Interview: Ichiko Aoba

By Sofia Roger Williams
28 May, 2025

You don’t need to understand the Japanese language to relish in the reposeful and immersive sound bath that is Kyoto-raised folk singer-songwriter Ichiko Aoba’s discography.

Since her debut in 2010, Aoba has released eight studio albums. Her latest, Luminescent Creatures, has a soft yet powerful quality, showcasing Aoba at the height of her craft thus far. Lending its title from the final track of her 2020 album, Windswept Adan, Aoba’s latest record further fleshes out the narrative of her previous by examining its themes more abstractly. Inspired by field research diving in the seas of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, Luminescent Creatures contemplates the interrelationship between, and interconnectivity of, human society and the natural world. The product of her reflection is a scintillating record of magical music invention laced with her understated and gentle vocals, captivating the listener in a state of equanimity that feels much needed in this current world.

As part of her Luminescent Creatures World Tour, Ichiko Aoba is heading to Tāmaki Makaurau this June for a highly anticipated and special one-off show. Ahead of the show, 95bFM’s Sofia Roger Williams interviewed Aoba about Luminescent Creatures, her creative process on and off the stage, and her relationship to music and the natural world.

Windswept Adan was the first record of yours to be released outside of Japan, expanding your following to fans worldwide. Your sound has an element of universality in which the music transcends language barriers. Did you ever foresee your music having such a wide outreach?

Not at all—I didn’t expect it. But it has been a very happy gift.

For years, you’ve used a Yamaha CS40J. It proves that you don’t need expensive or complicated equipment to produce something beautiful. When did you start playing guitar, and what is appealing to you about using a guitar in its simplest form?

I started playing guitar around the age of 15, beginning with electric guitar but quickly switching to classical. I still use the CS40J that I first got back then for live performances today.

While I do love larger, more layered arrangements like on Windswept Adan and Luminescent Creatures, there's something deeply personal about singing with just guitar. The space and silence in that format hold limitless meaning. Those gaps aren't confined—they feel like portals to dreams or illusions. The guitar is an instrument you play by holding close to your body, and with its wooden warmth, it evokes a core, visceral sensation.

Tranquility, experimentality, and equanimity are all sonic qualities of your music. How did you find and develop your personal sound?

I’ve inherited the style of my mentor.

How much does improvisation play a part in your song-writing process? Do you tend to improvise more with vocals or guitar?

I believe improvisation is the foundation of my songwriting. I rarely compose in a planned, structured way. Most of the time, I go into recording with what has come out of me naturally and just lightly shape it.

You’ve spoken before about how you need to be so relaxed you’re almost asleep, or in a state of meditation, to record your music. What is your approach for live performances and preparing for the stage?

I was never someone who aspired to be on stage, so I always feel a special kind of tension before performing. I often decide the setlist after sensing the weather and atmosphere of the venue that day. What’s most important to me is how much I can synchronize with the environment of that moment.

You’re the founder of your own label, hermine. Has your experience in owning your own label impacted your approach to releasing music in any way?

The biggest reason I founded hermine was the desire to personally deliver music to music lovers as directly as possible. And even if the organization grows, I want a system to remain where the creator has the final say.

I value music not as something that is commercially consumed or caught up in trends, but as a primal energy that stirs our hearts. Many messages I receive from fans are deeply personal, and because of the way hermine is set up, I feel we can always resonate with the audience more closely. Hermine is the name of a real creature (a white stoat), but it also represents a kind of fairy-like being that guides our hearts.

Luminescent Creatures feels like it naturally picks up where Windswept Adan left off. How do the two albums interrelate?

Luminescent Creatures actually takes its title from the final track of Adan. Rather than being a sequel in a narrative sense, I created this new work in a way that leaves more room for the listener’s imagination.

The title of the second track on Luminescent Creatures intrigues me - 24° 3′ 27.0″ N, 123° 47′ 7.5″ E. It’s the coordinates for a lighthouse at the edge of Japanese waters. How does the title of this track reflect your intention for the album?

I think the blinking of the lighthouse, its purpose to signal the presence of an island, connects to the nature of luminescent creatures. I wanted to express how ancient life forms' approaches still resonate within our bodies, feelings, and societal systems today—from various perspectives.

Luminescent Creatures, and your discography in general, has a strong connection to nature, often exploring the interconnectedness of the natural world and humankind. What are some places or experiences that have been influential to this theme?

I think Studio Ghibli films I’ve watched since childhood, like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke, have had a big influence.

Three years ago, I had a very memorable encounter with whales. I swam with a mother and calf off an island in southern Japan. Even after they disappeared from sight, I could still hear their song. It wasn’t something I heard with my ears—it felt like the sea and the water in my body were connected, and the sound resonated from inside me. That whale became my singing teacher. The water that constantly cycles through our lives is also a constant source of inspiration. And by water, I don’t mean just plain water—I mean tears, sweat, rain, morning dew, rivers, oceans, clouds, our blood—all the cycles of life.

Where did your fascination, inspiration, and love for whales come from?

In the summer of 2019, I participated as an artist in the Reborn-Art Festival in Tohoku, which was both the epicenter of the 2011 earthquake and an area where whaling resumed. Watching whale dissections every day, I began to sincerely think, “I want to meet a living whale.” I researched and learned they migrate south in the winter, so I followed them to a southern island. Whales use echolocation and can even detect if someone is pregnant—they have incredibly subtle communication. Living in human society can dull our senses, and I felt the whales helped me remember important instincts we naturally carry but no longer use.

You wrote the soundtrack for Yûsuke Morii’s Amiko (2022). I think it’s very fitting, almost as if your sound was made for film. Was writing an original soundtrack something that you ever intended for your music?

Windswept Adan was already like a soundtrack for an imaginary film, so I approached Amiko in a similar way. Fortunately, Morii isn’t the type to “commission” music—he’s a collaborative creator. He even edited the film around the music at times. He came to the studio, and I also had special moments playing with Kana, who played Amiko. Not assigning fixed roles and instead blending together during the creative process led to music that more deeply merged with the film.

Banished Music and Strange News Touring present Ichiko Aoba: the Luminescent Creatures World Tour at the Bruce Mason Centre, Tuesday 3 June 2025.

Tickets are available here.