"193193" Ikkyu-san and BPM 193 — A Signature Composition Born in Kyotanabe

Hello, I'm Chino Yoshio, quietly composing music in Kyotanabe, Kyoto.

I live in the Takigi district of Kyotanabe City, Kyoto — a quiet area known as the place where the Zen monk Ikkyu spent his later years.

The track “193193” was composed at a tempo of 193 BPM in tribute to Ikkyu-san. I had previously released a marimba piece titled Blocks for Marimba, which received more attention than expected. That experience inspired me to create a new work playable on both marimba and piano.

The title “193193” is also reflected in the visual concept: the artwork is filled with a solid color using the hexadecimal code #193193, a deep blue. I also set the release date to March 19th (3/19) to reinforce the numerical motif. The title, artwork, and date — all aligned around “193”.

Two additional versions — a Gentle Sine Bells Version and a Sleep Version — were later created. This idea was sparked by an earlier EP I uploaded to SoundCloud called Sleep Induction, in which I used Logic Pro’s Alchemy preset “Gentle Sine Bells.” After that release, someone reached out to ask, “Do you plan to release more tracks using this sound?” — a question that stuck with me.

Surprisingly, these alternate versions gained the most attention.
The Sleep Version was featured on Spotify’s official playlist Ambient Japan,
and the Gentle Sine Bells Version was featured in the documentary film The Long Road, directed by Vibeke Løkkeberg, which was screened at the Norwegian film festival "WW festivals".

When I released this song, I informed only Ikkyu-ji Temple — quietly.

I intend to continue composing music inspired by life in Kyotanabe — from its familiar scenery to the quiet stories that emerge from it.

🎧 You can listen to all versions of 193193 here: