Marewrew are four Ainu women, who sing 'upopo' the ancient rythmical songs that accompany festival dances. This is their first full album, following on from the mini-album, and is produced by Oki who also accompanies them on some songs on tonkoro and adds other instrumentation and a contemporary feel. Listen to some sound samples.

Fantastic new collaboration album by two giants of their own respective music and traditions. Oki is the best known and most respected Ainu musician from the northern island of Japan, Hokkaido. Misako Oshiro is a veteran female singer and sanshin player from the southernmost island of Okinawa. Together they have created something quite special, with help from Oshiro's student Kanako Horiuchi (also originally from Hokkaido, but not Ainu), Oki's Dub Ainu Band members Takashi Numazawa on drums and chorus vocals from Futoshi. Oki himself plays an array of instruments including tonkori, guitar, bass, synthesizer and percussion. Mix of traditional Okinawan tunes, original songs by Oki and even a cover of Red Ojisan from the first Shoukichi Kina and Champloose album from 1977.

Compilation of Ainu music mostly performed or produced by OKI, the leading contemporary Ainu musician. Good place to discover the music of the Ainu, with great tracks by late female elder singer Umeko Ando to female group Marewrew and Oki in various guises from solo to with his Dub Ainu Band.

Remix by OKI and dub engineer emperor Naoyuki Uchida (Little Tempo, Dry & Heavy) of Sakhalin Rock released in 2010. Brillaint album of hard and spacy dub.

Ainu musician Oki has been making records of all sorts for about fifteen years now. From simple solo albums to dub remixes and with various bands and guests each album has a distinct quality and uniqueness. This is the second studio album with Oki Dub Ainu Band, and like previous releases, has a quite different feel and sound to it's predecessors and leaves you wondering if this could be the best album he's released so far. Sakhalin Rock is itself varied; from small ensembles and traditional pieces to rocking numbers with a a full band. Guests include Brazilian pandeiro player Marcos Suzano and keyboard player Emerson Kitamura. But it's his regular band members and collaborators who really shine along with Oki, their experience of playing together for a few years now, really telling. Drummer Takashi Numazawa drives the tunes along while dub mixer extraordinaire Naoyuki Uchida provides the atmosphere. Quite simply brilliant.

Marewrew are four women Ainu singers. On this mini-album of 6 short tracks they sing traditional Ainu tunes with minimal percussion backing. Produced by Oki.

Live recording from Japan in 2007 of the OKI Dub Ainu Band, the group that performed in Europe in 2006 and 2007. Seven tracks. 1. Intro. 2. Topattumi 3. East of Kunashiri 4. Ashipet Parun 5. Iyomante Upopo 6. Kai Kai Ashi To 7. Utuwaskarap

The album we've been waiting for. OKI Dub Ainu Band have gained a reputation as one of Japan's most exciting live acts, after appearances at WOMAD, City of London Festivals, and other festivals throughout the world. While OKI had remixed some of his previous tracks on the excellent Dub Ainu albums, the band had never recorded together, until now. This album, is essentially the material play during their magnificent live shows. OKI's brittle, rhythmical, bass tonkori is combined with driving percussion, guitars, funky bass lines and some of the catchiest traditional melodies you've ever heard.

Ainu musician Oki and Irish group Kila met in Japan a couple of years back and knew instantly they liked eachother and eachothers' music. Indigenous Ainu and Irish roots might not be the most obvious of collaborative choices but this one seems entirely natural, probably due to the pure fun they clearly derived recording together. Neither partner dominates, with 4 Ainu tunes and 4 Irish ones featuring tonkori (Ainu zither) plus fiddles, banjos, dulcimers, flutes and whistles with vocal duties also shared equally between OKI and Ronan and Colm of Kila. Comes with a free 4 track CD single of their first collaborative recording Tog e go Bog e, which you can listen to as the sound sample.

Out in July, fantastic follow up Dub Ainu album from OKI. More trippy, dubby, hypnotic, psychedelic tonkori grooves and Ainu chants. These tunes are newly recorded so more similar to the acclaimed OKI Dub Ainu Band live shows. Echoes of Africa with guest vocalist Fania, bass dub master Hirohisa, new version of Hanro featuring female vocalist Rekpo, and solo tonkori pieces with various added effects and instruments. Ancient Ainu sounds created while turning knobs on a mixing desk with a spliff hanging out the mouth. 8 tracks, 35 minutes. 1. Dub Serenade 2. Utari 3. Shamanic Dub 4. Dub Arrow 5. Hanro Dub 6. Sannupista Dub 7. Koshi Turiri Dub 8. NInja Drum.

'This set is compiled from remixed versions of tunes selected from previously released albums and was originally conceived as a special edition for a summer 2004 concert tour. Oki's approach fuses reggae, Africana and electronica with Ainu folk melodies. The wistfully brittle sound of the tonkori (a long flat stringed instrument with an unfretted soundboard that produces mysterious overtones) on Dub Ainu may suggest kora, sometimes qin or guitar but generally it's like nothing you've ever heard before.'

Tonkori is the long skinny Ainu stringed instrument. Oki, after listening to old reel to reel recordings of Ainu elders playing solo tonkori decided to 'transcend time and star in his very own period piece'. The repetitive phrases of these old traditional tunes transport the listener into a tonkori trance, exactly as Oki himself would imagine would happen if he could play along with those elder Ainu whose recordings he stumbled upon. 15 tracks with English liner notes. Fantastic.

Fantastic old lady Ainu (native Japanese) singer, produced by and featuring on tonkori, the wonderful Oki. Slightly more contemporary than her previous album, with mostly percussion, and some mukkuri (jew's harp). Charming, hypnotic chanting vocals that recall the music of Mongolia or Tuva. One of the most successful 'roots' albums of recent years, and currently gaining a lot of media exposure. Wonderful.

Oki's best album so far, has more musicians, a bigger and a more contemporary sound, without losing any connection to it's Ainu roots. Female singer, Repko in particular impresses as on the opening, infectious track. Reggae, African and other world influences add variety, but it's still the Ainu voices and instruments that dominate. An accessible, enjoyable album that establishes Oki as one of the most important musicians to emerge from Japan in recent years.

Umeko Ando is an elder Ainu (native Japanese) women singer. She appeared as a guest on Oki's last album, himself of Ainu descent. This album was produced by and features Oki, with Ando's haunting voice accompanied by Oki's tonkori (a traditional Ainu stringed instrument). An atmospheric album of a tradition that was in danger of dying out that is both accessible and beautiful. Doesn't sound necessarily Japanese, perhaps not surprisingly more central Asian, the roots of the Ainu themselves. Highly recommended.

Highly recommended album of Ainu singing from OKI and the late Umeko Ando plus tonkori (stringed instrument), percussion and sax (by the brilliant Dr. Kazutoki Umezu) in contemporary sound. Hypnotic, spellbinding.

Wonderful, accessible album of Ainu (Native Japanese) music. Stringed instrument tonkiri, guitar and chants.