Norio - Daidara Bou (2023)

Hush Hush is honored to connect again with Japanese filmmaker, documentarian, and electronic musician Noriaki Okamoto to help present his second album under the Norio alias.

‘Daidara bou’ arrives one year after the release of ‘Somebody’ (HH148), Norio’s debut album that introduced the world to his intricate, nuanced, and delicate “life-size” music. Norio’s full-time work as a documentary videographer has closely correlated to his approach to creating music. With a multi-disciplinary focus on capturing natural, atmospheric, and honest moments, Norio’s minimalist sonic paintings continue to flourish on ‘Daidara bou.’

Throughout the course of writing this album, Norio was inspired by the Japanese mythological creature Daidarabotchi. Also known as Daidara bou, Daidarabotchi is a gigantic yōkai who’s larger-than-life legend thrives within the Gunma Prefecture, the mountainous area where Norio has lived since re-locating from his longtime home of Tokyo. With his documentarian work often taking him into the region’s beautiful natural surroundings, including mountains, lakes, and hot springs whose origins trace back to the folklore tales of the Daidarabotchi, Norio began to meditate on this supernatural creature to help fuel his creative sessions.