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‘Fans say my concerts are safe spaces where they can forgive’: the cult of Ichiko Aoba
She sells out large venues, is feted by legends – and adored for her euphoric songs. The remarkable Japanese musician talks about magical islands, sonic sorcery and playing gigs with her eyes shut
At St Martin’s, she walked down the aisle, guitar in hand, sat down on the flagstone floor, big white skirts billowing up like powdery snow, and started to sing, unamplified. The cover artwork for Luminescent Creatures Photograph: HermineSince her 2010 debut, Kamisori Otome (Razorblade Girl), Aoba’s quietly astonishing music has earned her a horde of devoted fans. When Aoba launched her official fan community on Patreon, she called it Atóllba, after “atoll” because she imagines it to be just that: a magical island, an iridescent safe space, in which like-minded people can gather.
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