Ichiko Aoba shares new single / video "SONAR”
Ichiko Aoba unveils new single / video “SONAR”
Taken from her new album Luminescent Creatures - out February 28th via hermine
['Luciférine'] unfolds with the sense of worlds opening up, a delicate
rush of romantic piano, hushed strings and her swooping voice."
— The Guardian
“[‘Luciférine’ is] a gauzy, undulating, rhapsodic track, with rippling piano arpeggios and distant, tremulous orchestral swells behind Aoba’s gentle voice, perpetually filled with wonderment.”
— The New York Times
Ichiko Aoba presents “SONAR,” the final single from her anticipated album, Luminescent Creatures, out February 28th via hermine. As the album’s emotional core, the track positions sonar (sound navigation and ranging) as a metaphor for finding human connection amidst the depths of loneliness. “SONAR” features a delicate veil of shimmering synthesizers that serve as the backdrop to a simple arrangement of just Aoba’s voice and a keyboard, highlighting the song’s poignant lyrics and elegant melody. Aoba sings: “Beyond the darkness, a glimmer of /somebody’s voice / I am here, although / I know not where, and yet / I hear it.” Here, her own voice is low in the mix as if suppressed by insurmountable depths. An echo of Aoba’s voice creeps in, reverberating like the graceful song of a marine mammal trying to find its friends.
Accompanying the song is a stunning video directed by longtime collaborator Kodai Kobayashi. The video weaves together intricate CGI with elaborate stunts, creating a visually captivating experience that perfectly complements the song's emotive power. Led by contemporary artist and actor Norimizu Ameya, the narrative tackles themes of loss head-on for a subtle yet nuanced message about the nature of human connection. Filmed across multiple locations in Japan, the video offers a cinematic deep dive into Ichiko's world.
Watch the Video for “SONAR”
In recent years, Ichiko Aoba has tapped into the full breadth of her ability, marrying the classical guitar of her earlier work with lofty orchestral sweeps. Her previous album, 2020’s stunning Windswept Adan, was praised by the likes of Pitchfork, The Guardian, The Needle Drop, and beyond, becoming a word of mouth breakthrough and earning the adoration of fellow musicians abroad, including Japanese Breakfast, Mac DeMarco, Laufey, Owen Pallett, Caroline Polachek, Weyes Blood, and Black Country, New Road.
Luminescent Creatures opens an even wider portal into her mind, exploring the origin of life with dreamy musical vistas. Her compositions have become more grand, her songwriting more refined, yet her ability to make listeners feel like they’re in a private cosmos alongside her remains as strong as ever.
While visiting Japan’s Ryukyu Archipelago and conducting field research, Ichiko was enamored by the boundless beauty—and occasional terror—of the ocean. The sea is immense and ancient, mirroring the harsh conditions that life sprang forth from—but it is also reminiscent, housing a deep record of fossils that once swam through its waters. She’d go diving with only the breath in her lungs, submitting herself to the whims of the tides. “I feel unable to resist the pull of the ocean,” Ichiko says, “but know how easy it would be for my small body to be swallowed by the sea.” That contradiction, gentleness and power, instilled a sense of awe that is expressed in the soundscapes of Luminescent Creature.
Ichiko’s arresting solo performances are unassuming yet utterly transfixing. Ichiko’s 2025 world tour in support of Luminescent Creatures will bring her back to the UK in March and April to play her biggest London headline show to date at The Barbican, which is now already sold-out. Exclusive to London, Ichiko will perform the album in full together with producer and co-writer Taro Umebayashi for the first time ever out of Japan, joined by the London based 12 Ensemble. She will also perform in Manchester, Glasgow, and Gateshead, before heading onto the US.
Pre-order Luminescent Creatures
Listen to “Luciférine”
Listen to “FLAG”
Watch Live Performance of “FLAG” from Into The Great Wide Open
Ichiko Aoba 2025 Tour Dates
Mon. Feb. 24 - Hong Kong, CN @ Xi Qu Centre, Grand Theatre [with Musicians from HK Phil]
Wed. Feb. 26 - Seoul, KR @ Sky Arts Hall (SOLD OUT)
Thu. Feb 27 - Seoul, KR @ Sky Arts Hall
Thu. March 6 - Taipei, TW @ Zhongshan Hall (SOLD OUT)
Mon. March 10 - Barcelona, ES @ Paral.lel 62
Tue. March 11 - Valencia, ES @ Teatro Rambleta
Thu. March 13 - Milan, IT @ Auditorium San Fedele (SOLD OUT)
Sat. March 15 - Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
Tue. March 18 - Hamburg, DE @ Laiszhalle
Wed. March 19 - Berlin, DE @ Urania (Humboldtsaal)
Fri. March 21 - Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg (Grote Zaal) (SOLD OUT)
Sun. March 23 - Groningen, NL @ Oosterpoort
Tue. March 25 - Antwerp, BE @ De Roma
Thu. March 27 - Paris, FR @ La Trianon (SOLD OUT)
Mon. March 31 - London, UK @ Barbican [with 12 Ensemble] (SOLD OUT)
Wed. April 2 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
Fri. April 4 - Gateshead, UK @ The Glasshouse
Sat. April 5 - Glasgow, UK @ City Halls
Thu. April 17 - Honolulu, HI @ Hawaii Theatre
Sat. April 19 - Vancouver, BC @ Chan Centre (SOLD OUT)
Sun. April 20 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Mon. April 21 - Seattle, WA @ The Moore
Wed. April 23 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Oakland
Sat. April 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern [with Wordless Music Quintet]
Sun. April 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern [with Wordless Music Quintet]
Tue. April 29 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Scottsdale Center
Thu. May 1 - Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
Sat. May 3 - St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Sun. May 4- St Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theatre
Tue. May 6 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Wed. May 7 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Fri. May 9 - Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral Theatre
Sat. May 10 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
Mon. May 12 - Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center
Wed. May 14 - New York, NY @ Kings Theatre [with Wordless Music Quintet]
Sat. May 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Miller Theatre
Sun. May 18 - Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
Thu. May 22 - Mexico City, MX @ Teatro Metropolitan
