Awakenings

Born in south Japan, Go Hiyama discovered techno music in 1994, when he got exposed to the sounds of such artists as YMO, Kraftwerk, Jeff Mills, Fumiya Tanaka and labels like Warp and Subvoice among others.
In 1995, Go Hiyama decided that it was time to start making his own tracks. His thinking for minimalism isn’t reduced to just music, so his tracks are always built by very different ideas and music styles.

Several european artists like Oscar Mulero and James Ruskin have always supported his productions, releasing Go Hiyama’s material on his own labels Coda and Warm Up.

Go Hiyama has released over 15 original productions on many different labels like Electracom, Maracas, Audio Assault, Pohjola, Sheep and the already mentioned Coda and Warm Up. His demand is rapidly growing worldwide.

In 2004, Go Hiyama made his European debut in Spain. People recognized that he had his own style. His Japanese style of techno was pure, unique and underground - nothing that had been heard before in Europe. His reputation and popularity quickly spread all over the continent. He was becoming recognized as one of Japan’s most underground and respected techno Live Act, playing at top class events like Awakenings in Holland, Svojsice in the Czech Republic, and Aixa Galiana and Play in Spain.

His current projects for 2007 include a bunch of releases on the highly acclaimed japanese label Asian Dynasty, and the world live tour introducing a fresh and innovative live set together with Takaaki itoh.

Techno hit Japan hard in the early 1990s. Surprised, Takaaki Itoh was quickly impressed and intrigued with this new sound. The unique style of beats revealed the gateway to a new world of underground music in Japan - something he had never heard before. Surprise slowly gave way to addiction when Takaaki Itoh was exposed to the sounds of such artists and labels as Underground Resistance, Derrick May, Jeff Mills, Hardfloor, Sven Väth, Harthouse, Warp and Rising High. This was his sound, and deciding he just couldn't get enough of it, in 1994 Takaaki began to organize his own techno parties in his home of northern Japan. By providing a fantastic lineup, his parties quickly became a success.
In 1996, having decided that it was time to start making his own tracks, Takaaki Itoh emerged to purchase the vital instruments to begin production. After sending out three finished projects to various labels, Electracom UK was fortunate enough to put Takaaki's first material out. This moment was something he will never forget, as he was finally able to hear his own music on vinyl. Several releases followed with Electracom as his tracks began to appear in magazine DJ charts in well known DJs from around the world.
In 2000, Takaaki Itoh made his European debut in Slovakia. People recognized that he had his own style. His Japanese style of techno was pure, unique and underground - nothing that had been heard before in Europe. His reputation and popularity quickly spread all over the continent. He was becoming recognized as Japan's most underground and respected techno DJ.
As of 2001 he was getting offers to perform at large clubs and festivals all over Europe, including Cosmic Trip and Svojsice in the Czech Republic, The Darkside in England, MTW in Germany, Awakenings and Reactor in Holland, Mayday and Sziget in Hungary, La Real and Code in Spain, Boomerang in Slovakia, Projekt in Belgium, as well as events in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Serbia. Slovenia.. Promoters wanting him, party people loving him, Takaaki Itoh took the next step and started his own label Wols. Passion led to success and Takaaki became recognized as the top of the next generation of techno music.
By 2007, Takaaki Itoh has released over 60 original productions on many different european labels like Sheep, Tsunami, Warm Up, Theory, MB Selektions, Integrale Muzique, etc. He is also developed a reputation for remixing globally established techno artists such as Gennaro Le Fosse, Oscar Mulero, Christian Wünsch, and more to come. His demand is rapidly growing beyond his Asian and European roots, to places like South America, Australia, the US and Canada.

Ken debuted on a legendary Belgian techno label, R & S Records, in 1993. Then he won No.1 on the UK’s NME magazine’s techno chart which led him to worldwide recognition. In 1995, the highly praised album "Jelly Tones" (R & S / Sony) was released. In the following year, the video clip for the single "Extra" from the "Jelly Tones" album (directed by Koji Morimoto, the animator of the worldwide hit cartoon, "Akira") won MTV Europe's "Dance Video of the Year" award. Since then, Ken has been regarded as one of the Japanese pioneers whose creation is on a world standard.
In 1998, Ken composed and produced the official theme song for the winter Olympics which took place in Nagano, Japan and it was played in more than 70 countries around the world. Then in 2000, Ken was on the cover of "Newsweek" magazine, featured as a symbol of the Japanese new culture. Also in the same year, he composed the theme song and soundtracks for the mega hit Japanese film, "Whiteout", which led him to a nomination for Japanese Academy Awards. Then in 2002, Ken finally set up his own label, 70 Drums, and released an album “Future In Light.”

These days, Ken spends 2/3 of his time in Europe, Asia, North and South America and Oceania DJing and working as a true international artist. In 2004, he was awarded the best techno DJ at "Dance Music Awards" in Ibiza, Spain, proving himself to be one of the world’s most talented DJs in the scene. Last year, he was in charge of the music for Japanese Government's Seto-Nippon Pavilion at World Expo, held in Aichi, Japan. In November, 2006, he released an original album "SUNRISER". He has also been continuously releasing on his side project, FLR, focusing on the dance floor.

A key figure who formed Denki Groove, together with Pierre Taki and other member musicians, back in 1989. Takkyu released his first solo-album "DOVE LOVES DUB" in 1995, and began performing as a professional DJ around the same time. His DJ craftsmanship has been widely demonstrated in the Europe since 1997, and the acclaim from European audiences indeed led him to the honor of the first Japanese who played at the Final Gathering of LOVE PARADE, the biggest dance festival in Europe, in 1998 in front of 1.5 million people. The sphere of his activity covers the various works with the overseas artists as well; the unit "TakBam" made in collaboration with the icon of German Techno, WestBam, would be a good example. Since 1999, he has been organizing the event "WIRE", which now becomes the biggest indoor techno rave in Japan gathering more than 10,000 people a year, and then, this would be another good case through which Takkyu has been actively introducing DJs and artists from other countries. In 2002, he made some remarkable works such as a remix of "ANTHEM", the official theme of 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP KOREA JAPAN written by VANGELIS, and also the music producing for the theatrical stand-up comedy "Papa Semplicita" by City Boys, a unit of 3 big-name comedians in Japan (Makoto Otake, Kitaro, Shigeru Saiki). In 2003, Takkyu has started hosting a regular party "STERNE" at the club WOMB in Shibuya, for which he serves as a resident DJ, and one of its live takes was released as a DJ MIX CD "IN THE BOX - Live at WOMB Tokyo-". Around this time, Takkyu founded an indie label, "PLATIK", too. His latest works include the albums entitled "TITLE#1" and "TITLE#2 3", released in two consecutive months in March 2004, and the international version of this album series, re-named "TITLES" with the tracks selected from the original 2 albums, has been released in Europe and Asian countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia, etc. The 4th DJ MIX CD "A PACK TO THE FUTURE", released in December 2005, is also an item to remember among his recent works. In 2006, he formed a unit "InK" with Hiroshi Kawanabe of TOKYO No.1 SOUL SET, and released the original full album "C-46" from Ki/oon Records under InK's name. The unit's second album, "InK PunK PhunK" was released in August 2007 also from Ki/oon Records.