Music has been a passion of mine since I was four years old, and over the years, I’ve explored a wide variety of instruments and styles. Early on, my love for music and art led me to pursue a PhD in Musicology at Paris VIII University, where I focused on haptic interfaces for sound control and experimental composition using Max/MSP and Jitter. I was also an active performer, playing steel drums, saxophone, and percussion in jazz ensembles, including leading a full big band for a year or so. My time in the jazz scene cultivated a deep appreciation for improvisation and collaboration, which later became central to my creative process.
After moving to Japan, I took a break from music due to a pivotal experience with severe tinnitus, which forced me to step away from sound for a time. This period of noisy silence reshaped my creative perspective and led me to explore new forms of expression, such as painting and fine arts. Yet, I still longed to maintain some connection to music, even from a more distant position. This desire found fulfillment through unexpected encounters that sparked transformative yet occasional collaborations.
One of my first projects in Japan emerged from a chance meeting with avant-garde shakuhachi player Sabu Orimo at the home of shakuhachi master Miyoshi Genzan. The shakuhachi—a bamboo flute deeply rooted in traditional Japanese music and meditative practices—captivated me with its unique sound and cultural significance. Inspired by Orimo’s improvisational style and my own background in experimental composition, we collaborated on Sphères, an album blending electronic music, shakuhachi, and vocals. For this project, I created an electronic base using FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) to manipulate the spectrum of a single synthesizer loop into tiny spectral grains. This unusual "granular" synthesis technique produced evolving soundscapes that merged seamlessly with Orimo’s dynamic improvisations.
Our second project, Kamakura Juniso, was an exploration of place and sound. Recorded in Kamakura and Isumi, the sessions experimented with microphone placements and the natural acoustics of various locations, including forests. These recordings captured the shakuhachi’s versatility and "noise spectrum", blending free-form improvisations with traditional influences. The result was an album of nine tracks, embodying the spirit of the spaces where they were created. Coincidentally, one session in Kamakura took place on the same day President Barack Obama visited the nearby Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple.
In Japan, I have also worked on a series of videos and live performances where I played crystal bowls alongside traditional instruments. These projects offered a new way to explore sound’s meditative and harmonic qualities, blending modern and ancient traditions in immersive performances. Some of these videos can be found on YouTube, capturing the serene and spiritual atmosphere of the music.
My relationship with music has always been intertwined with experimentation, and my recent practice with modular synthesizers profoundly shaped my approach to art. The Eurorack format, with its concept of a case filled with functional modules and blank panels to create space (and/or ornaments), became more than just a tool for music—it transformed how I think about structure and interaction in creativity. This philosophy of modularity directly inspired the creation of Kura Curiosa, which mirrors the flexibility, functionality, and endless possibilities of a Eurorack system.
Nowadays, I primarily use Qu-bit Electronix modules because I like their overall philosophy centered around granular synthesis and a spectral approach to sound composition. Sometimes, the act of building a sonic landscape from individual modules feels akin to constructing the components of Kura Curiosa—both invite exploration, customization, and a sense of discovery. The principles of modular synthesis, where every piece has a role yet contributes to the whole, have become the foundation of my artistic practice.
