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When conducting an interview with a musician, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with their work. In the case of Michiru Aoyama, a resident of Kyoto and a fan of Ryuichi Sakamoto, she has released a new album every day since at least December 31, 2021. Despite listening almost non-stop for two weeks, I have only just begun to explore her extensive collection.
I am using the word “at least” because Aoyama has numerous releases on his Spotify page, causing the system to struggle and eventually give up if you try to scroll down. His latest album is titled Xyo, with previous releases including Card and Moriko, which continue in an endless stream of hundreds.
The impressive quality of these pieces cannot be overstated – they are incredibly immersive, ambient tracks that effortlessly move and sparkle, never becoming tiresome. There are eight tracks, each with a length of 20 minutes and 27 seconds. These are small yet expertly crafted works that showcase discipline and control. After experiencing them while working, sleeping, driving, or daydreaming, it may be difficult to seek out anything else.
In October 2019, Aoyama, who is 38 years old, distinctly recalls the moment he chose to release one new album every day. In an email, he shares that he was living in the rural area outside Fukuchiyama, Kyoto and was relaxing in a communal bath. He knew that for this endeavor to be successful, all of his recordings would need to be made available.
He explains that creating a song is similar to maintaining a diary. Every day, he expresses both positive and negative memories through his music, which has now become an enjoyable habit. Regarding ensuring high quality, he admits it involves a lot of trial and error. However, he is transparent in releasing both the good and bad sound quality without hiding anything.
Aoyama has created a precise and distinct style, which he refers to as “a compositional mould.” He uses his PRS McCarty guitar or Prophet-10 analog synth, along with a variety of effects, to produce a continuous stream of soothing soundscapes. In essence, if you enjoy one of his pieces, you will likely enjoy them all.
He admits, “My style may be comparable, but this is the sound I desire to create. In ambient music, numerous individuals compose lengthy tracks, but I perceive them as short tales. Therefore, tracks one, three, five, and seven have a similar essence, while tracks two, four, six, and eight share a similar flavor.”
Releasing a large number of albums is only possible through digital means, and this was a deliberate strategy by Aoyama to take advantage of the streaming algorithm. A year ago, Aoyama, who formed an indie rock band called Nicole in high school, had around 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. However, with his daily releases, this number has now increased to over 200,000, at a rate of approximately 400 new listeners per day. The majority of his income comes from being featured on various playlists such as Weightless, Ambient Dreamscapes, Spa Treatment, Attention Booster, and others. He shares these playlists with other prolific Japanese deep ambient solo artists like Chihei Hatakeyama and Akira Kosemura, while his music is also available on Bandcamp. Aoyama’s music, which he owns entirely himself, now earns him approximately £2,400 per month. In April of this year, he left his job at SoftBank, where he used to train new employees and plan events.
If, similar to myself, you are considering the possibility of creating and publishing an album every day, it is necessary to establish a strict routine. Aoyama’s daily schedule begins at 5am with waking up and spending 30 minutes watching a summary of European football. From 6am to midday, he focuses on composing. Following this, he takes a two-hour walk and has a meal before returning to composing until 7pm when he uploads the day’s audio files. This process alone takes two hours.
What’s next? “Following that, I do some studying,” he mentions, as if he hadn’t already squeezed enough out of the day. “I usually go to sleep at 11pm.”
Communicating with an artist while they are in the process of creating a new album is an unusual experience. However, since this particular artist is constantly working on new music, I continue to reach out. I inquire about what would happen if they took a break from creating. “To me, writing songs is a daily routine, like brushing my teeth,” they respond. “I wouldn’t feel at ease stopping.”
What if you did? He stated, “I would capture images, create illustrations, or compose stories.” “However, my greatest desire is to produce films.” With that, he fades away, leaving behind 20 minutes and 27 seconds of exquisitely crafted music to reach a growing audience.
Source: theguardian.com
