Multi-instrumentalist Cécile Schott, aka Colleen, defines a distinct instrumentation for each of her albums — including works composed entirely with music boxes, pocket synthesizers, or baroque string instruments.
Her upcoming album Libres antes del final reaches for hope and for the desire to be freed from unnecessary suffering before the end of one’s own life cycle. Berlin-based Japanese composer and sound artist Midori Hirano creates immersive soundscapes where acoustic intimacy meets experimental abstraction.
The compositions of Colleen are as richly varied as they are precise. Each of Colleen’s albums is shaped by her predetermined distinct instrumentation and parameters, including works composed entirely of music boxes, pocket synthesizers, and baroque stringed instruments.
Her upcoming album Libres antes del final reaches for the hope and desire to be truly freed from unnecessary suffering and harmful thoughts before reaching the end of one’s life cycle.
Schott composed and performed Libres on the Moog Matriarch, centering the record on a pulse-driven, bubbling energy with constant momentum. She then reamped the music in one of her favorite venues in Barcelona, Casa Montjuic, accentuating the album’s sense of movement. The reamping process adds a literal physicality to the album, as carefully chosen and placed microphones (including the famous Neumann KU100 binaural head) capture both the venue’s PA sound itself and the venue’s acoustics.
Midori Hirano is a Japanese musician, composer, and sound artist based in Berlin. Rooted in classical piano and expanded through electronics and field recordings, she creates immersive soundscapes where acoustic intimacy meets experimental abstraction.
Her solo albums on labels including Sonic Pieces, Daisart and Dauw have established her distinctive voice, while her alias MimiCof explores more rhythmic and experimental territories. Over time, these approaches have converged into a unified artistic language under her own name. She has performed widely across Europe and collaborated with artists such as Hprizm (Anti Pop Consortium), Ilpo Väisänen (Pan Sonic), CoH, Atsuko Hatano, Brueder Selke and the female collective Monika Werkstatt led by Gudrun Gut.
Her new solo album OTONOMA will be released via Thrill Jockey on the 20th of February, 2026.
