O-ARC Biography
O-ARC is a creative collaboration between Masa Iida, singer-songwriter from Yokohama, Japan, and Neil Mason, a London-born guitarist.
First meeting at a regular music night in Camden Town in 1999, since then Masa and Neil have formed a musical bond like no other.
Although both happily working on other projects when they met, slowly they discovered an affinity for minimalism, subtlety and the power of understatement.
It could be said Neil's guitar playing, at once tranquil and explosive, is the perimeter line that appears to enclose Masa's poetry-words, rhythm and melody impossible to contain.
Masa and Neil literally come from worlds apart but they approach music with a singular heart. Their Japanese and English sensitivities compliment each other.
Poetic, atmospheric and meditative, the O-Arc blend is, in a way, even therapeutic:healing.
Masa's lyrics are greatly influenced by Haiku poetry. He prefers few words to express feelings and thoughts. Neil understands Masa's approach and with a bagful of guitar magic and sleight of hand, amplifies and elevates the O-Arc sound to a unique position in the sonic stratosphere.
Together Masa and Neil seek to achieve the impossible; with each song and every performance O-Arc seek to draw a perfect circle of music.
O-ARC's website link
