Hiro Ama Creates Peace with a 1980s Japanese Synthesizer

A Deeper Listen

Japanese synth artist Hiro Ama discusses his debut solo album Music for Peace and Harmony.

Subscribe Here:

Apple PodcastsGoogle Podcasts Overcast Podcasts  Pocket Casts  Spotify

photo by Neil Thomson

Hiro Ama, born in Japan and based in London, plays drums in the indie pop band Teleman. In late 2024, he released his debut solo album, Music for Peace and Harmony, which leans heavily into the sounds of a 1980s Japanese synthesizer called Waraku, which literally means “peace and harmony” in Japanese. KEXP's Dusty Henry spoke with him shortly after the release. 

“I used to be quite a perfectionist,” Ama says in the interview. “Then again, when you listen to old jazz records, you can hear a lot of mistakes, the bad notes, and people chanting in the background, and that becomes part of the character of the music. Once I realized it, I started putting in a lot of field recordings and embracing the imperfection.” 

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper 

More From A Deeper Listen

Emily Fox speaks with the trio about how they met sharing a wall in a New York apartment building, their reflections on women’s rights in their song "She Who D…

The Montreal-based and Anishinaabe-led band Ribbon Skirt talks about their album, Bite Down, and new EP, PENSACOLA.

Portugal. The Man singer, songwriter, and founder, John Gourley talks about the influences on the new album, SHISH.