Ainu folk is the traditional music of the Ainu people of northern Japan (especially Hokkaido), rooted in communal songs and rituals that echo daily life, nature, and spirituality. Its sound often centers on expressive, chant-like vocals with distinctive rhythmic patterns, call-and-response, and emphatic breath and consonants, alongside instruments such as the tonkori (plucked zither) and mukkuri (mouth harp). Contemporary Ainu folk frequently blends these ancestral forms with modern production—dub, ambient, electronic, and global percussion—creating spacious, trance-like grooves while keeping the music’s core identity: cyclical rhythms, earthy timbres, and a deep sense of place and lineage.

The Promise

Masashi Hamauzu

Single - Released October 16, 2025