Starting at an early age, Oguro always felt a passion for creating music. He formed his first band when he started junior high school, performing original songs and taking on not only the synthesizer, but producing for the band as well.
After graduating college, he began working for a sound and vibration measuring instrument manufacturer. In 1998, he formed the techno label “aerostich” focused on creating “total techno”. In 2002 he began his residency at ICC and now balances his position as creator and employee.
Oguro received the semi-grandprix award at the “Roland Groove Competition Japan 2000” and the grandprix in 2001, demonstrating his talent as a sound artist. Two events presented further opportunities for him to spread his musical wings: The tomato workshop” and “onedotzero”.
The International digital movie festival “onedotzero” was held jointly in Sapporo and many other countries around the world. This gave Oguro the opportunity to communicate with British directors and break out of Japan and onto the world stage. An audio visual piece he submitted in 2003 received acclaim and was screened in over ten countries around the world.
In 2006, he decided to become an independent creator and began his journey to Berlin. The same year, he was contacted by someone he met while visiting Paris. This person offered a sound designer position to Oguro on a commercial for the release of Playstation3 in Paris.
In 2007, Oguro again found himself designing sound for an Adidas art project featured in the Beijing Olympics. This piece was displayed in the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art and was later auctioned off on England’s famous online auction house, Sotheby’s.
Last year, Oguro gained the chance to produce more sound art when he was invited to Northern Ireland to become a resident at Digital Art Studio. It was there that he realized the importance of designing audio environments, focusing on a new genre he calls “Sound Media”, which can be “sound and space” or “sound and visuals”.
Now, Oguro calls him self a Sound Media Artist.
Electronic music, dance music, and environmental music are all part of a wide range of sounds he produces. He produces for the web, live events, commercials, and other mediums. With his artist name “GROK”, he also releases dance music and DJs live events. “I use GROK as a way to add an edge to what I do,” he says. His unique music can also be purchased on the iTunes music store.
His new project “43d” features sound, visuals, art, and text inspired by the land of Sapporo. All of these elements combine to create not only a new kind of music but a new way of listening.
Oguro created many opportunities for himself by building an extensive network while staying in Berlin.
http://www.junichioguro.com/archive.html
Oguro features a unique Sapporo sound for his new project, “43d”
http://www.43d.jp/
Article by Eichi Sato
Translation by David Neptune
