Sospeso performs a concert portrait of French composer Pierre Boulez on May 10, 2005 with the musician and sound artist Ikue Mori.

Ikue Mori moved from her native city of Tokyo to New York in 1977.She started playing drums and soon formed the seminal NO WAVE band DNA, with fellow noise pioneers Arto Lindsay and Tim Wright. DNA enjoyed legendary cult status, while creating a new brand of radical rhythms and dissonant sounds; forever altering the face of rock music.

In 1986 Ikue formed a new group called TOHBAN DJAN, with Luli Shioi (on bass and vocals). TOHBAN DJAN strived to subvert images of Orientalism, femininity, and obsession. The duo infused surealistic zones and world music influences into their song structures. TOHBAN DJAN performed at festivals like Banlieuse Blues (France), New Music America, Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), and The Kitchen (NYC) and produced one LP, Poison Petal.

In the mid 80’s Ikue started in employ drum machines in the unlikely context of improvised music. While limited to the standard technology provided by the drum machine, she has nevertheless forged her own highly sensitive signature style. She has subsequently collaborated with numerous improvisors throughout the US, Europe, and Asia, while continuing to produce and record her own music.

In the 90’s Ikue received a grant from National Endowment for the Arts to collaborate with filmmaker Abigail Child, producing a series of video vignettes based on Ikue’s songs. (This collaboration continues with the “B-side” recording.) Ikue has worked in regular collaborations with Zeena Parkins, Vibaslaps (with Catherine Janiaux), Death Praxis (with Tenko), Fast Forward, Prototype, Mark Tomkin’s Dance Company, Joey Baron, Anthony Coleman and Shelly Hirsch, Fred Frith and John Zorn. Invited to the Intenational Percussion Festival in Berlin, she gave first workshops. She developed a solo performance adding the sampler, and performed at New York's Symphony Space and Derek Bailey’s Company Week in London in 93. Mills College in San Francisco asked Ikue to participate in Sound Culture ’96. She was invited to perform with Ensemble Modern as the soloist along with Zeena Parkins, and composer Fred Frith in 98. Ikue won the Distinctive Award for Prix Ars Electronics Digital Music category in 99. In 2000 Ikue started using the laptop computer to expand on her already signature sound, thus broadening her scope of musical expression.

Current working groups include “Mephista” with Sylvie Courvoisier and Susie Ibarra, a quartet with Kim Gordon, DJ Olive and Jim O’Rourke, Trio with Haco and Aki Onda, “Electric Masada” with John Zorn, “ILE BIZARRE” with Diane Labrosse, Martin Tetreault, and a duo project with Zeena Parkins.