aus is the solo project of Tokyo-born composer, producer, and curator Yasuhiko Fukuzono. His music is characterized by a precise combination of cinematic strings, acoustic instrumentation, and concrete sound design derived from everyday life, drawing on fragments of film, overheard conversations, and long-buried memories. This approach is informed by his upbringing around traditional Japanese arts, as well as a background in speech therapy that continues to shape his research into language, memory, and auditory perception.

In the 2000s, Fukuzono's album Lang established his reputation within Japan's electronic music scene, noted for its intricate micro-sampling and organic, breakbeat-infused structures. His more recent work — Everis (2023), Fluctor (2024), and Eau (2026, EM Records) — reflects a shift toward a more chamber-oriented sound, layering field recordings, ambient drone textures, and instruments such as the koto with minimalist piano and drone textures into a quietly sweet, immersive palette.

His collaborative work spans both acoustic and electronic disciplines, including the album Interwoven with Japanese ambient pioneer Ken-Ichiro Isoda (WRWTFWW), and work with cellist Danny Norbury. In 2025, he presented Ikaho Surrounding, a major sound installation staged across multiple sites in a historic hot spring town, later reinterpreted by The Humble Bee for the collaborative album Chalybeate (2026). His remix work includes contributions for Craig Armstrong, Matthew Herbert, Tujiko Noriko, and Tenniscoats.

aus is the solo project of Tokyo-born composer, producer, and curator Yasuhiko Fukuzono. His music is characterized by a precise combination of cinematic strings, acoustic instrumentation, and concrete sound design derived from everyday life. His work is a constant process of rediscovering and reinventing the nature of sound itself, drawing on fragments of film, overheard conversations, fleeting dreams, long-buried memories, and indescribable inner emotions.

This sonic approach is informed by his upbringing: his mother was an instructor of traditional arts, teaching ikebana (flower arrangement), shodō (calligraphy), and sadō (tea ceremony). His own background in speech therapy further shaped his ongoing research into the intersection of language, memory, and auditory perception.

Fukuzono's 2007 album Lang established his reputation within Japan's electronic music scene, noted for its intricate micro-sampling and organic, breakbeat-infused structures. However, following a devastating burglary during a tour in which he lost his entire archive and equipment, the toll it took extended well beyond the material loss, and he was forced into a hiatus that lasted until 2023.

This loss restructured his creative process, shifting his focus toward the physical reconstruction of sound. His return began with Neanic, a collaborative track with ECM Hardanger fiddle artist Benedicte Maurseth. His 2023 album Everis and 2024's Fluctor reflect this evolution with a more chamber music orientation, using fragments of film, and environmental recordings as tactile musical materials. This trajectory led to Eau (2026, EM Records), which incorporates the koto alongside minimalist piano and drone textures.

His collaborative work spans both acoustic and electronic disciplines. He partnered with Japanese ambient pioneer Ken-Ichiro Isoda on the album Interwoven (WRWTFWW), and with cellist Danny Norbury. In 2025, he presented Ikaho Surrounding, a major sound installation staged across multiple sites in the historic hot spring town, later reinterpreted by The Humble Bee for the collaborative album Chalybeate (2026). His remix work includes contributions for Craig Armstrong, Matthew Herbert, Tujiko Noriko, and Tenniscoats.

His sonic research also extends into spatial sound installations and site-specific works, collaborating with experimental figures including Ulla, Li Yilei, and Hinako Omori, staged in venues ranging from national museums to botanical gardens, teahouse and literary archives.

Parallel to his solo work, Fukuzono runs FLAU Records. Ignoring both borders and genre, the label connects Japan's independent artists with international networks, while coordinating Japanese tours for artists including Ólafur Arnalds, Grouper, Julia Holter, and Julianna Barwick.