About
Musician & Recording Engineer: Kotaro Asahina
Kotaro Asahina studied ethnomusicology at a music university in Japan.
After graduation, he worked as a pianist mainly in the Kansai region.
His passion for improvisation led him to Sweden, and later to Cologne, Germany,
where he collaborated with Achim Tang on original works.
He further studied sound engineering under Stephan Desire in Germany and Akihiko Goshima in Japan,
a renowned master of Kaneda-style DC recording.
Returning to Japan, he became an independent recording engineer and co-founded the artistic collective Pinocoa,
producing projects with artists from Germany, Argentina, and beyond.
He also studied C language and GPS technology under Kazuhide Kobayashi (Geosense Inc.)
and photography and film under Koji Murakami (Murakami Archives).
Today, he operates an RTK base station for centimeter-level GPS positioning.
In 2023, he founded Curanz Sounds, a project dedicated to researching healing acoustics
and sharing frequencies of love and harmony with the world.
At the Audio Academy, he is engaged in analog recording practices such as
restoring Revox machines and archiving Kaneda-style DC recording techniques.
In 2025, he relocated from Kobe to Hokkaido to continue his work as both musician and engineer.
Welcome to Kotaro Studio.
I am Kotaro Asahina, a pianist and recording engineer based in Hokkaido, Japan.
At Kotaro Studio, I provide professional recording services for musicians from around the world.
If you are touring in Japan, I can record your live performances or studio sessions, and I am also available for travel to capture your music wherever you need.
My expertise includes specialized techniques such as Kaneda-style DC recording and analog open-reel recording.
These methods deliver a unique warmth and depth rarely found in modern digital setups, offering artists a truly distinctive sound experience.
In addition to recording, I design and handcraft original studio microphones, built with the same dedication and precision that I bring to music production.
These microphones are now available internationally through platforms such as eBay, allowing musicians everywhere to experience the craftsmanship of Kotaro Studio.
Whether you are looking to record your next project in Japan, restore the natural warmth of analog, or explore handcrafted microphones,
I look forward to collaborating with you and helping capture the true essence of your sound.