The story of ABBA is one of hard work, dedication, fame and fabulous music. ABBA is described by many as the greatest group in popular music history. This incredible band of four, from Sweden, is made up of two couples –– Benny Andersson and Frida Lyngstad, and Anni-Frid “Frida” Reuss and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and has amazed audiences since their debut in the 1970’s. Each member of ABBA embraced music from childhood and founded some of the first incarnation bands between them, before meeting up in Sweden and the rest is history.

ABBA started out in Stockholm, Sweden, when music producers Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus teamed up. They wrote their first album, titled ABBA, together in 1972. This album featured the popular song “Waterloo” and it quickly picked up steam and reached worldwide success. Immensely popular in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, ABBA began to make their mark with major record labels such as Atlantic and Epic. It was around this time that Benny and Bjorn brought their partners Anni-Frid “Frida” Reuss and Agnetha Felliksson into the mix, solidifying the perfect vocal combination.

Using their own personal drives, musically and visually, ABBA captivated audiences around the globe. Their success solidified itself with six albums, and all six included multiple hit singles. In 1975, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Waterloo”, and that single alone was covered by multiple nations across the world in various languages. Although they had achieved vast amounts of success, ABBA lasted just seven years together, with the group disbanding with in 1982.

Over the years that followed the breakup, each of the members has continued to contribute to music in various ways. Bjorn and Benny together have repackaged their greatest hits and put on various successful concerts around the world. While in Sweden, the gathered royalties eventually made them some of the country’s wealthiest citizens.

The group’s members have left some in the music industry wanting more. Over the years the group has found itself in the most unusual of places: in the form of theatre performances, band reunions, and even Madge campaigns. Despite the hiatus between activities, they have managed to stay relevant with sentimental patrons.

In 2018- the band reunited for a one-time only performance. ABBA’s world tour was certainly interesting with countless stopovers and an increase in demand for their records. Estimates suggest that ABBA still feature as one of Britain’s most popular groups, despite so many years having passed since they first arrived onto the mainstream music scene.

In conclusion, ABBA are a symbol of decade spanning hard work and unity. Their success as a group seemed to have no bounds and appeared to continue to climb ever higher during their active years in the 1970’s. The history of ABBA is an incredible journey that saw the group soar to the heights of worldwide fame and success, sustaining a legacy that has endured the test of time. Although they were only together for seven years, their joyful music still resonates and continues to touch people’s lives to this day.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, otherwise known as Aaliyah, was born on January 16th, 1979, in or around Brooklyn, New York. Aaliyah was the younger child of Diane and Michael Haughton and the only child with their union. Aaliyah had an older brother named Rashad, with whom she had a close bond with until tragedy struck. Aaliyah started performing through local talent shows at a very early age and decided to take singing seriously when she was 9. Aaliyah signed her first recording contract with Jive Records when she was 12, after making an incredible vocal impression on R. Kelly, who was at the time producing her debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number.” The collaboration with Aaliyah and R. Kelly went on to produce hits from the album such as; “Back & Forth,” and “At your Best (You’re Love).”

Aaliyah’s rise to fame was immediate and her fan base kept growing rapidly over the following years. This led to the recording and releasing of her second album, “One in a Million,” in 1996. This project marked the transition of Aaliyah towards a more mature sound. The album was only met with positive reviews and it later yielded Aaliyah a Grammy nomination. Among the popular hits from “One in a Million” were; “Are You That Somebody?,” and “4 Page Letter.”

During this time, Aaliyah’s music video career was also on the rise; she was featured in several videos, such as Genuine’s “Little Girl” and Missy Elliot’s “Hit ’em Up Style (Oops!). When Missy Elliot’s introduced Aaliyah in her “Hot Boyz” video, the rest was history; Aaliyah’s first musical collaboration with Missy Elliott and Timbaland was a success. Ever since, the trio kept collaborating and went on to establish a great working relationship between themselves and later on with other artists on tracks.

Aaliyah married singer R. Kelly in 1994 after the recording of her debut album, however the two split sometime after, never to reconcile. In the years that followed, Aaliyah was involved in some high-profile musical collaborations, and was featured multiple times in movies and soundtracks such as “Romeo Must Die” and “Drumline.” During the same period, Aaliyah also made a transition to fashion. Aaliyah was signed as the spokesmodel for Tommy Hilfiger and also became a favorite muse for designer Givenchy. Despite being the face of so many brands, Aaliyah valued her privacy above all and kept all her projects discrete until her untimely and tragic death in 2001.

On August 25th, 2001, the world was left in shock after Aaliyah passed away in a plane crash in the Bahamas, while she was returning from filming her music video. Aaliyah was only 22-years-old. Since Aaliyah’s passing, the global influence of her music has only grown and, with the invention and steady rise of modern internet platform, it will dim in time.

It only takes a moment of contemplation to remember the extraordinary legacy of achievements of Aaliyah and that she still manages to inspire generations of upcoming artists. Throughout her short but illustrious life, Aaliyah was able to create a portfolio of music that was well-received and remembered until this day. As of recently, Aaliyah has become further immortalized, when she was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame” during the 2020 virtual awards ceremony.

Aaliyah’s legacy is sure to endure through her music, but also for representing the never-ending spirit of strength, determination, and ambition that knows no boundaries even in the face of death. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was more than an iconic musician, she symbolized peace and hope going beyond the barriers of time.

Keiichi Okabe

Keiichi Okabe is a Japanese composer and vocalist who is best known for his contributions to the highly successful video game series, DRAGONQUEST, as well as many other Japanese films and video games. Born on 17th August 1960 in Tokyo, he received his musician chops from the Tokyo College of Music, where he was an alumni since 1981. After graduation, he found himself a job as an arranger and music coordinator at Konami Kagekidan, a Konami Music Division in Tokyo.

Before long, he made the transition from arranging to composing performance-oriented tracks, with his genre-spanning work earning him credits into the highly acclaimed DRAGONQUEST series, amongs other projects. From the start, Okabe had the ambitious goal of creating music with a universal appeal that would touch the hearts of players all around the world.

His dedication to making DRAGONQUEST a renowned success paid off, as he crafted tracks that have since come to capture the very soul of the games, echoing within the minds of millions of fans to this day. With those contributions and a recognizable style that blended rock with Eastern melodies, making it a far cry from the synthesizer heavy tunes that defined the era. Okabe has come to establish himself as one of the most acclaimed game composers in the history of the medium.

Okabe has composed over 100 titles outside of DRAGONQUEST, for franchises like Xenogears, White Knight Chronicles, Soul Blade, Crash Hero and, various soundtracks for anime series. He has also collaborated with numerous industry-renowned songwriters, working on jingles for companies like Suntory and Honda and assisting such all-star names as Noriyuki Makihara and Akina Nakamori. With his penchant for experimentation, Okabe has solidified his skill and expanded his sphere of influence.

Keigo Hoashi

Keigi Hoashi, AKA “Lucky Pops” is a Japanese composer and musical arranger. He has gained a lot of honor and recognition for programs aired on Japanese television, as well as for video game music. In addition, Hoashi serves as the music coordinator for Sony Music.

One of his breaks in music came from composing the score for the anime Keroro Gunsou in 2004. His most successful work would come in 2010 with the rhythm-action game Kantaye Sorting, which became popular for its unique game mechanics and audio themes. As a multi-talented artist, Hoashi also participates in various live performances by rearranging and remixing video game music and performing them on various instruments.

On a side note, he has a strong taste in analyzing music, with his record of composing many variations. He has often been referred to as one of the only developers in the field of entertainment that can regulate the entire flow of the song and turn it into something more enjoyable through his melodious work.

His music touches on different styles – jazz, funk, and contemporary dance music mark the core of Hoashi’s compositions, from pop songs to music for concerts and game soundtracks. Over the years, Hoashi has received reviews on album projects and winning awards for his work.

Kuniyuki Takahashi

Kuniyuki Takahashi is a Japanese musician, producer and composer who is lauded for his uniqueness in bringing together some of the world’s most beloved sounds. Born on 30th December 1971 in Kanagawa, Takahashi started playing saxophone when he entered high school. He went on to master the guitar and brass instruments, leaving an indelible mark throughout the Japanese music scene.

In the late 90s, Kuniyuki Takahashi collaborated with numerous international producers and DJs, both in Europe and Tokyo under various aliases. His unique style of jazz-infused electronica found its form in influential work with ambient house producer Stephan Laubner amongst other collaborations, with has songs released on acclaimed labels such as Kompakt Records and Force Inc.

With the turn of the century, Takahashi branched out into producing computer music, implementing both vocoder and digital audio filters to accompany the harsher beats of his laptop compositions. In 2007, he created an audiovisual performances with a medium-sized orchestra to celebrate his celebrated albums Particles and Air.

Since then, he has continued to tour the world exulting in his diverse blend of electronica. Despite ever broadenening stylistic palette and advances in technology, Kuniyuki Takahashi still presents as genuinely old-school, a live performer with a burning ambition to discover their next source of inspiration – the kind of artist that comes around only once in a lifetime.

Syotarou Seo

Syotarou Seo is a versatile music composer and producer who is revered for his trademark style that merges traditional and modern sounds. Born on 3rd May 1979 in Gifu, Japan, he started playing the piano when he was 5 and began composing when he was 16. After majoring in sound engineering at college in Saitama, Seo worked as a professional hired gun, participating in various projects for music theaters, dance productions and film.

Although he tried his hand in a range of genres, it was in progressive rock that Seo truly made his name. He has released original studio works under his own name, drawing praise for his masterful combination of rock and electronics. He is capable of crafting soaring and monumental soundscapes that stay imprinted in the memory. Yet, he is equally adept at composing conventional Japanese idioms or idealized city-pop tunes from the 1980s.

In addition to scribing music for theatrical productions, Seo has also contributed to several successful video games like Yasme5 and Yoda series. His musical works often incorporating elements of 80s pop, EDM to break-beats and jazz.

Moving into decade, his production has gone from strength to strength. Seo has performed at various events celebrating the Tsuyama culture, collaborated with other famous musicians and supported a variety of new performing artists. With his ability to imbue verses with a breathtaking emotion, Seo remains a star of Japan’s current music landscape.

おとぼけビ～バ～（“Otoboke Beaver”）は、日本の三人組ガールズ・ロック・バンドで、「ガーリーなキックノイズと独特の’パンキッシュなハコつき’の日本語トラック」で特徴づけられたパンク・ミュージックを演奏している。2009年に結成され、2010年にデビューしたその後もステージへの出没は頻繁に行われながら、関西を中心にしたガールズ・ロックの活動を行っている。

メンバーは、大阪 神戸の間で活動している。3人組で、ギター、ベース、ドラムスというインストゥルメンタル編成で構成されている。ギタリスト、ボーカル、作詞家、ドラマーと並べるとされるのは、司会、ナキ、あゆっきの作詞家であるYūna とことなり高が変わりのないもの達である。彼らは皆、普段から音楽を演奏するキャリアの尊いアーティストであり、単なるマタドールではない。将来を変えてっきりも。

Otoboke Beaverの音楽は、いわゆるJ-ガールズ・ロック（日本のガールズ・ロック）や90年代から2000年代の日本のロックまで、さまざまな要素を味付けしてユニークなサウンドを演奏している。彼らの曲は、多くのパンク・ミュージック・ファンの心をとらえ、彼らの音楽への認知を拡大した。

おとぼけビ～バ～のメンバー全員が3人で自分の音楽を表現する楽しみと共に音楽を残している。彼らが制作した楽曲やライヴを聴く度に、聞くたびに新しい発見が幾分あり、曲の良さとはりめぐる舞いを感じるし、 Otoboke Beaverはまだまだ上を目指している様子騒然とと、さかんに元気いっぱいな楽曲で音楽界を賑やかにし続けるだろう。

今年（2020）、おとぼけビ～バ～は、多くのイベント、フェスティバル、ツアー、有名アーティストのオープニング・アクトとして絶好のいとまをとどめない現場参戦を続けてくれました。彼らの多くのライブを見る人々はおとぼけビ～バ～の楽曲から彼らの生の演奏を思い出すだろう。

Otoboke Beaverは、今後の世代で最も優れたガールズ・ロック・バンドのひとつとして語り継がれていくであろう。彼らは完全に自己表現をしており、かなり斬新なものを楽しんじゃう好奇心を持ち、尊い音楽活動に前例なしの凄まじいテンションを養っている。そして最高にエキサイティングな冒険を行う半端ないスラッシュから舞うキャーンである。

Áine O’Dwyer is an Irish singer, musician, composer, writer, and sound artist with a unique and highly original approach to creating music. Heavily rooted in folk, her work strays far from the more traditional definitions of the genre, often delving into experimental and ambient music and performance to create something highly unusual, mystical, and constantly evolving. Áine O’Dwyer has released several albums since the early 2000s, as a solo artist as well as band member, and her live performances rarely rely on regular instruments or music theory, using traditional techniques and hardware sampling machines instead of a laptop crunching numbers. She is an incredibly versatile and inventive musician, making her a wonderful addition to the global folk and experimental music scenes.

Áine O’Dwyer was born and raised in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Her early years were filled with traditional Irish music in the style of her father and grandfather, who both played in bands in the area. Her love and appreciation for the sound of Irish music was undoubtedly due to her parents and how important it was in her household during her formative years. O’Dwyer has carried on this upbringing influences with her throughout her musical journey ever since.

Since childhood, O’Dwyer had an affinity for a variety of different instruments, including the accordion, guitar, whistles and harp, enabling her to craft unique arrangements and sounds rooted in traditional Irish folk music but with a distinctively modern twist. The influences in her music over the years have expanded from traditional folk music to include post-rock, psychedelia, ambient and avant-garde elements, resulting in a unique sound signature.

Throughout the 2000s, Áine O’Dwyer released various albums including ‘Massinga’s Grave’ (2005), ‘Gallery’ (2009) and ‘Maria’ (2011). She also worked as a musician on several Irish scholar, theatre and film productions, giving her ample opportunity to experiment and hone her craft.

In 2015 O’Dwyer released two full-length records in the same year—’APE’ and ‘Gegenschein.’ Both these albums were met with heavy international praise, thanks to their creative blending of folk and electronic elements, meandering drones and subtle time signature changes.

Over the years, Áine O’Dwyer has been invited to perform at the Dublin Theatre Festival, The Block series in New Zealand, the Donaueschingen Music Festival, All Tomorrow’s Parties and various traditional music festivals. The producers of the internationally acclaimed ‘Despacio’Sound System also chose to showcase her music during high-profile DJ sets throughout 2010 and 2011.

Being incredibly passionate and dedicated to her craft, Áine O’Dwyer is also an explorer of different sounds and locations. Taking it upon herself to combine her skills on stage with her love for architecture and culture, she organized the ‘Music for Church’ project back in 2016—a string of tours and shows that sought to fully channel and capture sounds composed in awe-inspiring environments. The shows featured multi-instrumental performances inside cathedrals, chapels, towers, and other grand settings, redefining the notion of a ‘stage’ and creating entirely unique listening experiences.

Today, Áine O’Dwyer is considered one of the world’s foremost experimental folk/ambient musicians, having carved out a distinguished and highly original path through the music scene. Her newest album ‘Gallarais’ (2019) showcases her traditional roots and her love of experimental and ambient music styles.

Through her untamed creativity, an overall passion for music and constant willingness to learn and grow, Áine O’Dwyer is an Irish singer, musician, composer, writer and sound artist like no other. Intriguing, yet calmingly beautiful, her music is the perfect blend of the familiar and the unknown, turning it into a remarkable sonic landscape that’s filled with curious wonder and life.

Hiroshi Yoshimura (1940–2004) was one of Japan’s most influential composers and record producers, known for his work in ambient music and the early days of New Age music. He achieved international success throughout his career for his dreamy, synth-filled music filled with lush samples and textures.

Hiroshi Yoshimura was born in Tokyo in 1940. His father was a composer and a teacher and encouraged his son’s interest in music, taking him to classical music concerts regularly. Yoshimura started playing piano around age seven and also learned other instruments including the shamisen and harmonica. In the late 1950s, he saw the early Japanese rockers performing from street corners around the cities they visited and was struck by their enthusiasm and energy. He was inspired to try to compose music on the same kind of synthesizers they were using.

Yoshimura enrolled in the Art College of Tokyo’s design program in 1959, and continued to pursue his interest in music independently by composing and performing. He would often accompany his compositions with recordings of streams, birds, water droplets, and other environmental sounds, and many of these sounds had been pre-recorded by folk singers during their performances. He released his first album, Solar Wave, in 1976, while he was still enrolled at the university.

Throughout the late 1970s, Yoshimura successfully established his career as a composer and started absorbing music from different cultures into his work, adopting a style born out of the influences of Eastern and Western cultures. His career reached a peak in the early 1980s when his music was featured in numerous television commercials and film soundtracks. He released numerous solo works, collaborations, and compilations, in genres from ambient new age to pop and alternative rock, with labels such as Go! Discs and Victor Japan.

In the mid-1980s, Yoshimura began to perform with ensembles both in Japan and abroad. He was a pioneer in the integration of synthesizers into classical music performances, performing his first full-length performance with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1988. He then joined the electronic duo Cradle, as an artist-producer in 1989.

Yoshimura’s works were embraced by experimental and digital musicians including Brian Eno, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Haruomi Hosono. His albums continued to remain widely popular among fans of ambient music worldwide throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and in 2004 he won the Japan Music Pen Award.

In 2004, Yoshimura passed away from stomach cancer at the age of 64. His legacy lives on, as his distinctive sound continues to influence musicians around the world, with his influence strongly preserved in New Age music today. His works are described as peaceful yet dynamic, with pianos and organic samples creating a unique atmosphere in his soundscapes. From Tokyo’s Shibuya district to the stadiums of international superstars, Yoshimura lives on as one of modern music’s most forward-thinking and culturally open-minded artists.

Happy End (Japanese: ハッピー・エンド) is a Japanese folk rock band formed in 1969 by singer-songwriter Eiichi ÅŒtaki and Shigeru Suzuki. It was one of the earliest Japanese bands to embrace the folk-rock sound and its single “Kōfukuno Sekai” (meaning “A Profound World”) was the first folk-rock song to openly refer to the Vietnam War.

The band was formed in 1969 by Eiichi ÅŒtaki and Shigeru Suzuki when both were students at the Technical High School of Kyoto. ÅŒtaki and Suzuki began playing folk-rock music, fusing traditional Japanese tunes with rock and roll, and soon formed the group Happy End. The lineup also included future star Yuya Uchida on bass and meikitaro on drums.

Happy End’s debut song, “Kōfukuno Sekai,” was an anti-Vietnam War message and the melody was based on a Japanese folk song. Although their debut album, Kawasaki Warehouse, did not receive much attention, one of the tracks on the album, “Saite Kaeru,” gained some attention with its free-flowing lyrics about drinking.

In 1971, they released their second album, Children’s Song, which became a bestseller in Japan. The title track was an underground hit, and the album would become their first major success. One of the most popular tracks, “Kazemachi Roman,” would be covered by a number of artists, including Eikichi Yazawa.

In 1972, Happy End went on their first tour and released their third album, Natsu Nandesu, which contained the hit song “Bōkenshatachi.” The band’s following album in 1975, Yes Ou, was a major success and featured their most popular song, “Kaerazu ni Iroha ni Iro,” which has been included in karaoke machines all over Japan.

The band’s sound evolved further in 1976 with the release of Haru o Mezashite (“Aiming for Spring”) which showed a more acoustic sound and incorporated influences from traditional Japanese music.

In 1978, Suzuki left the band and founded Cocodé, a group playing world music. ÅŒtaki decided to continue Happy End without Suzuki, replacing him with a number of rotating members so that the lineup continued to evolve. The band released a number of albums including Hokkyokusei no Photo (“Photo of the Frozen Planet”) in 1980, and Orange Wagon Mini-Album) in 1983.

In 1984, Happy End reunited with founding member Suzuki and released the album Deguchi ni Ikou (“Let’s Go Towards the Exit”) which featured their most information about classic albums, including re-recordings of their earlier hits.

ÅŒtaki continued releasing a number of solo albums from 1989 to 2006, including the single “Owarinaki Tabi” (“Endless Journey”), and the 2-disc compilation album History of Happy End in 2004.

Happy End reunited for a number of live performances in 2007, and released the album Egongaku Hikkoshi (“Classical Music Moving”) in 2008. The band celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2009 with a series of live concerts and the release of their greatest hits album Natsu/Haru/Aki (“Summer/Spring/Autumn”).

In 2014, Happy End reunited with Suzuki, Uchida, and meikitaro and released their 20th album, Inui/Shiki (“Crops and Four Seasons”), and embarked on a tour that year with Bump of Chicken.

Happy End continues to record and perform live. They continue to display a unique style of Japanese folk-rock, expertly mixing traditional Japanese music with rock and roll. The band have influenced a whole generation of bands, and remain highly respected as one of Japan’s longest running independent bands.

Éliane Radigue (born December 22, 1932) is a French experimental composer. She is considered one of the most influential avant-garde and electronic music composers of the twentieth century. Radigue studied art and music, and her deeply personal compositions are striking in their unconventional instrumentation, texture, and minimalist structure.

Radigue grew up in a musical household, where traditional folk and popular songs were regularly played and performed. Later, she began taking classes in art and found inspiration in musical works of the day such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and works of Debussy and Monteverdi. She graduated from the École National Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1959. Shortly after her studies, she met composer Pierre Schaeffer and moved to the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM), Schlaeffer’s renowned studio.

This is where Radigue’s exploration of electronic music truly began. Already adept at operating technical equipment, she was able to quickly learn the operations of the GRM equipment and produce her own concrete and electroacoustic works. During this time, her work eschewed traditional notions of music theory and adopted more improvisational and innovative approaches.

In 1965, Radigue became the personally appointed assistant of Pierre Schaeffer, where she would take on increasing responsibilities, including operations in the studio and even mixing, mastering, and post-production processes for the pieces produced by the studio. In the years to come, Radigue learned and became well-versed in the basics of acoustics and electronics, familiarizing herself with the various modifications and details of various electronic musical instruments.

Radigue’s first major solo-work appeared in her 1969 solo-album “D’euphorie à Partir D’heure” from the legendary record label Disques JMS, where she remained affiliated. Her career continued into the ’70s, when she produced two cycle albums for Arp synthesizers, “Geelriandre” and “Arthesis.” Around this time, her thoughtful approach to composing—guided by her trip to Far East doctrines like Buddhism and Taoism—slowly began emerging and she became more absorbed in deeper spiritual concepts in music. Her mature language developed from her affinity for mediation and deep listening practices, which she maintained throughout her career.

During periods of reflection in the 1980s and 1990s—following the death of her husband—Radigue created several works for acoustic instruments. For example, the extended-duration piece “Adnos I-III” (1980-1985) saw her teaming up with French-American cellist Arman Mones.

In the 2000s, Radigue returned to her electronic roots and used synthesizers and sampler technology to create what she called ‘psycho-physiologic music.’ Since then, her serene works and deeply engaging sonic explorations spanning across disciplines like Buddhism and acoustics continued to advance her influence on the art-music world. Moreover, she linked traditional musical techniques to her technological experiments by exploring key concepts such as drones, microsounds, and deep listening.

Radigue’s most acclaimed works, from her electroacoustic pieces to her later acoustically focused works confirm her reputation as a champion for the genre who blazed a trail by compelling the boundaries of composition and technology. Her work can be heard extensively concentrated in the book “Éliane Radigue: Un entretien avec Reinier van Houdt” (2015).

More recently, Radigue has held exhibition at galleries and festivals in many countries, from the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival in 2008 to the Arnolfini Center for Contemporary Arts in Bristol. To honor her published scores, a recent installation from Radigue and Italian researcher Andrea Robbi, NoTitle # 002166 Emo, was constructed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Ljubljana (Slovenia) in 2015.

In her 90s, Radigue continues to be regarded as one of the vanguards of avant-garde music, and her impact continues to reverberate throughout the world. To this day, her accomplishments in bringing acoustics, electronics, technical accomplishments, improvisation, and composition to their highest level—unwaveringly embeded in her mastery—are undisputedly respected.

Édith Piaf was a French singer and songwriter. Although born into poverty and with an unknown lineage, her extraordinary life and career – marred by suffering, disappointment, and tragedy – has made her a renowned symbol of female empowerment. Her personal struggles and heart-wrenching songs inspired millions.

Édith Piaf was born in Paris, France on December 19th, 1915, though her exact place of birth remains disputed. Official records show that she was registered at a maternity in Belleville, Paris, but some claim she was hospitalized at a maternity in Montmartre, where she was likely conceived. Her parents’ marital status is also uncertain and it is speculated her father abandoned the family shortly after her birth.

Édith was raised primarily by her mother, Annetta Maillard, who eventually married Louis Gassion. Her mother was a street singer and it is thought Paif’s exposure to the music of the street vendors at a young age planted what would become her life’s passion. At the age of seven, Édith joined her parents in singing in the streets and by then she had already developed a powerful voice.

Gassion was a self-proclaimed Breton sailor who employed travelers and other vagrants around the Moulin Rouge and encouraged Édith’s musical growth. She began taking lessons but didn’t stay and listen to any teacher for long and eventually left to pursue performance opportunities in lower Paris Theaters and offered up her own street performances for charity. A talent scout heard her singing one day and offered her a spot in The Jam in 1935.

At the Palais de la Mutualité, as part of the bill in irregular performances held Valachi, Édith was given her stage name, Piaf, and a set of sad street songs. Her strong emotion-filled ballads and remarkable story resonated with overworked French citizens and won her widespread popularity.

Édith seemed to find confidence, success, and music appreciation during her time at The Jam. She thus went on to perform with a wide range of acts including Ray Ventura, Charles Trenet, Jose Famiglietti, Louis Price, and many different jazz bands—steeped in her own lilting, sorrowful lyrics.

During World War II, Édith captured the homesickness of an exhausted French nation by singing the French National anthem La Marseillaise and songs such as “L’Aniam” for the Resistance movement. She quickly became a powerful symbol of the popular upsurge against the occupying forces’ deathly grip on the nation. In 1943, she was given the Légion d’honneur by the French government, making her France’s first female conscript to be so honored.

By 1945, Édith had made a name for herself around the world and released her first hit ‘La vie en rose’ which solidified her as the Grand Dame of French Ballads. She went on to make numerous unique records, performed multiple international tours, and recognized around the world for her remarkable ability- not only in singing, but in writing and arranging her own songs. She also amassed a successful film career throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50s which earned her notable awards.

By the late 1950s however, Édith had been struggling with health problems and her career began to suffer as a result. A self-destructive spiral saw her dabbling in drugs which caused lapses in memory, and her heavy use of alcohol contributed to a newfound vulnerability. Nevertheless, Édith Piaf continued to perform her songs of hope and loss until her death on October 10th, 1963.

Édith Piaf’s life may have been short, but her legacy is a lasting one. Her songs of heartache and love have inspired generations and her powerful presence in struggling France during World War II, has earned her a place in French popular culture forever.

Throughout her life she ministered to the crowd and regardless of life’s hard shocks Édith never stopped believing in the extraordinary healing power of singing. Édith Piaf has become an icon of endurance, an ode to uplifting, a pure, unwavering voice of compassion and hope for generations.

Katsuhiko Maeda, better known by his full artist name World’s End Girlfriend, is a Japanese composer and musician who is credited with blending electronica and contemporary classical music to form an original sonic landscape rooted in abstract ideas and concepts. Maeda was born on May 8th, 1973 in Tokyo, Japan and is one of the most influential Japanese musicians of his generation.

Growing up, Maeda was a musical prodigy who sought out musical influences as far as the European classical world and 1970s avant-garde jazz. He completed his first classical composition by the age of nine and began to immerse himself in electronic music production through drum and synth programming. Only through focusing on the smallest details, according to Maeda, could he fully express himself musically. This manifested in his moody compositions, ever evolving around themes of alienation, loneliness, and disorientation.

In the early 2000s Maeda adopted the moniker World’s End Girlfriend, creating a passionate fan base of people who empathized with the heavy emotion that seemed to layer each of his albums. In 2000, his first EP Rain Tempo, was released on venerable Japanese record label Daisuki Pulse. The album was immediately embraced by the downtempo scene due to its enigmatic mix of ethereal ambience and whirring post-rock.

Since then, Maeda had released numerous albums across a variety of esoteric music labels such as Midi Creative (JP) andTzadik (USA). His music continued to be ambient in nature, building a cavernous ecosystem of acoustic and ambient weight and the heartbreaking quality of stark beauty. Notable projects from Maeda included Ten Duets for Piano and Guitar, Nightmare Orchestra from 2004, and 2007’s Farewell Kingdom.

Despite the gloomy, melancholy tones that dominated many of his projects, Maeda was a prolific DJ and remix hotshot, creating his own brand of dance music punctuated by the splintering of crisp drums, intricate melodies and synthesized layers of conflicting atmospherics. Artists like Inoue Yousuke, Colder, Hoshina Anniversary, Agraph and to Extrawelt have praised his work.

In aggregate, Maeda has released nearly a hundred albums not including remixes and scores of touring work throughout the past couple of decades. His innovative take on the electronica genre brought him worldwide acclaim from multi-faceted music aficionados.

Throughout his rise to success, Maeda’s loyal fan base was with him every step of the way. At his live sets, he often bounced through dreamy dream of vocal-driven ethereal ambient pop and crescendoed into techno pulsating with bright spirals of joy and grief. So masterfully paving the way for crossover between those who favour abstract and dance electronica, World’s End Girlfriend has become involved in the front lines of the avant-garde music scene and has proven to be something of a sonic oracle. Indeed, his influence has affected numerous artists including Shugo Tokumaru, Cornelius, and Maeda’s own label Mellow/World’s End which focuses on developing electronic music, alongside other genres.

Today, Maeda continues to tour and produce music that blends abstract concept and melody to create a unique emotional depth, making his work a frequently sought after favourite. Looking to pieces like 2006’s Virgin rations or 2010’s Joyo no Kan, it can be seen why Maeda has been described as “The poet of melody who will teeter between sonic heaven and apocalypse, and tell stories where those two intersect”. Maeda is a visionary in his own right and his prolific body of work proves it.