Duo Kerlek

Fumihico Natsuaki alias Hico is a Japanese keyboard based multi instrumentalist, active in the professional music world for almost 30 years.

Growing up in a musicly favourable family environment (his brother is a professional drum player and his uncle, Sabu Toyozumi, is a frontier of free jazz in Japan) he studied at a prestigious jazz university in Tokyo and for many years was engaging himself in a commercial career within the borders of the modern music industry.

However, at the age of 31 he suddenly experienced an important turning point in his music life and gradually moved to an alternative art scene, expressing his wish to die with music. This change has alsosteered his every day life towards a more natural life-style. He moved to the countryside and even started farming and gardening.

Now his basement lies in a beautiful mountain valley of Nagano and a melodica has become his main tool of expression. On this „child-like“ instrument he has gradually developed an unique technique including circulation breathing and playing the keys from the reverse side, and he raised this instrument up to the level of other „serious“ keyboard instruments. Now he is probably the most versatile player of this instrument in Japan. He occasionally acts as an representative and an adviser for Suzuki company – the foremost melodica maker in Japan.

As a musician Hico has been giving live concerts all over the world and has released many records both as a solo artist and with bands or accompanying uncountable artists of various genres and styles. And as a sound engineer he has been producing and supporting many young and talented musicians in Japan while widening his own capacity to accept anything that comes his way.