Haco

About

Haco is a Japanese vocalist, lyricist-composer, electroacoustic performer, and sound artist. She has received recognition internationally as the founder, singer, composer of the legendary avant-pop group, After Dinner (1981-1991) and Hoahio (1997-2002). She has released albums on labels such as ReR Megacorp (UK), Tzadik (US), and Someone Good/Room 40 (AUS) among many others. Haco’s work transcends conventional genres and national borders. She became known for repurposing field recordings and environmental sounds to create surreal widescreen compositions and productions. 

In 1990, she appeared in the film “Step Across the Border,” a documentary on Fred Frith, which was selected as one of the top 100 films of all time by Cahiers du Cinema. Since 1995, she has expanded her delicate and dreamy world of music based on her transparently feathery voice as a solo artist and recorded in collaborative projects such as Hoahio (with Michiyo Yagi, Era Mari, and Sachiko M), Ash in the Rainbow (with Hiromichi Sakamoto), and Yesterday's Heroes (with Terre Thaemlitz). 

In 2005, her sound-art CD “Stereo Bugscope 00” was awarded a prize in the digital music category at Prix Ars Electronica in Austria. Since then, she has been invited to give lectures, workshops, and sound performances at art schools and conferences in many countries.

In 2017, she released her seventh solo album, “Qoosui” on Room 40-subsidiary Someone Good. According to Robert Barry in The Wire, “Listening ‘Qoosui’ feels like stepping into a dream or drowning in clouds of perfume. This is a siren song of an album, drawing the listener deeper and deeper into uncharted territories.". In 2021 her eighth album “Nova Naturo” won critical acclaim from music and art magazines and has been played on numerous radio programs around the world. 

“A founding member of the legendary band After Dinner, Haco is one of the most versatile vocalists in the Japanese indies scene.” (John Zorn)

Website | www.hacohaco.net 

FB: @hacosound  

TW: @hacohacodotnet  

IG: hacodotnet

Liveworks 2022