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Tetuzi Akiyama, born in Tokyo on April 13, 1964, is a highly unique and experimental guitarist known for his application of free improvisation and noise. In addition to guitar, he plays electronics, viola, and self-made instruments. Akiyama became an enthusiastic hard rock fan at the age of eleven and began playing electric guitar at thirteen. His interests later expanded to include free improvisation and classical music. In 1987, he formed the improvised music band Madhar and later took up classical viola, forming the Hikyo String Quintet in 1994. This avant-garde ensemble, which consisted of a viola, two cellos, and two violins, included Taku Sugimoto on cello, who eventually left, turning it into a quartet. That same year, Akiyama and Sugimoto launched their guitar duo, Akiyama-Sugimoto, performing in New York in 1995 and in the Midwest, including Chicago and Detroit, in 1996. From early 1994, Akiyama was also a member of Nijiumu, one of guitarist Keiji Haino's bands. Currently, Akiyama is involved in two improvised music projects: Sutekina Tea Time, a duo with Takashi Matsuoka (guitar, vocal), and Mongoose, a trio with Sugimoto and Utah Kawasaki (analog synthesizer). Since 1998, he has been organizing a monthly

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