#Tatsuro solo works

[yoa-artblog]

COLORS was made for me specifically, I loved Passcode so much it's still looping.

#Tatsuro #Tatsuro Solo Works #mucc #fanart #art #artists on tumblr

[sidlyrics]

DESIRE

Artista / Artist: Tatsuro solo works Letra / Lyrics: Tatsuro Música / Music: Yuuya

Desire

騙されて夢を見てたシンデレラ それでも何時かって夢を見てる 憧れと嘘と理想で着飾って ガラスの靴が欲しくて泣いてた

悲劇のヒロイン気取って眠り薬　「私なんて死ねば良い」

泣いても　泣いても　同じ夜とサイレン 眠り方教えて　ねぇ　鳴らないLifeLine 探しても　探しても　見つからない応えと 泣き疲れ眠れば　砕け散ったDESIRE

華やいだ街の灯り寄せられて 無邪気な果実は今　腐り落ちた

素敵な物語の裏　音を立てて崩れてく「嫌だよ」

逃げても　逃げても　心はもう塞いで 笑い方も忘れて　もう再生なんてない 消しても　消しても　増えてく後悔が 手のひらに溢れて　零れ落ちたDESIRE

泣いても　泣いても　同じ夜とサイレン 眠り方教えて　ねぇ　鳴らないLifeLine 探しても　探しても　見つからない答えが 鏡の中でほら「　」 願っても　願っても　自分はもう居なくて 黒いドレスのシンデレラ　もう愛さえ感じない 望んでた？　理解ってた　初めから答えは 鏡の中でほら　砕け散ったDESIRE

Desire

damasarete yume wo miteta CINDERELLA soredemo itsuka tte yume wo miteru akogare to uso to risou de kikazatte GLASS no kutsu ga hoshikute naiteta

higeki no HEROIN kidotte nemuri kusuri "watashi nante shineba ii"

naite mo　naite mo　onaji yoru to SIREN nemurikata oshiete　nee　naranai lifeline sagashite mo　sagashite mo　mitsukaranai kotae to nakitsukare nemureba　kudakechitta DESIRE

hanayaida machi no akari yoserarete mujakina kajitsu wa ima　kusariochita

sutekina monogatari no ura　oto wo tatete kuzureteku "iya da yo"

nigete mo　nigete mo　kokoro wa mou fusaide waraikata mo wasurete　mou saisei nante nai keshite mo　keshite mo　fueteku koukai ga te no hira ni afurete　koboreochita DESIRE

naite mo　naite mo　onaji yoru to SIREN nemurikata oshiete　nee naranai lifeline sagashite mo　sagashite mo　mitsukaranai kotae ga kagami no naka de hora "　" negatte mo　negatte mo　jibun wa mou inakute kuroi DRESS no CINDERELLA　mou ai sae kanjinai nozondeta? wakatteta　hajime kara kotae wa kagami no naka de hora　kudakechitta DESIRE

Desire

Cinderella was having deceiving dreams, and yet one day she had a dream. She dressed up with longing, lies and ideals and cried because she desired glass shoes.

The heroine of the tragedy affected by sleeping medicine, "I should die".

But she is crying and crying this night along the sirens. Hey, show her a way to fall asleep, silent lifeline. And even though she is looking and looking, she couldn't find the reactions she wanted. She fell asleep tired from crying, a smashed desire.

The gorgeous lights of the city are shining on an innocent fruit which is now rotten and has fallen down.

Behind this wonderful tale, she is making it fall apart saying "I hate this".

Even if she runs and runs away, she is already depressed. She even forgot how to smile and is unable to learn again. Even if she relieves and relieves them, her increasing regrets are spilling from her hands, an overflowing desire.

But she is crying and crying this night along the sirens. Hey, show her a way to fall asleep, silent lifeline. And even though she is looking and looking, the answers she can't find, look, they're in the mirror. Even though she is begging and begging, her soul is already disappearing. This Cinderella in a black dress is not even feeling love anymore. What did she desire? She understood that her answers were in the mirror from the very beginning, look. A smashed desire.

Deseo

Cenicienta tenía sueños engañosos, y aun así un día tuvo un sueño. Se vistió de anhelos, mentiras e ideales y lloró porque deseaba zapatitos de cristal.

La heroína de la tragedia bajo la influencia de la medicación para dormir, "ojalá me muera".

Pero no deja de llorar esta noche junto a las sirenas. Oye, muéstrale cómo quedarse dormida, silenciosa mano amiga. Y aunque no deja de buscar, no encontró las reacciones que quería. Se quedó dormida cansada de llorar, un deseo hecho añicos.

Las preciosas luces de la ciudad iluminan una fruta inocente que ahora se ha podrido y ha caído del árbol.

Tras este cuento maravilloso, está haciendo que se desmorone al decir "lo odio".

Aunque no deje de huir, ya está deprimida. Hasta se ha olvidado de cómo sonreír y es incapaz de volver a aprender. Aunque no deje de mitigarlos, sus remordimientos que van en aumento se le escapan de las manos, un deseo que se desborda.

Pero no deja de llorar esta noche junto a las sirenas. Oye, muéstrale cómo quedarse dormida, silenciosa mano amiga. Y aunque no deja de buscar, las respuestas que no encuentra, mira, están en el espejo. Aunque no deja de suplicar, su alma se está desvaneciendo. Esta Cenicienta con un vestido negro es incapaz de sentir siquiera amor. ¿Qué deseaba? Entendió que sus respuestas estaban en el espejo desde el principio, mira. Un deseo hecho añicos.

Kanji: mojim Romaji, English: mashiro_mai on Reddit (I made some small changes, so it's my fault if I messed something up) Español: Reila

#DESIRE #逹瑯 #Tatsuro #逹瑯 solo works #Tatsuro solo works #Yuuya #ゆうや #sidlyrics #Hikagaku Hoteishiki #完全生産限定盤

[vaporvipermedia]

“My heart cannot wait until I see your face again”

Name: Kei Yoshihiko 

Stage Name: KEISHI

Age: 18

Birthday: Sept.30

Height: 5’6

VO:

 Rina Satō(JP)

 Anna Graves (EN)

Singing VO:

 Ms. Ooja(JP)

 Taeko Ohnuki(JP)

Likes: Songwriting, directing, making close bonds

Dislikes: Being alone for a long time, Escalators (after an embarrassing incident that happened)

Favorite Artists: SUZY, Ms. Ooja, Ladies Code

Favorite Food: Tempura

Least Favorite Food: Oysters

(She tried them at an event party she went for her company and immediately ended up sick from the taste. Having her live stage appearance to be pushed back until she felt better)

Idol Division: Ramshackle Division 

Idol Group: N/A

Position: Soloist

Background:

Kei was a young child actor at seven who starred in mystery/detective shows. She was mostly casted in side character roles until she finally became a main role in a show called “Give It Your All Tamiko-San!” A mystery show with a bit of magical girl elements. She also sang and wrote lyrics for the show's opening “The Lead to Your Heart” which gained a lot of love and popularity. According to old fans of the show, it was extremely catchy and even played on several radio news sessions just because it was that well liked. 

Kei was taken aback by this praise for her song. By then, he was just a well known enough actor but now to the world he’s a natural born singer. He started to wonder if this was truly a path he should go down on. And after the final season of “Give It Your All Tamiko-San!” he finally had an answer. 

Not only did she pursue becoming an idol but she also trained under NRC for two years. Eventually becoming a soloist at the age of 16 with her first solo mini album “Open Shut Case”. The whole concept of the albums’ meaning is that no matter what your love for her is very clear. An open and shut case if you will- ok imma shut up now

TRIVIA:

Kei is a soloist who has mostly jazz-like and casino-vibes songs

He often gets invited to be the MC of some award shows for other idols, announcing the winner of each category

Has a YouTube channel that shows what happens behind the scenes of her music videos and mostly does livestreams to talk to her fans

Still keeps in touch with his old actor crew and often goes on lunch dates with them

Used to have a old channel that was dedicated to her acting profession but decided to make a new account for a fresh new start

Often gets asked to sing her old show’s opening for nostalgia sake

Had a whole ARG as a teaser for his up and coming comeback as well as new mini album based around city-pop music

Is friends with @oseathepebble’s Tsukiko in the idol AU and usally hangout away from cameras

Kei’s fandom called themselves “Scenes” before Kei could come up with an official name. She thought the name was cute and decided to make it official when she decided to post on Magicgram on stage with a crowd behind her the caption is “scoping out the scene!” (@twst-vampire came up with the suggestion)

Kei’s favorite song is Love Space by Tatsuro Yamashita, and often finds herself listening to it from time to time in order to help her insomnia and just help herself settle down when work gets too stressful.

Reblogs > Likes

#twisted wonderland #twst oc #oc #twisted oc #twst #my artwork #twst idol au #idol!kei #idol au #kei yoshihiko #KEISHI #THIS TOOK FOREVER NGL😭

[noanunoparty]

15/02/23 ~ NTS Radio - Yukihiro Takahashi Special

Presenting to you, the music of the late Yukihiro Takahashi - a leading figure in Japan’s music scene for nearly 50 years and a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. 

As a drummer and a vocalist who embraced music technology, he had a wide artistic range - from city pop and arty new wave to acoustic folk-rock, in addition to producing material for several pop acts and composing film and video game soundtracks.

Born in 1952 in Tokyo, he began his music career early, playing drums with college bands while still in junior high school and starting as a session musician at 16. He studied design at an Art University in Tokyo, without graduating. Like many of his peers, his artistic output had no limits - he developed his own clothing line in the 70s (Bricks), often designing the outfits worn by Yellow Magic Orchestra. He also took the role of actor in several films - mostly comedic roles (he seemed to have a good sense of humour!) & some of which, he produced soundtracks for. 

Takahashi loved to collaborate, forming bands on the fly and bringing in friends to play on individual tracks.

So -  I hope you enjoy this chronological deep dive into Yukihiro Takahashi’s musical catalogue as I pay tribute to his iconic and influential life. I’ve listened most of his 43 albums and have done my best to condense them into 2 hours! Let’s go!

1992 - Expected Ocean Umi Sora Sango no Iitsutae Soundtrack

Movie soundtrack by Takahashi acting as a bed for the show’s intro. 

2. 1975 - Sadistic Mika Band -  Time To Noodle - Hot! Music

Sadistic Mika Band were formed in 1972 - the founding member, Kazuhiko Katō moved to Kensington in 72 and was impressed by the upcoming glam rock scene led by T.Rex and David Bowie - so he formed the band in Japan, including his wife Mika and Takahashi on drums. The name is a parody of the 60s band, Plastic Ono Band.

The band were popular in the UK, touring with Roxy Music in ‘75 - the first ever UK tour by a Japanese band. During this period, they performed on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test. When they appeared,  the name of the programme (usually shown hung from the back wall) was spelt as The Old Gley Whistle Test as a nod to the Japanese pronunciation of the letters L and R.

Sadistic Mika Band’s albums were released on Doughnut Records - Japan’s first private label that was founded by Katō. 

Around the time of Hot Music’s release, members of Yellow Magic Orchestra started working together on solo projects and as a part of each others bands. 

3. 1978 - Sadistics - Nao - We Are Just Taking Off 

Katō and Mika divorced and left the band. The remaining members, Takahashi, Takanaka, Imai, and Gotō continued for several years as The Sadistics. They released two albums and two live albums before the band eventually petered out in ’79 as the members became busy with their solo careers & other projects. 

4. 1978 - Present - Sarravah! 

This was Takahashi’s first solo album, created whilst on tenure from The Sadistics. It was produced by Sakamoto - he also features on keys. Plus Hosono on bass, with Tatsuro Yamashita, Minako Yoshida & Rajie on backing vocals. 

Named after Pierre Barouh’s record label of the same name, Takahasi based the album on French pop music - this influence would later show up in early YMO material. 

Sarravah! Was released the same year that YMO fully formed, recorded & released first album. 

5. 1980 - Numbers From A Calculated Conversation - Murdered by the Music 

Second studio album & his first release whilst he was a member of YMO. Murdered by the Music did pretty well in the Japanese charts, reaching #12. 

Features contributions from Sakamoto, Hosono & Sandii. 

6. 1981 - Extra Ordinary - Neuromantic 

This is my favourite album from Takahashi’s collection - synth-pop goodness and his vocals are perfection! 

Neuromantic was self-produced, again with contributions from Sakamoto and Hosono + Tony Mansfield and members of Roxy Music. 

The name, Neuromantic, is a pun on the early 1980s British fashion movement, the New Romantics.

7. 1981 - Drip Dry Eyes - Neuromantic

Another classic from Neuromantic. My favourite song of his, probably yours too. Was also covered by Sandii. & the video! Ah! 

8. 1981 - The Beatniks-  No Way Out - Exitentialism

Formed by Takahashi & Keiichi Suzuki in 1981. More of an Alt-rock tinge. They released several albums, including soundtracks for Yohji Yamamoto’s catwalk shows. 

Their first album in 7 years was released in 2018. That same year, they performed live in several concerts, despite Takahashi’s recent eye surgery. 

9. 1982 - Flashback - What Me, Worry? 

Fourth solo album. More features from Sakamoto & Hososno +  Zaine Griff, Tony Mansfield, and Bill Nelson.

Takahashi’s first release on YEN Records - An imprint of Alfa Records that ran from 1982 to 1985 fronted by Hosono and Takahashi, releasing music from Sandii, Hajime Tachibana, Miharu Koshi & more. They also produced most of the albums.

10. 1983 - Kagero (Live Version from Time & Place) - Tomorrow’s Just Another Day 

This album reached 11 in the music charts - the highest ranking for Takahashi’s solo work! Tomorrow’s Just Another Day really emphasises Takahashi as a singer. 

This version, taken from Time & Place was recorded live at Shibuya Kokaido in Tokyo, Aug. 1983. 

+ peep the cute cover! 

11. 1983 - And I Believe In You - Are You Receiving Me? 

Had to include this one as it’s another favourite. Released as the B Side to the single, Are you Receiving Me? This is classic Takahashi synth-pop goodness <3 

12. 1984 - Walking to the Beat - Wild and Moody 

Sixth and last solo album on his YEN label. 

Wild and Moody is quite mellow. He sings mostly in English, hoping to pursue more of a global audience. The lyrics for Track 2 were written by Steve Jansen who was a close collaborator of Takahashi and Jansen considered him as a mentor. 

13. 1985 - Instrumental - Poisson d'Avril

Soundtrack from the comedy film "Poisson D'avril" (April's Fool in French), released in 1986. Takahashi plays the lead role! 

14. 1985 - I Saw The Light - Once A Fool 

Another fav and it’s a Todd Rundgren cover. It’s just perfect pop. 

Once A Fool was the first album from the T.E.N.T. label that was started by Takahashi and Keiichi Suzuki (of the Beatniks). With Sakamoto on keys and synths, Hosono on bass & synths & Hiroshi Sato on the organ. + backing vocals from Miharu Koshi! 

15. 1986 - Moonlight Feels Right - Only When I Laugh

Second release on T.E.N.T. Only When I Laugh feels quite fresh with more of an acoustic tinge to it. 

16. 1987 - Parfum De L'Aube - La Pensee

Music for Yohji Yamamoto’s S/S ‘87 + A/W ‘87 - ‘88 collection, shown in Paris. 

Takahashi & Yamamoto often collaborated, and YMO often wore Yamamoto’s designs on tour. In 1991 Takahashi & Hosono walked the runway for Yamamoto and Comme des Garçons legendary collection “6.1 the men” 

17. 1987 - Main Theme - Ginga No Sannin OST

Takahashi composed a lot of music for video games, and his work in YMO had a major influence on early video game music.

18. 1988 - Sea Change - Ego 

Features some of his bolder synth arrangements and arena-ready tracks, with contributions from Sakamoto. 

19. 1992 - mis - Life Time Happy Time 

Another classic pop album from Takahashi - this one flew under the radar a bit and doesn’t stand out from his collection as much as others. 

20. 1995 - Fate of Gold - Fate of Gold 

Takahashi wanted to collaborate with a wide variety of artists of all different ages, “with the attitude of: "I'll let you mature when you're mature” “ Featuring Skapara, KYON, Rei Ohara, ICE's MAYUMI and Takenaka Naoto. 

21. 1997 - Pulse - The Choice - Pulse

In September 1997 Steve Jansen and Takahashi formed UK based, Pulse and completed a 6 track album in Tokyo and London under the same name. Released on Yukihiro's own label, Consipio Records. 

A very experimental, more “contemporary” album! The Choice features vocals from Indian classical singer Sonia Mehta. 

22. 1999 - For Men - The Dearest Fool 

Takahashi returns to the 80s techno-pop sound! + another collaboration with Steve Jansen. 

23. 2002 - Sketch Show - Gokigen Ikaga 1 2 3 - Audio Sponge

After YMO decided to “spread out” (they didn’t want to say “split-up”), Takahashi and Hosono formed Sketch Show. Sketch Show had ore of an electronica output as opposed to pop. 

Sakamoto often joined Sketch Show performances and recording sessions. He later proposed they rename the group Human Audio Sponge (or HAS) when he participates.

Sketch Show played live shows at Japanese raves and a headline slot at the 2003 edition of SONAR in Barcelona. 

24. 2008 - Pupa - Jargon - What’s Pupa - Floating Pupa

Takhashi put together Pupa in 2007 - formed of Tomoyo Harada, Hiroshi Takada, Ren Takada, Hirohisa Horie, and Tomohiko Gondo. The band name Pupa is a term from fly-fishing, a sport that Takahashi loves.

25. 2013 - Shadow - Life Anew 

Aged 61 - Takahashi goes back to basics yet you can tell he’s feeling musically inspired with Life Anew, which sounds more like a rock band than anything else he’s put out before. 

Features contributions from former Smashing Pumpkins member,  James Iha.

26. 2014 - Yukihiro Takahashi & Metafive - Drip Dry Eyes (Live) - Techno Recital 

Takahashi originally assembled Keigo Oyamada, Yoshinori Sunahara, Towa Tei, Tomohiko Gondo, and Leo Imai to serve as the backing band (billed as Yukihiro Takahashi & Metafive) on his 2014 tour - this version of Drip Dry Eyes was taken from the Roppongi Theatre show, for which they were billed as Yukihiro Takahashi & Metafive. In 2015, the band changed their name to Metafive.

They disbanded after the release of their last album, METAATEM in 2021, after the release was originally cancelled due to controversy from Oyamama’s past history of bullying. 

The line-up of Imai, Sunahara, Nagai and Shirane changed their name to TESTSET and released their debut EP in 2022. 

27. 1998  - Stay Close (Live) - Once A Fool 

We end on another favourite - a joyous live version from 1998 of Stay Close. - another collaboration with Steve Jansen. 

Thank you Yuki-san for everything you’ve given the world - your legacy will live on forever <3 

#NTS Radio #Yukihiro Takahashi

[2015mai24]

Solo Tatsuro's 3. Single!

3rdシングル 「ソラノカタチ/„Sora no Katachi“」

vö 6.12.2023

#tatsuro #solo #new single

[putschki1969]

2023/04/15 Blog post by Wakana そのさきへの中身を大公開！〜想像してみてください〜 

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

The Contents For “Sono Saki he” Have Been Revealed ！〜Please Try To Envision It〜

Yesterday, I went to see 【Billboard Live presents Piano Duo Session#2 Ayaka Hirahara×Satoshi Takebe ～ Ayaka Hirahara 20th Anniversary Special ～】 at Billboard Live Tokyo! ! \(^o^)/ Takebe-san and Aya-san's doing a live together😳✨ It was amazing…!!😭😭 I was crying the whole time (T-T) When you combine Takebe-san's amazing ability to play any song beautifully on a piano and Aya-san's gorgeous, versatile singing voice from another dimension, it is an experience that’s truly out of this world😭✨ They are celebrating their 45th and 20th anniversary respectively❗️ Amazing...😳 The 70 minutes flew by and I had such a great time☺️♡

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

Billboard Live are more relaxing than normal concerts, they make you love music even more♪ By the way, the other day, we announced the song titles for my 3rd original album "Sono Saki he" which will be released on May 31st😊There is still time until the release so we didn’t want to reveal more than the titles of all the songs, I am sure everyone is working hard to imagine what the songs could sound like based on their titles🤣🤣 Anyway, please be patient a little while longer and just stare at the titles! 😂

◆Tracks included in my 3rd Original Album "Sono Saki he"◆

M1. Butterfly Dream Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Yuki Kishida M2. Rapa Nui Lyrics: Yo Hitoto, Composition: Tatsuro Mashiko, Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe M3. 標(Shirushi) Lyrics/Composition: Yoshiko Hanzaki Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe M4. 希望(Kibou) Lyrics: Yuho Iwasato Composition: Takatsugu Muramatsu Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M5. 殻(Kara) Lyrics: Goro Matsui Composition: Satoshi Takebe Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M6. そのさきへ～(Sono Saki he) ~Interlude~ Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto、Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe 　 M7. KEMONO feat. Shin'ya Kiyozuka Lyrics: Yoshitani Kuji, Wakana Composition: Shin'ya Kiyozuka Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M8. 明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau) Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe 　 M9. Flag Lyrics/Composition: BOI　Arrangement: Ryuichi Takagi M10. そのさきへ(Sono Saki he) Lyrics: Wakana Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto Arrangement: Yuki Kishida 　 M11. あとひとつ(Ato Hitotsu) Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe

For the first time, the album was produced entirely by Satoshi Takebe-san. I've been working together with Takebe-san for almost 5 years now but I still get nervous 😳 I'm sure he himself would be surprised and just ask "why!?" but there is just that special [Takebe Aura] around him. It’s just so unique😂

During the production period I was able to meet Takebe-san a lot, I got to see how his work progressed at a tremendous speed, and I learned a lot. There were a lot of different composers and artists involved, some I had never collaborated with before, others I had the pleasure of working with before. Regarding some of the songs, we have 「明日を夢見て歌う」 which Takebe-san composed for my Billboard Live two years ago and I wrote the lyrics for. Then there is 「Flag」, a song for the mobile game Memento Mori's and dedicated to the character "Florence". Yoshiko Hanzaki-san wrote 「標」  for me, it contains all of my feelings for my father. And finally we have 「あとひとつ」 included on a CD, it’s a song that Takebe-san wrote for me at the very beginning of my solo career and I've been singing it for a very long time...

I think I've already told everyone about these songs😊 There are still many other things I want to share with you about the other songs but for the time being please just try to enjoy looking at the full tracklist *laughs* I would like to continue revealing small details little by little as we get closer to the release date! 😘

On a side note, we have decided to hold a live to celebrate the release of the album! \\\\٩( 'ω' )و //// I'm looking forward to it 🥺💕 『Wakana Billboard Live 2023 ～そのさきへ～』 7/6 Billboard Live Yokohama 7/20 Billboard Live Osaka

And tomorrow is my first online sign event for those who pre-ordered the album!😊 You can watch the broadcast on Victor YouTube channel! The video will be archive until April 23rd! Please check it out〜＼(^o^)／

That's it for today! Until next time ☆( *'▽'*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

#kalafina #wakana #wakana blog #fan club exclusive content #botanical land #Satoshi Takebe works harder than anyone else #he's literally everywhere #love ayaka hirahara

[superchat]

hi! the link to the video where the piano solo is from doesn't work anymore, and i was wondering, could you tell me the song title, or artist or what have you? i like it a lot and would like to listen to it more :) also mer chrmus

oh! yeah sorry, for some reason the songs constantly getting removed and reuploaded by someone else, theres some dmca bs going on with it

its "love space" by tatsuro yamashita. hes an absolute legend and this specific performance of this song is my favorite. this piano solo is done by sakamoto ryuichi and this is the only time he performed this song with yamashita as far as i know. his solo is incredible though, its incredibly similar to richard tee (i recommend checking out Strokin' by Richard Tee, also Tee Time by Vulfpeck, which is an homage to richard tee). the left and right hand are constantly swapping between whats playing on and off the beat,

anyways heres links to all those

#woody goss did a tutorial on how that style is done too #very fun to watch #anon #asks

[my-name-is-jely-anne]

This is my extremely musically informed MUCC album review, I know a lot about music and I’m very smart (I don’t know anything about music and I’m very dumb)

1. 星に願いを- I spent a lot of time roasting this album before it was released bc Tatsuro said there would be rap and I was like THATS GONNA BE BAD but actually I love the rap in this track and the riff is cool. 8/10

2. 懺把乱- I liked this Miya is playing those guitar riffs so handsomely I like the deedley guitar sounds 8/10

3. Goner- it’s fine. What I want to know is why in the goner pv is it that when modern Tatsuro puts on the angura makeup does it look so terrible like don’t they have makeup money? Hasn’t makeup technology evolved in 20 years? Why isn’t anyone at the label asking these questions??? 5/10

4. パーフェクトサークル- This reminds me of iris or sandman but with more visual kei sounds, like that 2003 VK noise where the vocalist sounds like he’s choking out his last dying gurgles anyway imagining Tatsuro working really hard to make those noises makes me laugh because I picture him rolling around on top of piano like a cat that’s high on catnip and I like the piano and guitar playing the same riff 9/10

5. Hack- this is just like corny citypop but XYZ was a better version 2/10

6. Need- man I didn’t know the killers were still making music 2/10 (note: a dog barked really loud at me when I was listening to this and it was the most interesting part of the song)

7-未来- hasn’t society evolved past the need for ballads. It’s fine I guess I just hate ballads by any band honestly they did a good job the guitar solo is nice 3/10

8-R&R Darling- it sounds like they’re saying “daddy” instead of darling and when I heard the the beginning I was prepared to pan it but HEY ROCK N ROLL DADDY 10000/10

9-Color there’s a lot to take in here, I like it when Tatsuro is talking and it’s just kinda funky in the background but everything else is so wack 3/10

10-Paralysis I like this a lot it sounds like visual kei and I like the hardcore screamy parts, this is so nice!!!! Awww good job you guys 9/10

11-零- this is also so nice!!! I like the X Japan riff and I hope Miya somehow plays two guitars at once live I believe in you little buddy!!! Big buddy (Tatsuro) sounds really good belting at the end!! (Medium buddy is always perfect and I will never criticize Yukketan) 8/10

12-いきとし I’m gonna be honest I barely paid attention to this because I was so proud of calling them big buddy, medium buddy and little buddy as a joke. It’s fine but boring I like it when he’s yellin 2/10

13- World I’ve never listened to this whole song it’s so boring and I’m not about to now 0/10

[geidaicomposition]

Concert: Research for Electro-Acoustic Music  - REAM - Vol.5

Sunday, March 17, 2024, 18:30 (Pre-registration required. Admission Free on a "first come, first served" basis.)　

Application deadline: 10:00 a.m. March 12 (JST)

Venue: Tokyo University of the Arts, Hall 6

This concert will be streamed live on this site. (further details coming soon.)

LIVE STREAMING

Application (Japanese page)

Application for people in the inside (Japanese page)

- Inquiry (Japanese page) -

 

Program : 

The order is subject to change.

Toshiyuki ORIKASA, New Work (2024) for ensemble

Kenji TANOBE (graduate student), Circus Communis — piano & electronics (2023)

Terumasa SUGIURA (graduate student), Tsuikai Circulation —  shakuhachi & live electronics — (2023)

Ayane NAKASE (graduate student), The Exploding Whale  —   Heckelphone (& Oboe) & electronics (2023)

Performers: 

Kunitaka KOKAJI: conductor

Toshiyuki ORIKASA: dir. of machine operation & electronics in the concert

Takuto NAGAHORI: piano (solo)

Saori YASHIRO: shakuhachi (solo)

Gentaro SAKAI: heckelphone, oboe (solo)

Kenji TANOBE: electronics

Terumasa SUGIURA: electronics

Ayane NAKASE: electronics

Ensemble REAM

Violins: Kotoha KITAGAWA Violoncellos: Rei TAKATSUKI Flute: Yuri KAMAKURA Oboe: Gentaro SAKAIClarinet: Miu IGARASHI Harps: Moemi KOKADO

staff members: ◆concert management   Tatsuro NAKAJIMA (Adjunct Education and Research Assistant of the computer lab of Dept. of Composition)   ¥Yuka IMOSE, Natsuka KOJIMA (Adjunct Education and Research Assistants of Dept. of Composition)   Daiko Fujikawa (Lecturer, Dept. of Composition) ◆concert staff   Makoto OHATA, Michiru NAKAMURA   Yuto KOIZUMI, Rika HAYASHI   Satori HIRONIWA, Akane MAEDA, Yui AMANO (Master's students)   Koki Washiyama (UG student)

#2023english #concertenglish #upcomingenglish

[footrocket-blog]

Too Many Harmonies? Never! When I first heard the song "I Only Have Eyes For You", by The Flamingoes, it captivated my attention with its unique melodies and rhythms. Recently, as a music artist myself, I've been enjoying covering some special songs from all different genres. The things that inspire me. And this song is no exception. Having grown up in a household of many different music tastes and preferences, I developed habit of listening to music the way I wanted to hear it. I had no idea at the time, but this habit I would later attribute as a skill when it came to sample chopping and composing music of my own. I hear it the way I want it to sound. That's the best way I can describe what I'm talking about. This is why I don't feel like a fraud when I say, like many people do, that "I love all kinds of music". I mean it. Jazz, Disco, Rock, City Pop, Bossa Nova, House, and Country (yes even Country), are all genres that I've spent extensive time listening to in the car of my own volition. I do apologize to any other genres that I left off the list. You are seen and heard, and I appreciate you all lol. I trust my point was made. When I set out to make my version of this amazing song; I had only to think, "what would this sound like if FootRocket did it"? Having considered many other covers of this song that have come before, including an extremely inspirational one by Tatsuro Yamashita (good luck finding it), I then began the task of recording each vocal part one by one. I say one by one because as a largely solo act, it's easy to just keep going with harmony ideas as none of the parts would be there if I didn't sing them, so what's the trouble of recording one more after already doing 7? It's not like I'm working with a quartet of singers like a traditional group. 34... By the time I finished the mix, I was looking at 34 different layers of vocals that I had recorded for this song. This is why I claim this release of mine to be the most ambitious vocal work that I have ever made to date, but it certainly won't be the last. Thanks a million to all of you who've streamed it already and for the many kind words. I have plans to sing much more in the future.

#music #beats #housemusic #producer #dancemusic #FootRocket #I Only Have Eyes For You #Mixing #Mastering #Spotify

[365albums]

#12

artist: Taeko Onuki

album: SUNSHOWER

year: 1977 (recorded May-June, released July)

personnel:

Taeko Onuki - vocals, backing vocals, co-producer

Seiji Kuniyoshi and Akira Ikuta - producers 

Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yuh Imai - keyboards

Kazumi Watanabe, Kenji Ohmura, Tsunehide Matsuki, Kohichi Hara – guitar

Haruomi Hosono and Tsugutoshi Goto – bass

Christopher Parker and Nov Saitoh – drums and percussion

Shigeharu Mukai and Yasuaki Shimizu – trombone and saxophone (respectively) 

Tatsuro Yamashita – background vocal 

Released on the label PANAM

thoughts:

I’m currently on the second listen and am definitely enjoying it more- it’s the kind of album where it’s much better when you’re in the right headspace for it, which I think applies to a lot of city pop. Also, her voice took a little bit of time to get used to (at least for me) 

I love how much space it gives the instruments! For example, the instrument break/solo on Nani mo Iranai is so smooth- and very 70s I think. I’m really appreciating those instruments on the second listen.  Onuki’s voice flows with them so well- she’s capable of fitting in and making her voice stand out depending on what she needs

My favorites right now are: Tokai, Furiko no Hagi, and Summer Connection

Summer Connection is such a bright and pretty song, the lyrics fit it perfectly, just overall a really happy start to the album

Kusuri o Takusan is very funky, also liked the lyrics there! reminded me of a mix of Mother’s Little Helper from the Rolling Stones and Dis-ease by BTS :’)

I love how Nani mo Iranai shifts into a pure instrumental ending, it really fits the lyrics of wanting to throw the world away and start fresh

I love !! the arrangement of Tokai, and it lyrically really flows well from the previous song- just focusing now on the apathy/dislike the singer feels toward the city and a desire to be together with someone (maybe to make a real connection that the city otherwise denies them?) compared to the previous song, where it’s a much more isolated feeling

Then shifting into Karappo no Isu, which very clear completes the idea of wanting to escape a place filled with loneliness and melancholy - if only That Person weren’t still there. really love the lyrical movement in those three songs

I can’t find reliable lyrics for Law of Nature, it’s not my favorite on the album but not bad by any means

Dare no Tame ni.... man!! I love the song a lot now that I’ve read the lyrics. I don’t know any other songs off the top of my head with this kidn of message. 

Silent Screamer is in the same tier as Law of Nature for me, the lyrics are fun but that’s about it

Sargasso Sea is a very very cool song, I love the imagery and atmosphere it creates!!! 

Taeko Onuki’s vocals are so good at working with the lyrics throughout the album, and you really see that with Furiko no Yagi- the push and pull she provides vocally really fit what she’s saying. AND MAN WHEN THE GUITAR COMES IN!!!

#a lot of the instrumentalists here are from the lineup of Yellow Magic Orchestra ! #going to come back to this after my 2nd listen is done and I read the lyrics through for my 3rd listen #today is jan 18 and i'm doing my lyrics listen! #jan 10 was my first listen #also the first time i wasn't super into it but after that first listen everything changed lmao I love it now

[ddumplingsmusic]

December 2020

Finally, the last month of this hellhole that is 2020! i am beyond excited for this year to be over and to post my first monthly playlist. i found a lot of cool bops this month; i think most of the songs in this month’s playlist are ones i discovered within the month, along with some songs i couldn’t get out of my head! 

songs this month: 8

Ladyfingers - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (xxx)

first off, i absolutely adore the trumpet solo; it sounds so smooth and almost refreshing to listen to. it puts my mind and heart at ease. i also love the addition of the vibraphone carrying the piece along. the lack of prominent bass makes this entire ensemble seem so gentle and soft.

it reminds me of a sunday morning when the sun hits your window just right and you’re looking out into a wonderful moment of time where the world is quiet and the scenery is untouched by the hustle bustle of everyday life.

This December - Ricky Montgomery (xxx)

i’m not quite sure what it is about this song that makes my heart feel a feeling that i can’t put into words but it is definitely a good feeling; perhaps melancholic isn’t the exact word but it’s somewhere in the ballpark

gives me the feeling of two lovers going out into town without a care for how the world perceives them. at that point in time, they are only encapsulated by the smiles emulating from each others faces and the unadulterated joy that comes with knowing that as long as they are by each others’ side, life won’t be so bad.

In Your Eyes (with Doja Cat) - The Weekend, Doja Cat (xxx)

the weekend’s original mix is pretty good by itself but my GOD, Doja Cat’s vocals take the song’s vibe to a whole new plane of emotion. i often forget that Doja Cat can sing and her silky light vocals just elevate the lyrics presented in the song. absolutely stunning imo

Daisy 2.0 ft. Hatsune Miku - Ashnikko, Hatsune Miku (xxx)

personally, i feel this was an unexpected collaboration but i don’t think it’s that bad (that might be because i am partial to Vocaloid given my long history with it). overall, it’s a pretty wicked bop and i’d definitely come back to listen to this

Magic Ways - Tatsuro Yamashita (xxx)

i have this hypothesis that i will never find a city pop song that i can’t groove to and this song continues to support my thesis. i always seem to have a city pop song in my monthly rotation every couple months and i guess this month’s hyperfocus was on this song. the chorus is infectious and catchy and i always find myself dancing in the bathroom while brushing my teeth when this song happens to be on

Plastic Hearts - Miley Cyrus (xxx)

lately, i’ve been really into Miley Cyrus’ rock-esque phase which is interesting bc i don’t often find myself dabbling in this side of music. i’m not sure if this song itself is considered rock but i really do enjoy the chorus and the overall vibe of this song, along with some others from Miley’s album of the same name. i remember listening to the song once and after that, i couldn’t get the chorus out of my head (which means i probably enjoyed the song more than i initially thought lmao)

Plastic Love - Mariya Takeuchi (xxx)

The absolute excitement that elicited from my being when i found out that this song was finally on spotify is immeasurable. i absolutely love this song: it’s such a fun city pop bop and i think it’s really timeless, a real good representative of the city pop genre (when you also consider its popularity). every few months i find myself coming back to play this song on repeat and that’s just how i like it

For All You Give - The Paper Kites ft. Lucy Rose (xxx)

i have been a long-time fan of Lucy Rose’s work and i gotta say: this is such a dream to listen to! i love the sparse instrumentation coupled with the vocals, the harmonies are sublime and the vibe is so gentle and intimate. i caught myself wanting to listen to this song during a rainstorm that passed by a couple days ago and i think it’s a perfect song to lsiten to when the sky is gloomy but your heart is warm

#ddumpling's monthly #playlist #music #song recs #music recs

[mitjalovse]

I admire Ryuichi Sakamoto, though I must admit his jobs previous to Yellow Magic Orchestra did not reach the visibility of Hosono and Takahashi. However, he did make a name for himself through his session work for several Japanese musicians, where you can trace the early attempts of his modus operandi. Yes, the records by Tatsuro Yamashita, Shigeru Suzuki, Kazumi Watanabe and Taeko Ohnuki among others contain some of the tricks he would develop later on with the prime Japanese synthpop group and his solo career. Nonetheless, they remain intriguing. I mean, just listen to this tune by Taeko Ohnuki and notice how the sonic palette here resembles Sakamoto's procedures on Sylvian's Brilliant Trees. Moreover, while Sakamoto lacked the prior public profile of his peers in the outfit, he still got the brilliance similar to theirs. No wonder Yellow Magic Orchestra ended up being such a great band, since each member of the collective proved himself already on his own.

#taeko ohnuki #sunshower #sargasso sea #ryuichi sakamoto #haruomi hosono #kazumi watanabe #tatsuro yamashita #yuh imai #akira ikuta #seiji kuniyoshi #70's music #pop music

[noanunoparty]

18/01/23 ~ NTS Radio ~ Ryuichi Sakamoto Special

For the past 2 months I've listened to every album, soundtrack, composition, live recording that Ryuichi Sakamoto has made. There have been a lot of tears. A lot of reflection on life, on mortality, on social harmony and the environment. A loooot of emotions have been felt.

All of this research has solidified my respect for Sakamoto as an artist. A true pioneer. A maestro. Condensing his career into 2 hours has been difficult, but I hope you enjoy the show and my notes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryuichi Sakamoto has released over 20 solo studio albums, 10+ live albums, several compilation albums, over 40 EPs and singles, and about 48 soundtracks.

1978 - Thousand Knives - Plastic Bamboo

Sakamoto’s first solo album, created with the help of Hideki Matsutake who was known as the 4th member of YMO. The album fused electronic music with traditional Japanese sounds whilst incorporating elements of modern classical and reggae. 

On the album cover, from Taeko Onuki “I was told that the jacket he’s wearing was an Armani and chosen by Yukihiro. I had only known Sakamoto in jeans and rubber sandals and he said to me, “What do you think?!

2. 1980 - B-2 Unit - Riot in Lagos 

Sakamoto’s “edgiest” album. B-2 Unit birthed Riot In Lagos which is said to be an early example of electro. Several electro and hip hop artists were influenced by the album, especially Riot In Lagos. 

“Differencia" has, according to Fact, "relentless tumbling beats and a stabbing bass synth that foreshadows jungle by nearly a decade". Some tracks on the album also foreshadow genres such as IDM, broken beat, and industrial techno. For several tracks on the album, Sakamoto worked with Dennis Bovell, incorporating elements of afrobeat and dub. 

Another recommended track: E-3A

3. 1981 - Left-Handed Dream / Hidari Ude No Yume - Kacha Kucha Nee

Sakamoto wanted to record an album rooted in pop and created Left-Handed Dream (or Hidari Ude No Yume), which displays a variety of global influences through the instruments used - marimba, didgeridu, traditional Japanese instruments such as the sho and hichiriki flutes. The album showcased Sakamoto’s ability to seamlessly combine Eastern and Western sounds, strengthened through collaborating with Talking Heads guitarist Adrian Belew & co-producing with Robin Scott. 

Venezia would then become the Left Bank! 

4. 1982 - Bamboo Houses 

Sakamoto continues his long-standing collaboration with David Sylvian of Japan, Sylvian’s first solo project outside of the band. Featuring Steve Jansen on drums. 

5. 1983 - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence Soundtrack - Forbidden Colours

Sakamoto’s first film score, for Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence which he also starred in alongside David Bowie. David Sylvian contributed lyrics and vocals on Forbidden Colours, which became a hit and a vocal version of the main theme, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. The soundtrack won a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music in 1984. 

Another recommended track: Germination

6. 1984 - Ongaku Zukan - Etude

Ongaku Zukan was an experimental album with no deadline - created around Sakamoto’s incredibly busy schedule in 1983, which saw Yellow Magic Orchestra pause their group activities after an intense 8 years of recording and touring. Features from Hosono, Takahashi, Minako Yoshida and Tatsuro Yamashita. 

Sakamoto recalls he got started on the album without having a clear direction for its content: "Making an album without a blueprint...... it's an adventure to see what happens like when you embark on a sea voyage without a compass or chart. If you follow a blueprint, you will be able to record efficiently and in a short period, but I removed all of that and made it that way."

Sakamoto likens this production method to "automatic writing", which is known as one of the methods of surrealism:

"I went into the studio and recorded what came out without any prejudice...... I made it as if in a kind of trance. It could be something classical, it could be pop. Regardless of style and unity, the major premise was to accept everything that was made, so we created a lot of songs."

7. 1985 - Esperanto - A Rain Song 

Sakamoto’s 6th solo album, orginally composed for a performance by New York choreographer Molissa Fenley. An experiment with new sampler technology - apparently Sakamoto needed a huge computer to make this score. 

Another recommended track: A Wongga Dance Song

8. 1986 - Futurista - GT

Futurista (未来派野郎, translates literally as "Futurist Bastard") was created as a response to the Futurist Movement - an artistic and social movement originated in Italy. Mid 80-s avant-garde synthpop perfection! 

Sakamoto samples a lot throughout this album - G.T. samples “Legs” by Art of Noise. 

9. 1986 - Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia - Field Work (ft. Thomas Dolby)

The reissued English titled version of Ongaku Zukan, intended for the international market. It combines about half of the tracks from the 1984 album with newer singles "Steppin' Into Asia" and "Field Work” ft. Thomas Dolby.

10. 1987 - Neo Geo - Risky ft. Iggy Pop

The term "neo geo", or "new world", is derived from Sakamoto himself as a way to describe worldwide musical diversity in regard to genre (similar to world music and world beat). Again, showcasing Sakamoto’s ability to combine Eastern and Western musical styles. 

Bootsy Collins on bass! 

11. 1987 - The Last Emperor Soundtrack - First Coronation 

The soundtrack features 9 pieces composed by Sakamoto, 5 by David Byrne & 1 from Cong Su. The album won Best Original Score at the 1988 Academy Awards.

12. 1989 - Beauty - You Do Me

8th solo studio album, which sees his solo career begin to extend outside of Japan. Beauty is notable for its "collage of styles" that range from rock, techno, and classical to flamenco, African, and Japanese traditional, featuring a long list of collaborators.  

In discussing whether music is narrative and illustrative or an abstract medium, Sakamoto said, "I have visions sometimes when I'm writing contemporary music, even when it's very logical. For example, for one of my songs on the album Beauty, I was always having visions of Amazonian rainforests, a little plane flying very low over the trees. Trees, trees, trees, and some birds. But the title of the song is 'Calling from Tokyo'".

13. 1991 - Heartbeat - Rap to the World

Sequel from Beauty, still collaging sounds from all over the world, this time in an eclectic upbeat fashion. You can hear the dance music influences throughout this album, which is enforced through the credits - notably Towa Tei and Satoshi Tomiie. 

14. 1994 - Sweet Revenge - Same Dream, Same Destination

One of my least favourite Sakamoto albums - the strings are beautiful but a lot of the vocals miss for me. But this song + the cover is iconic! Maybe he was just gearing up for his next album, Smoochy. 

The album title refers to Sakamoto’s wish to bring a sense of melody back to the “rhythm-obsessed pop-world”.

15. 1995 - Smoochy - A Day In The Park

An exploration of the old world meeting the future - Sakamoto combines Latin tinged sounds, jazz and the possibilities of the internet through electronic experimentation with an “listening” approach running throughout Smoochy. 

16. 1996 - 1996 - Bibo no Aozora (Trio World Tour Live recording) 

1996 contains a selection of Sakamoto's most popular compositions plus two new compositions, all arranged for a standard piano trio. The arrangement of "Bibo no Aozora" that appears on this album has appeared in several film and television projects.

A concert, called Ryuichi Sakamoto Trio World Tour, was organised in 1996. This concert was played at 6 venues in Japan, and the Bunkamura Orchard Hall concert was live streamed on August 28, 1996 on the Internet, and was one of the first concerts to be streamed.

17. 1997 - Discord - Salvation 

Sakamoto’s first full length orchestral work, which sees him contrasting modern musical tools with traditional instruments. Amongst procrastination and self-imposed deadlines, Sakamoto wrote the four movements in Discord ("Grief," "Anger," "Prayer," "Salvation") in a month. He finished writing the last notes on the morning of the first rehearsal with the orchestra. 

Salvation features spoken word contributions from Laurie Anderson, DAvid Byrne, Patti Smith and Banana Yoshimoto. 

18. 1998 - BTTB (Back To the Basics) - Energy Flow

Sakamoto was stuck in a traffic jam and melody popped into his head. That melody would then become Opus - the opening track of his solo piano album, BTTB - Back To The Basics. BTTB & Discord see Sakamoto’s departure from his pop-tinged outputs as he returns to the piano. 

19. 2002 - Elephantism - Great Africa 

Elephantism stands out from the rest of Sakamoto’s discography as it’s his first venture into new-age, ambient sounds with elements of African musical styles, featuring field recordings. 

Elephantism is a reflection of Sakamoto’s life ethos, where he strives for world peace. In his search for harmony, he turns to nature - specifically the elephant. “Elephantism is the state of being compassionate, loyal and loving towards family and friends, and being understanding and generous in attitude toward other clans; it means being big and expansive in your outlook on life, not small and mean; it means showing thoughtful consideration, wisdom and dignity when necessary, but in equal measure showing powerful expression and emotion, and being, yes, a little wild and passionate now and then!”

20. 2002 - Works I - CM - Old I (Suntory 1983) 

Compilation of music written for various commercials (called CM in Japan), all works are from 1983 to 1984. Monopoly is a favourite (didn’t have enough time to include it in the show!) 

21. 2004 - Chasm - Ngo/Bitmix

Sakamoto’s 15th solo studio album. Chasm is experimental, combining the paion with ambient and glitch programming. Features contributions from Hosno and Takahasi, under their Sketch Show alias. 

22. 2005 - Insen - Avaol 

Sakamoto and Alva Noto’s second studio album - their collaboration began in 2002. “Both explore the potential for interaction and tension between electronic and acoustic instrumentation”.

23. 2009 - Out of Noise - composition 0919 

Sakamoto was one of a handful of concerned artists who took part in The Cape Farewell Project, where scientists joined with the creative community for a conference in Greenland to address and investigate global warming. During his stay in Greenland, Sakamoto made a number of field recordings that he incorporated into his album Out of Noise; the album is dominated by graceful, minimalist keyboard pieces punctuated by electronic noise, ambient sounds and bits of found voices.

24. 2017 - async - Zure

Sakamoto’s 19th studio album - his first one in 8 years since Out of Noise. It’s also his first full length solo record since recovering from throat cancer in 2015. During this 8 year “break” he felt uninspired with the composition process and focused on scoring films. Despite his recovery, Sakamoto thought that async would be his last album. "That’s why I tried to forget all the rules and forms, anything. I just wanted to put down just what I wanted to hear, just a sound or music, it doesn’t matter. This could be the last time."

He began making async in 2016 and completed it in 8 months. 

Async is unusually textural, featuring both acoustic and electronic elements plus samples recordings readings and field recordings of city streets. Sakamoto’s worries of death seep into the album, which were influenced by his experience with cancer and the many earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan in 2011. “We were warned about how our civilisation is fragile and how the force of nature is great."

25. 2023 - 12 - 20220123

Maybe one of Sakamoto’s most moving albums. 

His breath can heard throughout 12 like a metronome - keeping time, evoking the feeling of a warm embrace and making us are of how fleeting life is. It has a palpable level of intimacy to it, as if you’re in the room with him as he plays the piano. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ending on a few of my favourite Sakamoto quotes:

"I hate to divide the world -- East and West. Where is the edge? My music is much more melting."

"I want to be a citizen of the world. It sounds very hippie, but I like that."

[2015mai24]

Tatsuro's New Single

【限定盤】

CD＋DLカード（DCCA-1103~1104）2,500円（税込）

特殊クリアCD&ジャケット仕様

DLカードは逹瑯描き下ろしイラストステッカー仕様（全3種類）

【通常盤】

CD（DCCA-1105）1,500円（税込）

＜収録曲共通＞

01. 残刻

02. 恋心

＜限定盤DLカード＞

2023年1月8日に開催された1st Anniversary逹瑯ONE-MAN SHOW「Kitchen Guys 1st Kitchen Party」のダイジェスト映像と「残刻」MVオフショット映像を収録予定。

#tatsuro

[joneswilliam72]

A conversation with PREP: The London-based purveyors of City Pop discuss creativity, collaboration and their rising popularity in Asia

PREP is incredibly busy. You may not know it, but the band are coming off of a tour of Asia and the US as they round off a successful year of touring and joint projects. Consisting of four Londoners, there’s not much you can find out about the guys as a collective. Individually, they leave a long trail of incredible credits behind them. While Llywelyn Ap Myrddin, Guillaume Jambel, Dan Radclyffe and Tom Havelock head back into the studio to work on the follow-up to their 2018 EP Line By Line, we managed to grab a little time to chat.

Lead singer Tom tells me that despite their individual careers as a house DJ, a hip hop producer, a classical composer/electronic producer and a songwriter, they all share a love for Steely Dan. This naturally led to the birth of PREP. For those not in the know, the group describe themselves as “City Pop - but made now, in London.” One of their latest releases, Don’t Look Back, includes the surprising feature of Shownu from Kpop boyband Monsta X and So! Yoon! Of Korean rock band Se So Neon.

-----------

Hey PREP! How’s it going? One of your latest releases is ‘Don’t Look Back’; what’s your creation process normally like?

We’re good thanks!

The way we tend to work is that the others make instrumental tracks - pretty much complete songs, but with no singing. Then I listen to them and write over the top.

I was at Dan’s studio over the summer and when he played me the ‘Don’t Look Back’ demo, the atmosphere was so strong it took me straight away into what the song should be. Sometimes there can be quite a long process of feeling around until you find the right line or phrase to hook the song on, but this one was there before I’d finished listening to that first run.

How did So! Yoon! and Shownu fit into the picture?

We met So! YoON! at our first ever show in Seoul. We went out afterwards, she played us some of her music, and we were blown away by her playing. She’s got such an incredible touch on the guitar and her solo brings this whole extra dimension to the track.




And Shownu - we know someone who knows him, and she’d told us he was a big PREP fan. We were invited to his show with Monsta X in London earlier this year, and we went to meet him beforehand and people were saying half-jokingly “you guys should do a track together.” Then we heard him sing ‘Versace on the Floor’ on stage and he was doing this really great soft RnB thing with his voice, and in the next few days the chat about a feature started to get a bit more serious, some emails went back and forth, he had a couple of hours free in his crazy schedule, and then a week or two later we suddenly had this verse from him for ‘Don’t Look Back’. Which sounds sick.

How was the Monsta X show?

It was amazing. Completely unlike any other show I’ve been to. The room was just buzzing. They started with two or three songs, incredibly high energy big pop productions, and then they suddenly switch into this relaxed chat with the audience, joking around with each other, and it goes on for about 20 minutes before the music comes back and they suddenly snap back into the tight choreographed moves and you feel like you’re watching a $100,000 music video. Plus, there are these whole sections where you’re looking at segments from one their TV shows on the big screens at the back where they’re cooking some soup in their flat, then they’re suddenly back on stage in different costumes tearing it up again. It was pretty incredible. And they have an unbelievably close relationship with their fans. A lot of love in that room.

I know you’ve also worked with DEAN. Could you tell us more?

We’ve worked with DEAN, yes, and we’re massive fans. He was a big part of us starting to get noticed in Asia. There was a crew of DJs in Seoul who we knew were into our first single, ‘Cheapest Flight’ - someone spotted this footage of them playing it at a huge festival in Seoul and the whole crowd was singing along with their phones in the air. We couldn’t believe it. Then DEAN posted about us a couple of times and we really started to see things take off.

What do you think of your growth in Asia?

I think even the first time we went over to Asia, it was a bit of a mystery to us how all this was happening - incredibly exciting, but a mystery. Then we started to get a better feel for a lot of the music that’s big over there, this very smooth sound a lot of it has, and particularly this real love for old school City Pop, which I think people were associating us with, and it began to make more sense.

Any other future collabs in the pipeline? You collab with a big mix of artists. We all know that Snakehips ‘All My Friends’ remix.

Yeah, that remix was a big one for us. We’ll do more of those, I’m sure, but the way we approach it - using lots of real instruments, proper horn arrangements and all that - takes a lot of time, so the supply has to be pretty limited. 



We’re always up for collaborating with artists we like. I think that’s a big part of the kind of music we make, coming out of that world of LA session players in the late 70s / early 80s who were always jumping on each other’s records.




We’ve got a couple of other features on this EP, both sick guitarists - Cory Wong from Vulfpeck, who’s a ridiculously good player, and Paul Jackson Jr, a real legend who played on Beat It and a lot of other Michael Jackson records.

Any ideal artists you want to work with both in Kpop and out of it?



We were actually talking about this last night. I mean, there are so many. From back in the day we’d jump at the chance to work with someone like Tatsuro Yamashita. And from people who’ve come through more recently, I’d love to hear Tyler, the Creator do something on a PREP record. Or Crush. He’d be great.

And as a final word, any songs from your discography you want to recommend as an intro to people who might not know you?



I’d start with ‘Who’s Got You Singing Again’, followed by ‘Cheapest Flight’. If you’re into the Korean angle, ‘Don’t Look Back’ is the one. Then hopefully you’ll be drawn in, and up for the deeper cuts like ‘Futures’.

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Take a listen to ‘Don’t Look Back’ below and make sure to give their other singles a listen. PREP have been incredibly open with us and their city pop inspired singles are ones to check out.

from The 405 http://bit.ly/2RokoOV