Akira Ito
Today we’re listening to Akira Ito, a Japanese ambient musician from Fukuoka. He was born in 1945 and became a professional actor, eventually encouraged in music by directors like Shintaro Katsu.1 He produced scores using Roland, Korg, and Moog synthesizers in the style of the emergent kankyō ongaku style or “environmental music.” Marine Flowers, from 1986, was originally composed for a marine wildlife documentary, and features new age synths with some electronic drums. His other albums have yet to be re-released on streaming, but his other 1986 record, Prayers, is available on YouTube.
Marine Flowers - Akira Ito (41m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal
Prayers - Akira Ito (40m, no vocals)
YouTube
We wish you a great start to your week.
Not what I expected - and quite delightful. Well balanced between warm and cool, physical and electronic instrumentation.