Carl Stone (US) + Hand to Earth (AU) + Chihei Hatakeyama (JP) + Nyokabi Kariuki (KE)

CARL STONE is one of the pioneers of live computer music, and has used computers in live performance since 1986. He has been hailed by the  Village Voice as “the king of sampling” and “one of the best composers living in (the USA) today.” Relix music magazine writes that “Stone makes music that hits your ear holes like a DMT flash.” The Californian born musician now divides his time between LA and Japan. He studied composition at the California Institute of the Arts with Morton Subotnick and James Tenney and has composed electro-acoustic music almost exclusively since 1972.  In addition to his schedule of international performances, Stone is the emeritus professor of media enggineering at Chukyo University, Japan.

HAND TO EARTH vocalists Daniel Wilfred and Sunny Kim form the heart of the group, which has quickly developed an international reputation as one of Australia’s most distinctive contemporary music ensembles. The quintet’s  debut album has won international praise and was nominated for an ARIA award in 2022 with international performances including at the iconic Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin.

Daniel sings in language, and is the keeper of Yolngu Manikay (songs) from North East Arnhem Land that can be traced back for over 40,000 years. His is the oldest continuously practised music tradition in the world. Sunny sings in English and Korean intoning gestures that invoke raw elemental forces. Together they sing of the stars, of fire, and of the cooling rain against the drone of David Wilfred’s didgeridoo and atmospheres created by trumpeter and sound artist, Peter Knight, and clarinetist Aviva Endean who draw on the minimalism of Brian Eno and Jon Hassell to create a bed for these beautifully contrasting voices. Hand to Earth’s new EP MOKUY is out now on ROOM40.

CHIHEI HATKEYAMA is a Tokyo-based ambient musician and mastering engineer who creates chiming, shimmering soundscapes with acoustic instruments (including guitar, vibraphone, and piano) and laptop processing. His works often evoke scenes from nature, and appropriately include an abundant amount of field recordings and other organic sounds. Since the release of his well-received debut album, Minima Moralia (Kranky), in 2006, he has been remarkably prolific as both a solo artist and collaborator, and his work has always maintained a deeply personal approach. 

NYOKABI KARIUKI is a Kenyan composer, sound artist and performer. Her sonic imagination is ever- evolving, spanning from classical contemporary to experimental electronic music, explorations in sound art, pop, film, (East) African musical traditions and more Her music has been described as “deft” (The Quietus) and “transcendent” (The Guardian), with Bandcamp seeing her as “becoming a crucial voice in contemporary composition and experimental music.” She seeks to create meaningful and challenging art, illuminated by a commitment to the preservation and reflection on African thought, language and stories.