Satoshi Ashikawa

Satoshi Ashikawa (芦川聡) was a Japanese musician, composer, producer and record store owner. He is considered one of the earliest flag bearers of ambient music in Japan.

Life and career Ashikawa graduated from the Department of Sociology at Tokyo's Keio University in 1977.

Ashikawa founded the record and book store Art Vivant in Ikebukuro, Tokyo in 1975. Ashikawa's keyboard piece 'Still Space' was later featured as the opening track on Light in the Attic's compilation Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990.

Sound Process and Still Way In 1982, Ashikawa co-founded the record label Sound Process with colleague Munetaka Tanaka, The label released three LPs as part of the Wave Notation series: Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Post Cards (1982), Ashikawa's Still Way (1982) and Satsuki Shibano's Erik Satie (France 1866-1925) (1984). Still Way was Ashikawa's only full-length release and featured celebrated percussionist Midori Takada alongside harp, piano and flute players. Ashikawa described the album as "intended to be listened to in a casual manner, as a musical landscape or a sound object... not something that would stimulate listeners but music that should drift like smoke and become part of the environment." Crack Magazine included the album in their list of '7 essential Japanese ambient and new age records', FACT called it "a record of chilly, beautiful stillness",

Ashikawa was killed in a car accident the year following the release of Still Way.

Discography Albums Still Way, LP (1982) - Sound Process - as composer and producer Hiroshi Yoshimura, Music For Nine Post Cards, LP/cassette (1982) - Sound Process - as producer Appearances 'Free Music Rev. vol.2' (recorded 1977 with Tatsuo Hattori, violin) on Japanese Underground Music in the Late 70s and 80s, CD (2016) - Loft Books 'Still Space' on Tra New Artist Catalogue No.4, cassette (1983) - Tra Project 'Still Space' on Kankyō Ongaku (Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980 - 1990), LP/CD (2019) - Light In The Attic Records