press
interviews:
3055.JP (January/2013, Japan) *Japanese
AAA music (April/2012, UK)
3055.JP (November/2011, Japan) *Japanese
African Paper (October/2011, Germany): GERMAN / ENGLISH
DIGITAL IN BERLIN (May/2010, Germany)
FACT Magazine (January/2010, UK)
Musical Rooms (October/2009, Ireland)
mikan music network (February/2009, France)
the questionnaire (November/2008, France)
remix #209 (October/2008, Japan)
indiesissue Vol.41 (September2008, Japan)
Bodyspace.net (December/2007, Portugal)
remix #185 (November/2006, Japan)
L Magazine #380 (November/2006, Japan)
featured:
FOCUSSOUND (June/2011, Japan)
ototoy (June/2011, Japan)
CD Journal (June/2011, Japan)
Higher Frequency (June/2011, Japan)
Tokafi (April/2010, Germany) *Live Review (27.4.2010@Madame Claude)
State Magazine (Mar/2009, Ireland)
BlowUp #114 (Nov/2007, Italy)
Schole Vol.3 (Oct/2007, Japan)
RundSkipper reviews:
”.. RundSkipper hat etwas von einem Film ohne Ton, nur mit Musik, die einem die gezeigten Ereignisse umso bewusster macht. Der Hauptunterschied zu Hiranos Solosachen liegt vielleicht daran, dass man als Hörer häufiger wachgerüttelt wird und somit nur für kurze Momente im meditativen Mäandern versinkt. Befindet man sich bei Midori Hirano in einem Tagtraum, so hat man bei MimiCof die Gelegenheit, vielfältig bearbeitete Aufzeichnungen eines Tagtraumes aus der Ferne zu sehen. “
- African Paper (DE)
- TYO magazine (JP)
- Shift Magazine (JP)
Magnetic Visionaries reviews:
”.. Overall Hirano achieves a near perfect balance between composed programmed elements and allowing the sounds to unravel and map themselves. A real gem of a work, definitely worth picking up and investigating the artist’s work further (if you haven’t already).”
- future sequence
klo:yuri reviews:
“Ever wondered what it might be like to ride a bullet train through 18th century Vienna? Neither have we. But it’s a close approximation of how you might approach the work of 29-year-old musician Midori Hirano. The Kyoto-born classical pianist turned electronica artist, now based in Berlin, dances the divide between electronic and acoustic sound, creating lush, layered chamber music out of piano, strings, digital samples and vocals in songs that hark back to the past while hinting, irresistibly, toward the future.
Hirano’s sophomore album klo:yuri takes its cue from her minimalist full-length debut, 2006’s LushRush, although she strips away much of the live instrumentation of her previous offering, relying more heavily on field recordings, synthetic effects and her own ethereal voice. These elements are blended through subtle orchestrations and seamless improvisations to create a sensual, cinematic sound — think Michael Nyman times Hans Zimmer to the power of Sigur Rós.
Yet for all its textural complexity, klo:yuri is grounded in warm, intimate melodies worthy of a private salon (albeit one furnished with a laptop and a pair of keyboards). “Terra,” its opener, kicks off with a frenzy of organic sounds — fast-swirling piano, skidding violin — before sliding into a further nine tracks. From the ludic raptures of “Feathers” to the slow-building threnody of “Cells That Smell Sounds” they span the spectrum of light and dark. The album’s highlight comes in the form of “Null,” a doozy of soaring strings, synths and syncopated percussion offset by strangely compelling counting in German, which is very Hirano: at once familiar and odd, with the ineffable quality of a dream.”
– TIME Magazine Vol.173-1
- De:Bug (DE)
- Groove Magazine (DE)
- PlayGround (ES)
- popnews (FR)
LushRush Reviews:
“It’s a welcome debut release that shows potential for a future riddled with more complicated interplays between acoustic and digital sources.”
- Cyclic Defrost Issure#15(AU)
“Midori Hirano is one of those artists that I’ve been hearing about for a while now and it’s lovely to finally hear a full album of material… even more so when it’s of this calibre. Beautifully organic sounds with guitars, pianos, strings and subtle electronics that sound absolutely magical. Lovely melodies and hints of the occasional vocal, used more as an accompaniment than to convey lyrics, shine through the mix and the delicate, floating sounds really will delight you. Heartfelt music with more than a little emotion brought to you with passion and grace. Recommended.”
- Smallfish Records(UK)
Midori Hirano, on the other hand, immediately takes us onto a journey on LushRush, a journey that is highly varied, showing us many beautiful spots and corners. Using instruments such as piano, cello, violin, guitar and digital equipment, we enter into sensitive song structures that are enriched with some noise and field recording, and which sometimes as in Calling are composed of only a few notes. Her girlish voice, which sometimes comes from very far in the back, again and again complements them in a fairy-tale-like manner. Pop pearls from the parallel world.
- JazzThetik(DE)
“The orchestration, is as the albums title implies LUSH… with beautiful violin, cello, & piano melodies voicing a single developing arpegiated theme in varying key’s, rhythms & circumstances. This could have the possibility of becomming monotonous but is remidied by Midori feeding in textures of field recordings and understated beats, sometimes processed or as in my favourite Ancient Story In The Room with a well recorded acoustic drum kit. Here the drums punctuate the ambience of the track with a building rhythm that becomes quite anthemic and is in nice contrast to the subtle vocal melody that weaves in and out, hinting at an old rooms contained memories.”
- Furthernoise(UK)
- Indiepoprock(FR)
- Autres Directions(FR)
- foxy digitals(US)
