Akinori Fujimoto (Taiko drums) is from Osaka, Japan. As a teenager he moved to the UK and trained as a kit drummer, completing his BMus and Masters degrees in music at Goldsmiths College, London. Since graduating, Akinori has worked professionally as a drummer for a wide range of bands, touring internationally, and teaches regularly in London.

His journey as a taiko drummer began in December 2006; recently he has committed to taiko training and performance full-time. He is currently studying under Yoichi Watanabe, a highly respected taiko master and the director of the Kanto Taiko Federation (Tokyo & surrounding region) who also leads the phenomenal taiko-drumming group ‘Amanojaku’. Akinori became an official member of ‘Amanojaku Hozonkai’ in April 2018.

Mikey Kirkpatrick (Flute) is a singer and flute player from Hereford, UK. He grew up learning and performing folk music from around the world. He studied music at Goldsmiths College, where he developed his composition and extended techniques on the flute, in particular combining voice and flute to create harmonies and unusual timbres. After graduating, Mikey began writing songs and touring internationally under the name Bird Radio, and is about to release his third solo album, which also features Akinori Fujimoto on Taiko and drumkit.

Mikey is interested in combining traditional and contemporary music to create powerful and beautiful atmospheres and journey through music and performance.