Risa Taniguchi (JP)

Risa Taniguchi is arriving at the forefront of the dark techno wave that has washed over the underground in recent years. The Tokyo born - and based - artist has spent the last four years cultivating a lo-fi sound of distorted textures, fizzing synths and a quietly burning energy, which consumes all who hear it. Preferring to play sets which are "late night, for the weirdos", Risa has a knack for getting crowds in a nocturnal trance, before delivering shocks and surprises with a curious motif or unpredictable element. For those who like to cut loose in a dark environment, she is the perfect selector.


In the studio as well as the club, Risa focuses on the drums, programming kicks that bring visceral and often aggressive thrills next to a uniquely addictive layer of well designed snares and hi hats. Her signature has become her own subtle and intriguing vocal samples, best heard on Slipped My Mind and This Guy. She adds layers of acid bass and an always raw, edgy aesthetic.

Having experienced them first hand whilst living in London, in 2010, Risa also has an enduring love of underground UK bass sounds, which can be heard in many of her tracks. The multi-talented act is also formally trained and a skilled player of the piano, who continues to play daily.


Since her first release back in 2018, Risa has attracted high profile interest from A-list players Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens, Pan Pot, Dense & Pika, and Radio Slave; has hit the Top 5 of the Beatport's Leftfield Techno Chart and played everywhere from De Marktkantine in Amsterdam to Watergate in Berlin, and of course all the most revered spaces all across Japan including Womb, Vent, and Joule Osaka.


Despite the pandemic, the recent years have proven to be a high watermark for Risa as she has delivered a continuous flow of new music, primarily on Pan Pot’s Second State and on Dense & Pika’s Kneaded Pains. With both of these mighty techno duos giving Risa their support and platforms, it has enabled her to start taking her first major footsteps into Europe, picking up her first headline bookings there. Since then, she has constantly been touring between Europe and Asia.


In 2022, she teams up for the first time together with Black Asteroid, a former engineer for Prince, and the duo delivered three gritty, hard-hitting techno tracks on Chris Liebing's CLR.