Hiro Kone

Experimental rhythms and dark, hypnotic synth soundscapes from NYC's Hiro Kone.

Hiro Kone is the alias of New York City based musician and producer Nicky Mao, who utilizes a combination of modular synthesis, field recordings, and live instrumentation to cultivate her sound. Her work functions as a visceral meditation on rhythm, noise, and melody, often manipulating macabre disorientations into enchanting new shapes. She has released several acclaimed projects on experimental labels including Dais Records and BANK Records, such as the 2018 album Pure Expenditure and the 2021 full length Silvercoat the Throng. Her collaborative range is extensive, featuring work with artists like Drew McDowall, and she is a fixture at genre pushing events including Berlin Atonal, Sustain-Release, and Rewire. Hiro Kone stands out in the contemporary electronic landscape by alchemizing disruption and decomposition into regenerative interior worlds that challenge the listener to find discovery within darkness.