Hanyo van Oosterom

Dutch Ambient Music Composer and Multi-Instrumentalist

Musician and promotor from Rotterdam (Netherlands). Multi-instrumentalist Hanyo van Oostrom had played with Rick de Vito in The Frog and was a member of percussion group Paleis Van Boem. He also was the founder of Chi (1984-1987), a band that was part of audiovisual performances. The audio/musical part was performed by Chi, while the visual parts were taken care of by Fijko van Leeuwen. The line-up was Michel Banabila (keyboards), Willem Cramer, Hanyo van Oostrom and Koos Derwort. After Chi disbanded, Hanyo did several solo-ambient-CD’s partly under his pseudonym Atharwan. Also Hanyo did an album together with former Chi-member Michel Banabila under the name of Byzantium (1997-1998) (with guest performances by Tanar Catalpinar and Omar Ka). First the CD was distributed exclusively through the ‘Kijkkubus’ in Rotterdam with a book with paintings by Frits Jansen, by the end of the year, it was ‘really’ released through new Rotterdam based label Steamin’ Steamworks (without the book) under the name Byzantium. FRET called it a continuation of CHI: “the musicians avoid ambient-cliches as much as possible and are therefore also outside the chill-out room very worthwhile”. He also participated in an album of ex-Chi Willem Cramer and Senegalese vocalist Omar Ka, called “H. O. W. ” (= Hanyo, Omar, Willem), which was produced by Jurgen Brouwer. Since 2002 Hanyo is part of One Cent People.