Haohio

Haohio was formed in March 1997 as a female trio with Haco (vocalist and composer of Happiness Proof and After Dinner), Sachiko M. (samplist of I.S.O. and Ground Zero), and koto player Michiyo Yagi.
An Italian friend of Haco was responsible for the funny sounding name. He had written the word on one of his faxes. Thinking it was an Italian onomatopoeia, Haco decided to use haohio as the name of their trio. Next time she met her friend she asked for the real meaning of the word. He said that there’s no such Italian word, but he thought haohio meant "Good Morning" ("Ohayo") in Japanese. Speaking of the creative potential of cultural misunderstanding…
Since Sachiko M. currently pursues a solo-carreer, Hoahio will perform at the City of Women festival in a duo-version. Their work consists of half composed pieces, and half improvisations, blending a mixture of genres (punk, minimalism, ethnic, techno, pop, noise, ambient), resulting in an eccentric, Japanese urban, avant-pop sound.
While Haco sings and plays a wide variety of instruments (including the sampler, electric mandolin, electronic percussion, moroccan drum, guitar and… a plastic cup), Yagi Michiyo plays one of the most beautiful, theatrical and impressive (two metres long) Japanese instruments: the koto. Yagi began playing this traditional string-instrument at the age of six under Satomi Kurauchi. As a graduate of Kazue Sawai’s Koto School she performs both classical and contemporary music.
Haohio’s first CD Happy Mail --a remix of live recordings-- was released on Otomo Yoshihide’s Amoebic label. “Listening to the CD, you will hear, juxtaposed against the overall lo-tech feel of the work, their keen sense of fun and adventure in pursuing sound and constructing musical ideas”, a connoisseur of the Tokyo indie scene commented.
In 1999, Haohio went overseas for the first time to appear at the Actual Music festival in Victoriaville (Canada); Musique Action in Nancy (France); and Music Unlimited (Wels, Austria). Their performances were enthusiastically received by both audience and critics. This year John Zorn released their second album Ohayo! Haohio! in his NEW JAPAN series on the Tzadik label. On the liner-notes: “In the tradition of the great Japanese girl groups Saboten, Shonen Knife, Fukuko and Papaya Paranoia, Haohio is simultaneously charming, mysterious and delightful”.

Haco: vocals, sampler, electric mandolin, synthesizer bass, electronic percussion, Morrocan drum, plastic cup, guitar; Yagi Michiyo: koto, voice.

Organised and financed by Mesto žensk/ City of Women
In cooperation with Cankarjev dom
Supported by The Japan Foundation
Thanks to: Mrs. Moronaga – Embassy of Japan (Vienna)