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."

"Ryoko Ono is a Japanese saxophonist, flutist, composer and recording artist specializing in improvised music and works for saxophone and electronics. She plays in a wide range of genres, not only improvised music, but also blues, jazz, progressive rock, noise, and avant-garde music. Her way of playing is consistent throughout all of these styles. It is solid, romantic inter-play. Ono leads her own group Ryorchestra and is one half of SaxRuins with Yoshida Tatsuya. She has performed with Mick Barr, Richard Pinhas, Toshiji Mikawa, Kazutoki Umezu, Akira Sakata, and many others."

"Takuro Mizuta Lippit (aka DJ Sniff; born in San Francisco, California) is a turn-tableist, curator and producer, who works in experimental electronic arts and improvised music.

Takuro Mizuta Lippit studied philosophy and art history at Keio University in Tokyo. As a musician, he is largely autodidact and has stated that he learned most of his skills from the internet. From 2008 to 2013, he was artistic director of STEIM in Amsterdam. He currently is an assistant visiting professor in the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong.

Lippit combines DJ-ing, instrument design and free improvisation. He is particularly known for his approach to the turntable as an autonomous musical instrument. His work engages with diverse forms of sonic media, ranging from archival collections of vinyl records to real-time digitally captured sounds during performances. His work often involves a combination of turntables and software instruments, many of which he developed at STEIM. In 2015, Lippit and composer Otomo Yoshihide founded 'Ensembles Asia', a pan-Asian network of experimental and electronic musicians."

"Ko Ishikawa is a Sho (Japanese bamboo mouth organ) player and is a member of the Gagaku ensemble "Reigakusha". He was born in Tokyo in 1963 and studied Sho and Gagaku music with masters Mayumi Miyata, Hideaki Bunno and Shiba Sukeyasu."

Yong Yandsen is a Malaysian free improvising saxophonist, known primarily in Southeast Asia and increasingly in Europe. Yandsen runs the Lao Ban record label and also the concert series SPIL. He has a distinctive and expressive voice on the tenor saxophone that is influenced by players like Kaoru Abe, Albert Alyer and John Butcher.