LEO is attracting attention as a koto player with a unique talent. He has won numerous competitions and received music awards, and has performed with orchestras both in Japan and abroad, and has made an unusual appearance as a koto player on stages such as Blue Note Tokyo and Summer Sonic, and has been involved in his own genre-less activities.
With his latest album “microcosm,” which will be released in July, he will pursue originality and engage in experimental collaborations with a wide variety of musicians/artists across countries and genres. Collaborative artists include Bando Yudai, Amimori Masahira, and Oi Kazuya, as well as the electronic duo LAUSBUB, and jazz pianist Hayashi Masaki, and Kimijima Daizora will be the mix for the song he co-starred with composer pianist Umei Misaki. He also co-wrote and co-starred with world-renowned pianist Francesco Tristano. The mastering is done by Heba Kadry, who also works on works by Björk and Sakamoto Ryuichi.
Ahead of the album release, the pre-release single “Vanishing Metro” was released today. The song was written by Amimori Shohei, and the avant-garde, psychedelic number is made up of koto (LEO) and drums (Oi Kazuya), and the music video released today features the superb skills of both.
[Advanced single]
Released June 18th
“Vanishing Metro”
LEO & Oi Kazuya
Produce & music: Amimori Masahei
Streaming Site:
https://LEOnc.lnk.to/VanishingMetro
Label site:
https://columbia.jp/artist-info/leo/discography/COKM-45682.html
[Music Video]
“Vanishing Metro”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYaXMVmyQ34
[Album Information]
Released on Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
“microcosm” LEO
COCB-54380 (Nippon Columbia/BETTER DAYS) ¥3,500
https://columbia.jp/artist-info/leo/discography/COCB-54380.html
◆Album contents
1.Cotton Candy
music & piano: Umei Misaki mixed by: Kimijima Osora
2.Vanishing Metro
Produce & Music: Amimori Shohei Drums: Oi Kazuya
3. Potato
music: LEO piano: Hayashi Masaki tabla: U-zhaan arrangement: LEO, Hayashi Masaki, U-zhaan
4.Moments within
music: LEO
5. Night Scape
music & electronics: LEO
6. Microcosm Session
produced & music: Bando Yudai
saxophone & additional horn arrangement: Baba Tomoaki
percussion: Ogawa Keita bass: Marty Holobeck electronics & Violin: Machida Masaru
7.GRID // ON
music: LEO drums & synth: Oi Kazuya track-make: LEO & Oi Kazuya
8.moments between
music: LEO
9. The Time of Sound Feat. LAUSBUB
music & words: Iwai Riko (LAUSBUB) vocal: Takahashi Mei (LAUSBUB)
track-make: Iwai Riko (LAUSBUB) and Amimori Shohei co-produce: Amimori Shohei
10.Rays of Light
music & electronics: LEO
11. Fallen leaves
music: LEO & Francesco Tristano piano: Francesco Tristano
all tracks: koto by LEO
[CD purchaser benefits information]
■Amazon.co.jp: Mega Jacket
■Tower Records (including online): Postcards (Tower Records ver.)
■Other general stores: Postcards (support store version)
*The illustrations will be published at a later date.
*Each bonus will be given on a first-come, first-served basis and will end as soon as the item runs out.
*Some stores do not offer bonuses. Please contact your local CD shop to find out what benefits are available and whether they are in stock.
◆HP
OFFICIAL WEB
Nippon Columbia (label site)
https://columbia.jp/artist-info/leo/
◆Official YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@LEO-official
◆SNS
X
https://www.instagram.com/leokonn0/
◆Profile
LEO (Koto)
He began playing the koto at the age of nine and studied under both Curtis Patterson and Sawai Kazue.
At the age of 16, he won the Youngest Year in History, Grand Prize and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the Kumamoto National Japanese Music Competition. He then enrolled at Tokyo University of the Arts. He has appeared in many media outlets, including “Join Tairiku,” “Untitled Concerts,” and “Tetsuko’s Room.” He has performed with Sebastian Weigle, Inoue Michiyoshi, Okizawa Nodoka, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyoto City Symphony Orchestra, and more.
In 2021, he performed his new work, Koto Concerto, a koto, commissioned by Fujikura Dai, in collaboration with Suzuki Yuto and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, he was invited to Europe and gave great performances at the Konzerthaus in Vienna and the Slovak Philharmonic.
He is the first koto player to make an unusual appearance at Blue Note Tokyo and SUMMER SONIC, and is attracting attention and hopes for his activities to expand the new possibilities of the koto. He has been awarded the Idemitsu Music Award, the Kanagawa Cultural Award Future Award, and the Yokohama Cultural Award Culture and Art Encouragement Award.
