Miya Masaoka

masaoka laser koto Miya Masaoka presents herself as

musician, composer, sound artist – has created works for koto and electronics, Laser Koto, field recordings, laptop, video and written scores for ensembles, chamber orchestras and mixed choirs. In her pieces she has investigated the sound and movement of insects, as well as the physiological response of plants, the human brain and her own body. Within these varied contexts her performance work investigates the interactive, collaborative aspects of sound, improvisation, nature and society.

She is indeed active in many fields, ranging from koto music (including electrified and laser versions), to music for ensembles, field recordings, and experimentation with plants and brainwaves, as you can see by watching her videos.

Here we present an excerpt from For Birds, Planes & Cello. As the title suggests, it is a composition that uses a series of field recordings of airplanes and birds. The two layers of sound are mediated by the cello, which acts as a unifying element. In this 5-minute excerpt (the only one freely available: the CD is distributed by his label SolitaryB), the cello's action is limited to long, more or less harmonic sounds that act as a trait d'union between the two recordings.

Miya Masaoka – For Birds, Planes & Cello
Joan Jeanrenaud, cello.

Back