Japanese experimental artist discusses her new collaborative trio with Adrian Corker and George Barton.
Transmission 282: Interview with Tujiko Noriko
Tujiko Noriko is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and filmmaker based in Paris. Since the early 2000s, her work in experimental pop has addressed themes of intimacy and cinematic breadth, layering bittersweet melodies over glitch-laden electronics and electro-acoustic arrangements. Early records such as Shojo Toshi and From Tokyo to Naiagara garnered attention from both IDM and indie audiences, leading to varied projects including collaborations with Peter ‘Pita’ Rehberg and Lawrence English, and her 2019 instrumental soundtrack Kuro.
Artist: CxBxT
Release Date: 2025-10-31
Genres: Ambient, Avant-garde, Experimental Music
Label: Constructive
Description: Tujiko Noriko discusses her new collaborative project CxBxT, their improvised debut album '.After,' on SN Variations, and the joy of experimentation.
Her latest release, .After,, introduces CxBxT, a trio formed with composer Adrian Corker and percussionist George Barton. Recorded primarily in a single rapid improvisational session in London, the album navigates territories of modernized Bauhaus, loose dub, and motorik rhythms, utilising diverse sound sources including piano, shakuhachi, musical saw, and field recordings provided by Chris Watson.
What attracted you to electronic music experimentation?
Making music suddenly felt open to everyone and easy, thanks to electronic tools. It felt so fresh. I’m not a trained musician, so for me it was all about experimenting.
What first prompted the collaboration between you, Adrian Corker, and George Barton for CxBxT?
I just thought it could be fun to see what happens if we make something together, using my vacation from parenting! I’m so happy we did. I deeply admire that Adrian and George have such a wonderful and serious 遊び心, playful spirit?
The title .After, suggests a new beginning or the aftermath of something. What does that title mean to you within the context of this project?
Since most of the music was recorded in one take, without any plan, I felt that the very concentrated moment has been lingering after that moment, and it is the music.
Is there a connecting thread or concept linking the tracks on .After, or is each piece an independent moment captured during improvisation?
Yes, the latter, each piece is its own independent moment.
Beyond music, what films, books, or art influenced the aesthetic of the album?
Hard to know really.
The shakuhachi has a deep history in Japanese folk and spiritual music. What made it the right instrument for this experimental session?
Adrian had the instrument , he had learned it a little before, and I was soooo curious to hear it! I asked him to play!!!
Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others
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