Oki x Hitomi Toi x U-Zhaan

An intriguing musical face-off, if ever we saw one. There's Oki, the half-Ainu rocker behind ethno-fusion act Oki Dub Ainu Band, and one of the prime exponents of the traditional five-string tonkori; Hitomi Toi, the idiosyncratic J-pop singer whose career has been peppered with occasional moments of brilliance; and U-Zhaan, the master tabla player who first came to prominence as part of internationally feted electronica unit Asa-Chang & Junray. We've no idea what they'll sound like together, though it should be an amiable affair: Toi knows both of her co-conspirators already, having collaborated with Oki in the past, and shared a regular radio spot with U-Zhaan.