Artist Of The Week #101 - Hinako Omori
This week’s Artist Of The Week is musician Hinako Omori, who has just released her debut EP ‘Auraelia’. Having worked with some amazing names such as Kate Tempest, James Bay and more, this EP is the first time with Hinako creating something of her own. She took a moment to talk to us about the release and her love for interesting sounds.
Your EP ‘Auraella’ is out now, what is the meaning behind the title?
Auraelia is a bit of an alien hybrid word. The idea of the EP came about during a period of daily migraines with auras that I had a few years ago. It was such a strange and interesting experience - spots of my vision would start to disappear alongside hazy spots of light that would start to appear, gradually taking over my whole line of sight.
I was trying to understand what this was and what caused it. I initially I wanted to work on a photography project to try and portray what this looked like so I could make it into a tangible ‘thing’, but I then thought it would be an interesting experiment to try and portray this sonically.
When I was thinking of a name for the EP, Auraelia came into my head. I later found out that Aurelia is a type of jellyfish, which also seemed to fit the description perfectly - the feeling of weightlessness, the feeling of floating and helplessness.
It is being released by Injazero Records, how did that come about?
I was introduced to Siné who runs Injazero Records through the amazing photographer Özge Cone. I saw Özge’s beautiful portrait work for the first time a few years ago and had always wanted to work with her, so when I finished the EP I contacted Özge to see if she would be interested in collaborating and thankfully she was! Özge then very kindly sent my music to Siné and connected us. I’m a big fan of Siné’s work and the artists on the label, and it’s an honour to be a part of the family.
I also found out later that my friend James (Vella - Phantom Limb) who I’ve known for many years since my time working at a distribution company and James at Fat Cat Records, also works with Siné on Injazero - so it felt like a very natural and perfect home.
You were born in Yokohama, Japan but moved to London when you were three. Do you still go back to Yokohama? Also what are your favorite things to do in London?
Yes - I visit Japan every year! My family are based there between Yokohama and Tokyo. I love going back and am also making up for lost time by travelling to new areas and discovering more of the history, culture and landscape.
London is such a beautiful, culturally rich city with an abundance of things to choose from every day. When we’re back from tour I love wandering around exhibitions, especially at the Tate Modern and Victoria Miro, and taking in all of the amazing artwork - and going to shows - the energy you get from watching a live performance, and the feeling of togetherness and being connected with the room full of people sharing that experience with you. We are spoilt for choice with all of the local artists and international bands that pass through on tour.
Initially you trained to be a sound engineer, what made you change path?
The sound engineering course I studied at university had a year in industry, and I was very lucky to be able to spend my year with Becky Bentham and Karen Elliott at HotHouse Music, a music supervision company and composer agency. It completely opened my eyes to other realms of the music world and it really was a very inspiring year for me. I met so many people from different areas - composers, orchestrators, musicians, copyists, musical directors - many more roles that at the time I wasn’t aware of - and I came away feeling inspired to explore other avenues as well as engineering.
I feel that so many aspects of the music world go hand in hand with each other and we span different roles in freelance life, so I feel like I haven’t completely changed paths as such - everything we learn can be applied to other fields, in many respects.
You have personally toured with quite a few big names as a session musician, the likes of Kate Tempest, James Bay and Ellie Goulding. What have been your personal favorite experiences from working with these people?
The joy and spiritual connection that comes from playing music together is first and foremost the most magical experience for me! The journeys - both physically, in terms of the beautiful countries and places that we are lucky enough to explore on our travels and connecting with people from all over the world through music, and in the sense of growth from the invaluable things that I’ve learnt along the way. I’m so grateful for all of the experiences with the wonderful artists and their teams that I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with. Having the opportunity to collaborate with musicians and producers that I highly admire. And of course spending time in studios!
What are the key influences for the EP? What was the creative process like?
The creative process was quite patchy, if I’m being honest! I started recording demos for the tracks a few years ago, and it was at the end of last year that I had an urge to finish them and put them out as a way of cathartic release as it felt as though they carried a heavy emotional weight.
Influence-wise, some of my favourite artists I’ve been listening to recently include Marie Davidson, Katie Gately, Gazelle Twin, Susanne Sundfør and of course The Knife - my life-long crush.
You have a love for synthesizers and anything that makes an interesting sound. What is your favorite sound?
Very good question! It’s a tricky one, but I’m going to choose the sounds of the most beautiful machine, the Prophet 5.
Now the EP is out there, what next for you? What are your plans for the next few months?
I’m currently on the road with Kate Tempest, and we have a few more shows remaining this year finishing in Nantes. We’re back at the end of the month and I have an EP launch show at SET in Dalston on 4th December alongside Pétra, who also released their album recently on Injazero - I’d love to see you there! I’m heading back to Japan after then to visit family, and planning to record some soundscapes and start working on some new music.
Hinako's debut EP ‘Auraelia’ is set for release Nov 22nd via Injazero Records.
See Hinako Omori live:
4th Dec - SET, LONDON