Lockdown diary from art-pop drummer
Who they?
Taking time out from his day job behind the kit in Teleman, London-based Hiro Amamiya reflects on isolated living with his debut EP as Hiro Ama. Drawing on his Japanese roots and a heap of downbeat styles, ‘Uncertainty’ is a deep, reflective personal journey.
Why Hiro Ama?
Teleman’s nous for infusing pop melody into sonic experimentation is a fixture on ‘Uncertainty’, adding accessibility to some lofty philosophical conundrums. “This EP is a mixture of feelings like sadness, loneliness, confusion, hope and nostalgia,” says Amamiya. Recorded over a month in isolation in his flat, ‘Uncertainty’ is flooded with emotion and memories, captured with found sounds, synths and pared-down beats. Warped samples run throughout with shuffling percussion crafted from field recordings made close to home, and there’s even a kick drum made from a heartbeat. On ‘Outro’, unedited recordings of birds, children playing in the park and people on walking the streets all feature. “It’s the everyday sounds you hear from your window,” he says.
Tell us more…
‘Uncertainty’ is a wistful gaze from that window to the wider world (or universe) from an isolated place. Amamiya explores his sense of place on tracks like ‘Letter From Lahore’, which features a pan-Asian melodic motif, as he reflects on a life-changing, four-month global journey after dropping out of school aged 17. Reaching further afield, ‘Broken Satellite’ is inspired by a disused satellite orbiting the Earth. “There’s a sadness that it’s not needed anymore, but then it’s kind of beautiful in the way that it’s just there floating around,” he explains. Beautiful, sad, personal and reflective, ‘Uncertainty’ is an intriguing musical diary expressing feelings so many people have been unpacking of late.
‘Uncertainty’ is out now on Prah
