About


Photo by Juan David Cano

Maro Kariya, PhD (otodojo) is an audiovisual artist and scientist who explores sensing within the natural world, reflections of its change, and presence. They approach sound and visual art as a means of interpreting the environments they encounter, embodying the idea of 'otodojo' (a sound place for learning).

They released 12 albums including records with labels such as The Bunker NY (2023), Mesma (2022), Perimeter Junk (2022), Unimatrix Zero (2022), and Acid Camp (2019). They have played for Interdimensional Transmissions’ Return to the Source in 2022 and 2023, including a spatial audio performance in collaboration with Sophiyah E.

They have showcased their audiovisual works at Tokyo Tower (2022),  Cranbrook Art Museum (2022), Mix Gallery in Ithaca (2023), Artists for Plants (2021), The Soil Factory (2021), and a digital community built with Ryu Goto, Otodojo Nodes (2022). Their sound work has received acclaim from Resident Advisor and their 2023 album ‘Amphibious / Aural Spirits’ has been named one of the best albums of February 2023 by MixMag.

In 2018, they launched 'Microtones' (microtones.info), an electronic music event series and label in Ithaca, NY. Through this initiative, they organized over 43 shows and released three fundraising compilations. Microtones has now evolved into an interstate collective, hosting events in both Ithaca and Detroit areas. The collective aims to promote personal healing through techno music.

They graduated from Cornell University with a doctoral degree in chemistry & chemical biology and discovered and characterized a series of novel sulfolipids.



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