Name: Manabu Hiramoto aka Shinkiro
Nationality: Japanese
Current release: The new Shinkiro album Stalaktos is out May 5th 2023 via Subcontinental.
Recommendations: I collect woods and stones. Human made products are no match for nature. I feel beauty emanating from exotic wood grains and mineral stone structures.

If you enjoyed this Shinkiro interview and would like to know more about the project, visit him on Facebook, Soundcloud, and bandcamp. For the thoughts of one of his collaborators, read our Eraldo Bernocchi interview. 



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

My eyes are closed when I listen to music. I can see images and scenes, depending on the music genre.

I try not to see the artwork and track titles because they tend to disturb my pure imagination.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

Since I was a kid, I liked singing J-pop and main themes of Japanes animations. But the electric guitar changed my life. At 13 my parents gave me a copy model of a Les Paul, which got me into playing guitars.

In my teenager days, I would only listen to guitar players and guitar solos and practice to play fast and more precise day after day.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

When I was that age, I loved Visual-kei and J-rock bands like BOØWY, D’erlanger, Buck-tick. They were influenced by 80s goth rock and new wave.



If I had not met these bands, I would have become a menber of Endless Dismal Moan and Jigokue.



Heavy metal music like Metallica and Megadeth is also one of my big influences. My first concert was Megadeth live at Shinjuku. At that time I counldn’t understand music at all but I agree with you that these were the most important days.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

Mac and Cubase made me improve my songwriting skill. Around 2000, some of my musician friends were using 8track or 16 track hardware recorders.

PC speed were slow and unknown musical softwares didn't yet work properly. But I could make full use of them. It’s  easier to edit music files and tones visually. If I had not got a Mac, I wouldn't be making music now. The most important key of my musical techniques is editing.

On my first album Deep Blue in 2005, I made all the music using hardware synths. Mac is only for recording the songs.



On the second album Way of the gods, I imported materials from synths, field recordings and voices to Cubase and edited and edited. Over just a few years, I increased raw materials like field recordings and classic guitars.



What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

Without thinking anything, I start making sounds. Sounds always motivate me to make something and to lead me in the right direction.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

Dark ambient music is predominantly created and promoted by European artists and labels, and it has a strong following within Europe. Although I deeply appreciate their music and culture, I prefer to cultivate my own identity as a Japanese artist and share my country's spiritual traditions with the rest of the world.

One of these distinctive beliefs is nature worship, which is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Through my music, I aim to express the beauty of Japan and its unique cultural heritage.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

In my music, musical elements like chords and playing technique are not that important. I think and feel non-human-made sounds are also parts of musical instruments.

Until now, I used many many non-instrumental-sounds like birds, wind, insects, waves, bamboos, toys and so on.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

I think that the great music has always been created without thinking too much. Sounds and songs lead me the best result.

I won’t intentionally make music which is too complex and very long and short.

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

My music is primarily ambient in nature, but occasionally features rhythms. In both cases, I believe that a well-structured song is essential. My creative process involves layering beautiful sounds through overdubbing.

I am particularly drawn to minimal music because of its hypnotic and majestic qualities. However, poorly crafted sounds and structures, as well as static soundscapes, tend to bore me and my listeners.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

"Abundance," a track from my upcoming album Stalaktos, has been the final song of my concerts for several years. Although I have always cherished this song, I never felt that it fit into any of my previous albums. Finally, it will be released to the public.

This song features a unique rhythm, synth bass, and song structure, which sets it apart from my previous work. Although I can't recall the initial inspiration, each element of the song developed naturally.

To enhance the track, I included the sound of sparrows singing, various pads, and the distinct sound of the Japanese koto. Once the majority of the track was completed, I listened to it multiple times and made a few cuts to refine it. I believe that the sounds I used were necessary to create the song's desired effect.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

Making music and recording are processes which take place simultaneously.

I record any spontaneous sounds and import them to Ableton live for now and then process them with sound treatments and by cutting files and repeating them … Ultimately, this process yields me finished songs.

Because I have never had any formal music training, I don’t know about scientific insights.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

Some people can learn lots of things from music but others can not.

Luckily I was able to see things from a bird’s-eye view from dark ambient music. Soleilmoon recordings released a compilation CD Sometimes silence is an answer in 2005. I love that title.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I express the inner landscape of humanity through my music.

In the past, my music has been very personal and hermetic. But gradually, it has become more wide and open. I intend to select album concepts dealing with the universe and spirituality.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

The experimental music of zoviet france has influenced me. Their Collusion album used human voices musically.



If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

I’m interested in non-human music which made automatically by an AI. It’s cool that the album won all sorts of awards.