Ichiko Aoba

“One of folk music’s most consistently beguiling artists.” – Record Collector

“it’s watery, dreamlike soundscapes are totally immersive on one of those records that – temporarily at least – can make the cares of the world seem to melt away” – Uncut

Since Ichiko Aoba's 2010 debut, Razorblade Maiden, the Japanese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has released seven albums, founded her independent label hermine, and performed in a growing list of territories worldwide. Her music, often composed on just her classical guitar or a simple synthesiser, is simultaneously intimate and boundless; fragile and unyielding; virtuosic and understated.

Her seventh album, Windswept Adan (2020) introduced lush orchestral arrangements to create a “soundtrack for a fictional film” that took the world by storm. From TikTok to internet music forums, Windswept Adan revealed the breadth of Ichiko Aoba’s worldwide appeal. Yet her live performances are often stripped down affairs: guitar and voice, unadorned, while still captivating and enthralling audiences everywhere.

2025 saw the release of her eighth album, Luminescent Creatures, a work that developed the musical and thematic motifs of Windswept Adan, while incorporating more sparse arrangements, much like her early albums. Aoba found inspiration while visiting Japan’s Ryukyu Archipelago, enamoured by the ocean’s boundless beauty as well as the terror it inspires. Acclaimed by critics and embraced across both traditional media and digital communities, the record marked a new peak in her career.

Returning to Esplanade after her sold-out 2024 concert, listeners are invited once again to enter Aoba’s dreamlike space of stillness and imagination. A part of the Across the Ocean tour, this magical evening sees Aoba performing alongside an ensemble led by composer Taro Umebayashi, incorporating strings and other instruments to bring Aoba’s full breadth of sound and artistic vision to life.

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