Tetuzi Akiyama is a pioneering experimental guitarist and electronic musician from Tokyo whose work spans free improvisation, noise, and avant-garde composition. Beyond guitar, he commands electronics, viola, and custom-built instruments, creating a distinctive sonic palette that challenges conventional musical boundaries. His approach blends hard rock influences with classical training and deep commitment to real-time improvisation.
Since the late 1980s, Akiyama has been instrumental in Japan's experimental music scene, founding the improvised music ensemble Madhar and co-founding the Hikyo String Quintet. His influential guitar duo with Taku Sugimoto became a landmark collaboration in free improvisation, performing throughout North America in the mid-1990s. Currently, he leads two active projects: Sutekina Tea Time (with Takashi Matsuoka) and Mongoose (with Sugimoto and analog synthesizer player Utah Kawasaki), both exploring spontaneous composition and sonic experimentation.
Since 1998, Akiyama has been a key organizer of Tokyo's experimental music community, curating monthly concert series including The Improvisation Meeting at Bar Aoyama and Meeting at Off Site. These platforms have become vital venues for avant-garde and electronic musicians, establishing Akiyama as both a vital performer and cultural advocate within Japan's experimental music ecosystem.
