HITOSHI KOJO

I'm a man, who loves women,
that once I was wrapped in, that once I was a part of.
I'm an adult, who loves babies,
that once I was, that I can never return again.
I'm a flesh, however I love plants,
that I eat everyday, that I can not become yet.
I'm an animal, so I love forest,
that I feel I should look like, that I can only aspire from a distance.

My despair, love and blessings are twisted
together into a dense resonance, while emitting like a fog.
Swimming arms in the air are trying
to spin the fog into something like a cloud.
The sea and the sky, the things which always stay together
but never cross each other.
The clouds, which can transparently weave them together.

I wonder if we can become a forest one day,
which grows by rains from the clouds.

CHRONOLOGY

Here is my very brief chronology of cultural influences, meetings, and other experiences that I can't forget or want to keep in my mind.

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 my first 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 my label's name 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 my label's name to "omnimemento"