Ambient Music and Resonance Rediscovered: In Conversation with Morioka Yumiko and Nick Luscombe

Join pianist and composer Morioka Yumiko and sound artist and broadcaster Nick Luscombe for a conversation exploring the enduring appeal of kankyō ongaku (lit. 'environment music', a genre of Japanese ambient music) and the rediscovery of Morioka's influential 1987 album Resonance.

Together, Morioka and Luscombe reflect on the origins of Resonance, its journey from a little-known release to an internationally celebrated work. They place this within the wider cultural context of kankyō ongaku, the Japanese music genre conceived not as spectacle or performance, but as something that exists in dialogue with everyday life, architecture and its surrounding environment.

The discussion is illustrated with a selection of recordings from Resonance and the Music for Rest Rooms, a new joint project by Morioka and Luscombe in collaboration with Japan-based sound artist and producer James Greer.

On 14 July the three artists will perform at the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, in a concert that marks the first time music from Resonance has been performed live outside Asia.

Please note that filming and / or photography may take place at this event. Resulting photos and footage may then be used to promote Japan House London, helping more people to discover what we offer. If you have any concerns, please contact us online or contact a member of the team on site.

About the speakers

Morioka Yumiko

Born in Tokyo in 1956, Morioka Yumiko began studying the piano at the age of three. She later attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied composition. Her album Resonance (1987) has become recognized as a landmark recording of the Japanese environmental music movement, attracting international acclaim following its reissue in 2020. Her most recent release, Gaiaphilia (2025), created in collaboration with sound artist Kokubo Takashi, combines piano with environmental field recordings, continuing her longstanding exploration of sound, place and atmosphere.

Nick Luscombe

Nick Luscombe is a British broadcaster, sound artist and curator whose career has spanned radio, public art and environmental sound. He has presented programmes for BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Music, the BBC World Service and Tokyo's InterFM, among others. He is the founder and creative director of MSCTY, a practice exploring the relationship between sound, architecture and place through site-specific compositions and field recordings. Visitors to Japan House London may already be familiar with his work through soundscape playlists created for the venue.

Booking Essential | Admission Free

Find out more info or book your tickets on https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on/ambient-music-and-resonance-rediscovered/

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