KIOKU is an experimental trio consisting of taiko and percussion (Wynn Yamami), live electronics (Chris Ariza), and saxophones (Ali Sakkal).
Wynn Yamami is a taiko drummer, percussionist, and composer whose work recontextualizes Asian traditional music. He has collaborated with such artists as Toshiko Akiyoshi, Badal Roy, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Arturo O’Farrill, and has performed in Europe, Japan, and across the US. He currently lives in Manhattan, where he practices Japanese dance, performs with the traditional group Soh Daiko, and leads the Japanese street music band HAPPYFUNSMILE.
Christopher Ariza is a composer and programmer of sonic structures and systems. He has composed for theatre, film, concert hall, and interactive media, and has been the recipient of numerous fellowships, awards, and commissions. His web-based media and systems include the babelcast, the telequalia, Post-Ut, algorithmic.net, and envl.net. His music, software, and research are distributed via www.flexatone.net.
Saxophonist Ali Sakkal draws from a dynamic blend of musical influences. He has studied with Branford Marsalis, Oliver Lake, classical virtuoso Greg Dufford, and European free-jazz pioneer Evan Parker. Active in both San Francisco and New York City, he has performed nationally and internationally with Heftpistole, fAt kiD, HAPPYFUNSMILE, and Fish Knuckle. Ali has spent the past few years as a music educator in New York City.