Premiere: Japanese Violinist-Producer Tukico Scores an Eerie Folk Tale on ‘Carnim – Aiso’

Inspired by an old Japanese fable, Berlin-based violinist and producer Hoshiko Yamane — who is currently released music under the moniker of Tukico — worked with Bengaluru label Subcontinental Records and filmmaker Sharath U. Holla on the video for “Carnim – Aiso,” off her new album Primitive.

Bringing together ominous, ambient synth work that seamlessly blends with electric violin portions, “Carnim – Aiso” is the name of a turtle’s underwater village in Japanese folklore. Yamane narrates how a human is gifted a box after his visit to a turtle’s village, but is warned to never open it. “The young man came back to his home and opened the box. He becomes very old and realizes that he had spent many, many years underwater. His family and friends are no longer alive and he is very alone. The video symbolizes this folk tale, where you see the protagonist disappear back into the box in the last scene,” the violinist and electronic artist says.

Employing Moog synthesizers and more electronic elements, Tukico is an outlet for Yamane’s experiments outside of just playing electric and acoustic violin. Releasing the project’s debut EP become in March this year, she says she bought new effect pedals and synthesizers, which shaped the sound of the 10-track Primitive. “I focused more electronic music than acoustic,” Yamane adds.

The artist has, since around 2011, been indulging both sides as part of veteran electronic music frontrunners Tangerine Dream. It was in 2006 that Yamane moved to Berlin, pursuing music across genres and even collaborating with dancers and choreographers. With Tangerine Dream, Yamane visited India for the first time in 2017 for the group’s debut performance, hosted in Dambuk, Arunachal Pradesh for Orange Festival of Adventure and Music as headliners. She recounts, “There was a different culture, people and landscape which I’ve never seen. We were on the road most of the time, so I want to visit India having more time for the next trip.”

Watch the video for “Carnim – Aiso” below. Stream/buy ‘Primitive’ here.