Otomo Yoshihide - born in 1959 in Yokohama, Japan. As a teenager, he spent time in Fukushima. Staying independent, he has consistently composed a wide range of music from improvisation to noise music and pop, and his music talent has spread all over the world. He has a successful career as a film score composer and has produced more than 70 movie soundtracks. In recent years, he has produced special type of concerts and musical works in collaboration with other various artists under the name of "ensembles". In addition, one of his priorities is,producing musical workshop projects involving handicapped children. In 2011, after the Great East Japan Earthquake , he started "PROJECT FUKUSHIMA!" along with people in various sectors. He has been active beyond the music scene and this is the reason that he has attracted a great deal of attention. In 2012, he received the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts in the category of Promotion for "PROJECT FUKUSHIMA!". In 2013, he received various prizes including the Japan Record Award for his accomplishments, such as composing the theme music for the TV drama "Amachan".

"I use my real name "Otomo Yoshihide" as my stage name. When you write your Japanese name in English alphabet, many people often write their given names first, then their family names, following in the Western traditional culture. But originally, some Asian countries, including Japan, write their family names first, and then their given names follow after that. In my opinion, there is not only one standard for people's names and we should respect the values each person attaches to their name. Calling someone by his first name is a wonderful custom in Western culture to express familiarity with each other but that custom is not necessary in Japan because nobody has ever called me by my first name. It does not mean that people are unlikely to become close friends with me. It is just that calling me "Otomo" seems easier. There are some places with such customs in the world; where people friendlily call you by your family name. I am definitely not a nationalist but I have a feeling that something is wrong with those people who do not only disregard the tradition I am familiar with, but would rather follow Western standards.

For this reason, I would like to continue using the notation "Otomo Yoshihide" as before. When you call me, please call me "Otomo" as before. This will not cause any problems in its use. Until now, many people have written my name "Yoshihide Ōtomo" or "Yoshihide Otomo" but please understand those notations are not my intention. I am sincerely grateful for your consideration."

"Margareth Kammerer began her musical activity in Bologna (Italy) where she studied at the D.A.M.S (Disciplines of Art, Music and Theater). She co-founded several bands working with improvisation and collective composing. After moving to Berlin, she became involved in the experimental "Echtzeit" music scene, and has since developed her craft along many different lines, both with music and performance.

Her solo work can be found on "To be an animal of real flesh" (Charizhma, 2004), and "Why is the sea so blue" (Mikroton, 2013). Other continuing projects include: The Magic I.D. (with Christoph Kurzmann, Kai Fagachinski, and Michael Thieke), The RubyRubyRuby (with Steve Heather and Derek Shirley), Mugglestone Revue (with Big Daddy Mugglestone), Secret Spirit House (with Ellen Fullman and Teresa Wong), etc.

She has also worked with Chris Abrahams, Fred Frith, Luciano Chesa, Seby Ciurcina, Otomo Yoshihide, Paolo Angeli, Axel Dörner, Jason Forrest, Stefano Pilia, Andrea Belfi, Daniela Cattivelli, Claudio Rocchetti, the new contemporary music ensembles "Die Maulwerker" und "Ensemble Zwischentöne", and many more.

M.K. has performed at Angelica Festival in Bologna (2008), Music Unlimited in Wels (2006) Auditorio Parco della musica (2010 Rom), Serralves em Festa (2010 Porto) Experimental Media (2010 New York), Maybeck Studio (2005 San Francisco), Festival de lá Musique Creative (1995 Nancy), Jazz á Mulhouse (2007 Mulhouse), Musica 90 (2005 Torino), Escena Contemporanea (2005 Madrid), Teatro Fondamenta Nuove (2007 Venice), Vooruit (2009 Gent), Echtzeitmusiktage (2010 Berlin), Netmage (2010 Bologna), Alternativa Festival (2011 Prag), Ring Ring (1994 Belgrad), Festival Transart (2010 Bozen), Maerzmusik (2011 Berlin), Konfrontationen (2011 Nickelsdorf), etc.

In theater, she has worked as actress/singer with Laurent Frechuret, (1999/2000, St. Etienne, Paris), Wolf Twiehaus (2001/2002, Schaubühne, Berlin), Berthold Schneider (2003, Staatsbank, Berlin), Jay Scheib (2002, Volksbühne, Berlin; 2005, Lamama Theatre, New York; 2006, Living Room, Bologna; 2009, Institute of Creative and Performing Arts at Colgate University), Adeline Rosenstein (2004-2008, Ausland, Berlin; 2009, Premieres Actes, France), Tone Avenstroup (2001, Reich und Berühmt Festival, Berlin; 2002, Lady Chutney, Vienna; 2002, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo; 2001,Black Box, Oslo; 2012, Ackerstadtpalast, Berlin), Worm Winters (2002, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo), Antonija Livingstone (2009, Performance Festival, Bologna) and Bo Wiget (2010, Fabriktheater Zürich; 2010, Sophiensäle, Berlin)."

"Born in 1976, Hong Chulki is an improvising/noise musician from Seoul, South Korea. With Choi Joonyong, he founded the first Korean noise music group Astronoise in 1997 and experimental music records label Balloon and Needle in 2000. His main instrument is amplified/unamplified turntables in the recent years. He has been active in audio-visual performance with Korean film artist Lee Hangjun under the name of Expanded Celluloid/Extended Phonograph. He has collaborated with several improvising/noise musicians including Ryu Hankil, Jin Sangtae, Joe Foster, Kevin Parks, Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Jason Kahn, Bryan Eubanks, Will Guthrie, Aaron Dilloway and Okkyung Lee."

"Ryu Hankil (류한길) was born in 1975 in Seoul, South Korea. He worked for about two years as a professional graphic designer. Hankil was a keyboard player in two famous Korean indie pop groups, but eventually left the groups because he was tired of typical music making and sounds. Then he started his own solo electro pop project, Daytripper, and released two solo albums, A Collector (2001) and Brownpaper (2004).

When he made Brownpaper, Hankil collaborated for the first time with the Korean noise / improvisation duo Astronoise. At that time, he saw a concert by Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Axel Dörner, and Taku Unami in Seoul. He changed his musical instrument and concentrated more and more on improvised music. Hankil has organized a monthly event called RELAY since 2005. He established his own publishing office called Manual, and releases improvised music and magazines.

Hankil uses clockworks as an instrument. He is interested in finding musical structures and so on in the vibration of objects. He focuses on using non-instruments-abandoned objects like old telephones and typewriters."