, Miles Davis, Zapp, Mississippi John Hurt, Zapp, Shinro Ohtake, Annie Dillard, Quantum Mechanics, Misuzu Kaneko, Sergei Parajanov, Ilija Bosilj, Buckminster Fuller, Buddism, Suma Maruki, Jomon culture




"Machida handles it intelligently and sensitively." - The Wire
"beautiful relationship between 'reality' and artifice" - The Wire
"Machida goes a long way towards making a compelling case for the instrument." - Textura
"intelligent avant-garde music for the delicate ear" - the All-Music Guide
"Great record of intelligent and thoughtful electronic music." - The Sound Projector
"Many of its pieces coming across as yearning meditations on things beyond our control." - Tokafi


Activities

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Live list

2024
- CD release (solo album), "Music from the SYNTHI #2"

2023
- Cassette release (band album), "Osoyoos / Satellite Rides, Night Lies"
- Card & application "Narativ Cards 1.0"
- Soundtrack for NHK TV program "Ohkyo Maruyama, The temple of miracle"

2022
- Soundtrack for NHK TV program "A Painter Ohtake Shinro, A Bug in the System"

2021
- 10'vinyl compilation release (VA), "Eternal Poet"

2020
- double 10'vinyl release (duo album), "Premeditation"
- CD release (duo album), "Tokyo"
- Soundtrack for NHK TV program "The Ineiraisan"

2019
- Live tour in Serbia
- Workshops, some elementary schools, orphanage (Serbia)

2018
- Live tour in Europe (Belgium, France, Holland, Germany)

2017
- Workshop, TUMO (Armenia)
- CD release (duo album), "Music from the SYNTHI 100"
- CD release (band album), Wlak With The Penguin "Charm"
- Live tour in Eastern Europe (Russia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia)

2016
- Workshop, Prince of Songkla University (Thailand)
- CD release (solo album), "Tender Blues"
- Live tour in Southern Europe (Portugal, Slovenia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria)

2015
- Live tour in Europe (Holland, Germany, Belgium)
- Multimedia Performance "Ya" (Bulgaria)

2014
- Group Exhibition "New Sound Sanctuary (Sound Installation)"
- CD release (solo album), "Music from the SYNTHI"

2013
- Participation in CYBERFEST 2013 (Germany)
- 7.5'Vinyl release, "EMS Synthi Works"
- CD release (band), "Ohanami / Agapanthus"

2012
- 12'Vinyl release, "Steelpan Improvisation Series i"
- 12'Vinyl release, "Steelpan Improvisation Series ro"
- CD release (band), "miimo 5"
- appeared on TV drama "Innocent" (miimo)

2011
- Live tour in Europe (Holland, Germany, Bulgaria)
- Solo Exhibition "MARU" (Varna, Bulgaria)
- CD release (band), "miimo 4"
- Group exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama (Saitama, Japan)
- DVD release, "Scape*dance"

2010
- CD release (band), "miimo 3"
- CD release (band), "Ohanami"
- CD release (solo album), "The Spirit of Beauty"

2009
- Soundtrack for Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition
- CD release (band), "miimo 2"
- CD release (solo album), "Steelpan Improvisations: 2001-2008"

2008
- Organization of "the park -Contemporary Artists in Asia 2008-" (Yokohama)
- miimo's "Dubroad Tour"
- CD Release (solo album), "Hypernatural #3"

2007
- CD release (band), "miimo"
- CD release (band), "Walk With The Penguin"

2006
- Participation in DVD "Loop Pool Ping Pong"
- CD release (solo album), "Naada"
- Musical workshop at Sava Zebeljan School (Crepaja, Serbia)
- Lecture at Polytechnic Academy (Berglade, Serbia)
- Participation in "Maerz Musik 2006" (Berlin, Germany)
- Participation in "Weather in My Brain" (Taipei/Taichu, Taiwan)

2005
- Musical workshop for children at Minamisuna elementary school/ASIAS (Tokyo, Japan)
- Organization of a sound & visual event, "Sound & Image" (Tokyo, Japan)
- Making a movie for Nobuo Sekine Exhibition @ MOMAS (Saitama, Japan)
- Participation in International Artist Flag Exhibition (Novi Sad, Serbia)
- Musical workshop for children in Nishisugamo Sozosha/ASIAS (Tokyo, Japan)
- Provision of soundtrack for French news TV spot, www.visual.fr
- Group exhibition at Appel (Tokyo, Japan)

2004
- Organization of Japan-Macedonia Exchange Exhibition (Macedonia & Japan)
- Live & lecture at Tama Art Univ. (Tokyo, Japan)
- Participation in ISEA2004 (Finland)
- Cooperation to "Ecoute (Listen)" at Pompidou Center (Paris, France)
- Live tour in Europe (Holland, Germany, France, Austria, Serbia)
- Musical workshop at Sava Zebeljan School (Crepaja, Serbia)
- CD release (solo album), "Infinite Flowers"
- Found a music label, "amorfon" and a platform for art & music event, "colavo"

2003
- Participation in "Dark Symphony" at Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria)
- Live tour in Europe (Russia, Latvia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, UK, Serbia)
- Participation in "Europhonics" Jazz Festival (Dortmund, Germany)
- Participation in "Ring Ring Festival" at National Library (Belgrade, Serbia)
- Participation in International Symosium & Exhibition, "IF" (Bitola, Macedonia)
- Exhibition with Fitz Ellarald at MUHA (Moscow, Russia)

2002
- Participation in "SONAR Tokyo": Live & lecture (Tokyo, Japan)
- Live tour in Europe (Holland, Germany, Yugoslavia)
- Solo exhibition at Izba (Novi Sad, Yugoslavia)
- Solo exhibition at Pepper's Loft Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)


Grants

2008
- "the park -Contemporary Artists in Asia 2008-", Japan Arts Council

2004
- ISEA2004, ASIA-EUROPE Foundation
- Japan-Macedonia Exchange Exhibition, Pola Art Foundation
- Japan-Macedonia Exchange Exhibition, Nissho Iwai Foundation

2003
- International Symposium & Exhibition in Macedonia, Nomura Culural Foundation


Publications

2024
CD: Solo Album "Music from the SYNTHI #2" (Amorfon, Japan)

2023
Original tarot: "Narativ Cards" with Mileta Postic (Amorfon, Japan)

2021
10'vinyl VA: Ohanami(Yoshio Machida + Tatsuhisa Yamamoto) "Eternal Poet" (MisBits Recordings, Romania)

2020
Digital: Yoshio Machida + Jorge Queijo "Tokyo" (Jorge Queijo, Portugal)
double 10'vinyl : Yoshio Machida + Cal Lyall "Premeditation" (by the bluest of seas, Belgium)
Digital: Soma & Lil "Live in Japan" (Soma & Lil, Denmark)

2017
CD: Yoshio Machida + Constantin Papageorgiadis "Music from the SYNTHI 100" (Amorfon, Japan)
CD : Walk With The Penguin "Charm" (Amorfon, Japan)

2016
CD: Jorge Queijo / Hiroki Chiba / Yoshio Machida "Luminant" (Amorfon, Japan)
CD : Solo Album "Tender Blues" (Amorfon, Japan)

2015
7.5'Vinyl : V.A. "CAA#20" (CYLAND AUDIO ARCHIVE, Russia)

2014
CD : Solo Album "Music from the SYNTHI" (Baskaru, France)

2013
7.5'Vinyl : Solo Album "EMS Synthi Works" (CYLAND AUDIO ARCHIVE, Russia)
CD : Ohanami "Agapanthus" (Wonderyou, Japan)

2012
CD : miimo "miimo 5", Self-release
12'Vinyl : Solo Album "Steelpan Improvisation Series ro", Self-release
12'Vinyl : Solo Album "Steelpan Improvisation Series i", Self-release

2011
CD : miimo "miimo 4", Self-release
DVD : "Scape*dance", Self-release

2010
CD : miimo "miimo 3", Self-release
CD : Ohanami "Ohanami" (Wonderyou, Japan)
CD : Solo Album "The Spirit of Beauty" (Amorfon, Japan)

2009
CD : V.A. "Wire Tapper #22" (The Wire, UK)
CD : V.A. miimo "Starz File Vol.3" (Avex, Japan)
CD : miimo "miimo 2", Self-release
CD : Solo Album "Steelpan Improvisations: 2001-2008" Self-release

2008
CD : Solo Album "Hypernatural #3" Baskaru, France

2007
CDR : Solo Album "Read A Book With Steel Pan", absurd/eclipsis, Greece
CD+DVD : V.A. "SILENT ROOM FAKTORY BOX 01 | skoltz_kolgen", SK Factory, Canada
CD : V.A. "Yasujiro Ozu - Hitokomakura", and/OAR, USA
CDR : miimo "miimo", Self-release
CD : Walk With The Penguin "steal a spoon for you", Amorfon, Japan
CD : V.A. "Resonance: Steel Pan in the 21st Century", Quiet Design, USA

2006
CD : V.A. "water music", commune disc, Japan
CD : Solo Album "Naada" Amorfon, Japan

2004
CD : Solo Album "Infinite Flowers" Amorfon, Japan
Note : Kokuyo, "An" Series, Kokuyo, Japan
CD : V.A. "seeds of dub", mao, Japan
CD : V.A "*Music for Baby!", Amorfon, Japan

2003
CD : V.A "lib.", cubicfabric, Japan
CD : V.A "Kraakgeluiden", unsounds, The Netherlands

2002
CD : V.A "Japanese Avant Garde", sub rosa, Belgium
CD : V.A, Improvised Music from Japan, Japan

2001
CD : Solo Album "HYPERNATURAL #2", softl music, Germany

1999
CD : Solo Album "HYPERNATURAL", Self-release
FD : "AMORPHOUS" (Koan Pieces with Koan software by SSEYO Ltd.), Self-release