Ryosuke Kiyasu is a Japanese drummer and internationally acclaimed snare drum soloist, active since 2003. Known for his minimalist performances, he has developed a unique musical language based on intensity, rhythmic repetition, and physical expression. In addition to his solo work, he has played in groups such as SETE STAR SEPT, Kiyasu Orchestra, and the legendary noise band Fushitsusha led by the wizard of the experimental scene, Keiji Haino. He was also a founding member of the Canadian band The Endless Blockade.

His solo performance in Berlin in 2018 garnered over 23 million views on social media, drawing the attention of a wide audience and outlets such as BBC News and VICE Magazine. Between 2022 and 2024, he performed at some of the world’s most prominent percussion and outsider art festivals, including the Überschlag Festival (the largest classical percussion festival globally), Dr. Martens Fest, Alternativa Festival (Czech Republic), and the Outsider Art Festival (Finland). In 2023, his performance was featured as a short film at the Edinburgh Art Festival, where he became one of the event’s most talked-about figures.

Beyond his musical pursuits, he also collaborated with the fashion brand Our Legacy, and his impressive discography includes over 200 albums. In recent years, he has toured intensively across Europe, including a performance in Warsaw, where his extreme form of expression was met with enthusiastic acclaim.

As he emphasizes, his art is not only music, but a “ritual of intensity” and contact — with the instrument, the space, and the audience. Ryosuke Kiyasu continues to assert his place in the avant-garde, redefining the status of the snare drum in contemporary sound art.