Rio Okano (岡野 里音 Okano Rio, born on March 5, 1991, in Kobe, Japan), also known as Rionos, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and music producer. She has provided the music for anime, video games and other singers. The name "Rionos" is derived from the nickname "Rio no Suke" that her friend called her.
Biography
Rionos was born into a musical family. Her mother was a classical marimba player and her father was a jazzdrummer. She grew up learning piano and violin. As a high school student, she gave up trying to become a classical player and often spent time at home because of her physical condition. She was inspired by movies, anime and game music, and she began to think about becoming a composer who could work at home.[1]
She entered Osaka University of Arts in 2009 as a correspondence student. Her condition improved, so she attended computer music school Dee in Osaka in the autumn of 2009. In 2011, she was no longer a correspondence student at Osaka University of Arts from third year.[1]
She earned a reputation singing songs at Dee, so she sent her songs to record companies. Her songs caught Keitaro Kamo's ear, while he was director of EMI Music Japan.[1] She released her first mini album read me (initially only for download sales.[2] It was released on CD in 2013.[3]）
After that, she provided songs for Yufu Terashima produced by Keitaro Kamo. In 2016, Lantis's producer Junnosuke Sato listened to her songs for Yufu and contacted her.[4] She offered a demo of the theme song of Children of the Whales anime. She made her major debut from Lantis in 2017 in the anime's ending theme "Hashitairo".[5] In the Märchen Mädchen anime of the following year, she composed background music in addition to ending theme.[6]
Personality
Rionos likes the song with story like movie's background music.[2] She is good at composing from lyrics and stories.
She claimed that her nickname was to express a little Greek-ish and mysterious feeling.[2]
She is a big fan of Akino Arai, whom she used first as a model. After the release of read me., she became friends with Akino Arai and the arranger Hisaaki Hogari.[1]
Singer Ryo Irei is a friend[1] and has been given songs she composed several times. He participated on the chorus of a song "Sora wo Tobitai to", released with "Hashitairo".[7]
Discography
Singles
ハシタイロ / Hashitairo (Released on October 25, 2017) LACM-14662
ハシタイロ / Hashitairo - Children of the Whales anime's ending theme
空を飛びたいと / Sora wo Tobitai to
ハシタイロ / Hashitairo (Instrumental)
空を飛びたいと / Sora wo Tobitai to (Instrumental)
百年のメラム / Hundred years' melammu (Released on November 21, 2018) LACM-14817
