Yui Onodera

Yui Onodera is a Tokyo-based composer, sound artist, and architectural acoustics designer whose work bridges the boundaries between environmental sound, contemporary composition, and electroacoustic experimentation.
 
His practice is driven by a fascination with how sound constructs space—both physically and psychologically. With a background in architectural acoustics, Onodera approaches composition as a form of spatial design: every tone, reflection, and resonance functions like a material element in an invisible structure. His compositions blend organic field recordings, instrumental textures, and digital processing into deeply spatial and contemplative works, often evoking the quiet interplay between nature, structure, and time. Guided by two key ideas—repetition and transformation, and translation and erasure—he draws from minimalism and natural processes to reveal subtle shifts in tone and texture. By recontextualizing and stripping sounds of narrative, Onodera exposes their raw essence, balancing structure and accident, control and decay.
 
Since his debut in the mid-2000s, Onodera has released numerous albums on international labels including Room40, KOMPAKT, and Anjunachill, earning critical acclaim for works such as Suisei (and/OAR, 2007), Ray (Serein, 2020), and 1982 (Room40, 2024), establishing him as one of the key voices bridging Japanese ambient traditions and contemporary sound art. His work has also appeared on compilations such as Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto: Micro Ambient Music. He has produced collaborative works with artists across a wide range of genres, including sound artists Francisco Lopez and Stephen Vitiello, musician/visual artist Robert Lippok, composer Scanner, and Takashi Kokubo. Since 2017, alongside his musical career, he has worked as a sound art lecturer at Rikkyo University and Musashino Art University.
 
In addition to his studio work, Onodera’s practice extends to sound installations and site-specific performances presented in museums, galleries, and public spaces worldwide. His work traverses the fields of art, design, and science, often serving as an inquiry into how listening can be a tool for reimagining place and history. His recent work is featured on Kiso Three Rivers, the latest installment in Field Records’ Waterworks series and the final piece of the trilogy. The piece reflects on Japan’s river engineering in dialogue with Dutch hydraulic design, exploring the interconnections of sound, landscape, and infrastructure. It was first presented at the Netherlands Pavilion during Expo 2025 in Osaka. Furthermore, in pursuit of creating more multidimensional works, he founded “nor,” an art collective comprised of members with diverse expertise in architecture, design, music, science, and engineering. In recent years, he has presented works at international festivals and museums such as Media Ambition Tokyo, MUTEK.JP, and the NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC].

Awards
KUKAN DESIGN AWARD 2025 | Entertainment space：Silver
The 29th ifva Awards | Media Art Category Special Mention
German Record Critics’ Award 2023 | Electronic and Experimental 
Sound of the Year Awards 2021 | BEST SOUND INNOVATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE
ADFEST 2019 | MEDIA LOTUS： BEST USE OF AUDIO_SILVER
ADFEST 2019 | AUDIO LOTUS：USE OF AUDIO SUB-CATEGORY_BRONZE
New York Festivals 2019 | AUDIO/RADIO：Best Use of Medium_Finalist Certificate
PRESENT FUTURE Art & Technology Star Award 2019 : Installation Star Award
22nd Japan Media Arts Festival | Art Division : Jury Selections prize
Spikes Asia 2018 | Radio & Audio : Silver Spike
AD STARS 2018 | Data Insights : Crystal
ALIFE 2018 | ALife Art Award : Honorable Mention prize