Ichiko Aoba

Please Note: There is a delivery delay on all orders until approximately three days prior to the show.Ichiko Aoba has the power to bend space around her, pulling listeners from reality and surrounding them in the comforting fabric of her imagination. Shes been casting these spells since her debut at 19 years old, making picturesque dioramas with only her voice and guitar. But in recent years, shes turned a corner and let a new process take hold. The Japanese singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist tapped into the full breadth of her ability, marrying the classical guitar of her earlier work with lofty orchestral sweeps. She went big with Windswept Adan (2020), crafting a story about her deepening bond with nature. Collaborating closely with arranger Taro Umebayashi and creative director Kodai Kobayashi, the three of them freely shared ideasboth aural and visualcrystallizing a collective vision. The universe of Windswept Adan was so vast that it also included the script for an imaginary movie, drawings by Ichiko, and stunning photos by Kobayashi. For her new album, Luminescent Creatures, she opens an even wider portal into her mind.Ichikos ambitions kept growing, and the world took notice. She was well known in Japancollaborating with artists like Haruomi Hosono, Cornelius, and the late Ryuichi Sakamotobut Windswept Adan connected her with an international audience. She earned the adoration of fellow musicians abroad, collaborating with and playing alongside artists like Japanese Breakfast, Mac DeMarco, Owen Pallett, Pomme, Weyes Blood, and Black Country New Road as her profile continued to grow. Western publications like Pitchfork and The Needle Drop started paying attention, though the real driving force behind her ascent is her naturally captivating presence.As Ichikos star continues to rise, shes committed to being her truest self. Along with her creative partners Umebayashi and Kobayashi, shes returned to the recesses of her reverie for her latest project. Her compositions have become more grand, her songwriting more refined, and shes preparing for her largest world tour to dateyet her ability to make listeners feel like theyre inside in a private cosmos alongside her remains as strong as ever.This album, Luminescent Creatures, was born from Windswept Adan, Ichiko says. It began when I started wondering what happened after the protagonist of Windswept Adan disappeared along with the music of the islands inhabitants. What would be left? The albums title makes the link clear, bearing the name of the closing track from her previous record. She pushes the envelope further, exploring themes of connection through musings about the origin of life with dreamy musical vistas.