Hinako Omori
Hinako Omori combines analogue synths with plugins to mesmerising effect, with her new album – recorded at Real World Studios – dazzling with rich textures and transformative atmospheres…
After learning classical piano, studying music technology and training as a sound engineer, Hinako Omori has dabbled with many aspects of the music industry, working for gear companies before playing on records by the likes of Kae Tempest, Georgia, and
EOB. She is now focussing on her solo material and after releasing a couple of EPs, has announced her debut album “a journey…” which is out next month. It’s a deeply personal and evocative record, mixing binaural field recordings with sparse and emotive electronics and was recorded at her home studio – a mix of analogue synths and processing plugins – and the mighty Real World Studios…
1 Tell us how you got into music Hinako Omori:
“I’m a musician and composer based in London. My journey in music started with learning classical piano when I was at school, and around the time of college I became interested in sound engineering, which
I went on to study at university.
“My music technology teacher at college opened my eyes to synthesisers, and since then I’ve been fascinated by them and the ability to create your own sound worlds using these magical machines. Since leaving university I’ve enjoyed working in different areas of music, from record labels, festivals, as an assistant to a film composer and at music equipment/ software manufacturers. I feel very grateful for these opportunities, as it’s been an eye-opening introduction to various facets of the ever evolving musical landscape.”
2 How did you get successful? HO:
“I guess success is a very subjective word, so it’s a tricky one to answer! In terms of personal growth, I would say going freelance a few years ago to pursue a route as a session musician was a turning point for me, and with this came a whole different set of skills to learn, from programming equipment to managing schedules of different projects. With this move also came the joy of being able to choose projects to work on, and connecting with many wonderful and inspiring artists, managers, agents, labels and other creatives on a collaborative basis.”
3 What is your production philosophy? HO:
“I really enjoy immersing myself in the project beforehand. If it’s being involved in the recording of music for someone, I’d spend time doing some deep listening and delving into their sound worlds, to connect and get a better understanding of the feeling and emotions, and to hopefully honour the intention behind the project. If it’s for my own music, I try not to overthink the details and turn more to experimenting with pieces of equipment that I love, recording various improvisations and seeing what might come together organically.”
4 When did you discover the computer music route to music production?
HO: “I think the beginning for me was studying
music technology for my A Levels – having regular access to a studio and computer room for editing was hugely inspiring, and my classmates and I used to spend all of our spare time playing and recording for each other – it was such a great hub and community. Recording on a DAW has been an invaluable part of my production process; it’s been amazing to be able to carry around a portable studio with me in the form of a laptop and audio interface, opening up possibilities of recording anywhere that sparks inspiration, be it indoors in a waiting room somewhere, or outdoors in nature.”
5 Tell us about the gear in your studio HO:
“It’s mainly synth-based, if I’m honest, though, I’m hoping to expand more in terms of outboard gear soon. My favourite synthesisers that I use across almost all of my projects are the Sequential Prophet ’08, OB-6 and Moog Matriarch. I love using effects pedals in the recording process too, and I’m a big fan of the teams at OTO, Empress Effects and Earthquaker Devices – I definitely enjoy the hands-on process of experimenting with hardware equipment, and seeing what happens in the moment.”
6 What are your favourite plugins? HO:
“That’s a very good question! I have a limited palette in that sense, and I seem to always return to the same few. Soundtoys
Alterboy – I use this faithfully over most of my vocal recordings, playing with the pitch and formants to a point where the sound of the original voice is indiscernible. It’s fun for turning the voice into more of a texture than a lead vocal. Soundtoys Microshift – I really love the sound of the Microshift across synths and vocals to create a warm, detuned chorus texture.
FabFilter Pro-C 2 Compressor – very easy to use, intuitive interface and sounds great.
Valhalla VintageVerb – a reverb you can completely immerse yourself in. I’m really interested in creating environments and sonic architectures, and this plugin definitely transports me to other realms. Goodhertz
Lossy – recreating the ‘artefacts of heavily compressed audio’ and is also great for adding different textures and placing you in different environments. One of the presets they’ve made is called ‘Enter The Matrix’, which says it all.”
7 How do you tend to start a track? HO:
“Most of the time I don’t map out a structure before the recording – I usually press record, experiment and assemble the recordings together afterwards in a way which feels most appropriate at that time, unless of course it’s for a specific project and idea, in which case this varies project to project.”
8 How do you know when a track’s done? HO:
“I don’t think I’ve managed to reach the answer for this yet! However, I’m a real believer in intuition and gut feeling, and if something feels like it’s there and I’m happy with how it sounds, I’d say that’s the best time to draw the line. We can continue to chip away and let something evolve, but I think that there’s something to be said for letting a project breathe and be what has come together at that particular time and space. The word ‘completion’ also suggests something is ‘final’ and I’m not sure if something can ever be in a final definitive state. For example, even by playing a piece of recorded music live, it will transform into another entity of its own. Having said this, sometimes I rediscover projects from a few years back, and on relistening it’s taken on a new meaning and purpose altogether which feels more resonant, developing into something different from that point onwards. So I guess timing-wise, it’s completely down to whatever feels right for you!”
9 Do you have any production tricks? HO:
“I’m not sure if it’s defined my sound per se, but the idea of following a stream of consciousness in the recording process and seeing what unfolds naturally has been such an enjoyable way for me to create music. That’s how the album “a journey…” came together – different demos recorded at various points over the last few years, which somehow seemed to fit together as one continuous piece, and each track was recorded as a stream of consciousness, without any particular chord sequence or structure in mind.”
10 What’s on your gear wish list? HO:
“I’m very excited by the UDO Super 6 and its binaural capabilities. I’m also hoping to start a modular setup soon, and experiment with the freedom of assembling together parameters. I find sometimes that if I sit at a synthesiser with keys, most of the focus initially seems to go on what notes I’m playing. With a modular rig, I think it’ll force my brain to function in different ways.”
11 Which historic track do you wish that you’d produced?
HO: “Where to start? I’m continuously inspired! I’m going to say Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s Ever New. Beautiful hymn-like textures with Beverly’s otherworldly vocals creates an extraordinary atmosphere of sonic meditation.”
12 What advice do you have for playing out live or DJing?
HO:
“One thing I find very useful is spending as much time as possible with the equipment I’ll be using on stage beforehand, getting to know something inside out. In a live scenario it can sometimes be quite rushed setup-wise or things can go wrong during a show, and it forces you to be very present in the moment. In times like this where a solution is necessarily, quickly, you can think on the spot to make something work. It’s actually quite a fun process, if you think about it in that way!”
13 And studio advice? HO:
“I know this is a very obvious one – but always press record! It’s so much fun delving through ideas that have come up during the process of creation.”
14 Any more general advice? HO:
“Being open-minded to different opportunities and ideas, even if it’s not exactly the thing that you were looking for. There’s always a positive experience waiting for you, and new connections you might not have had the chance to meet.”
15 What would you like to do in the future? HO:
“I’d love to work more in the realms of scoring to picture, and collaborate more with other musicians and producers. Also, to discover new environments I’ve not yet explored and document them in field recordings.”
“Spend as much time as possible with the equipment…”
Hinako’s “a journey…” is out now.