Yearly Archives: 2004

Tommy February6 releases 2nd album in March

Source: Bounce.com

Tommy February6 releases her second album on March 17. The album is expected to contain 13 tracks, including the pre-release singles “je’taime*je’taime”, “I still love you boy” and “MaGic in youR Eye”. A DVD of video clips accompanies the first-run limited edition pressing. A vinyl version of the album hits stores on March 31.

Background music

“Background music” isn’t usually meant as a compliment.

Here at Musicwhore.org, any album that can be considered “background music” goes through the Music for Airports litmus test — if it sounds good when you’re actively ignoring it, it passes the test.

A number of albums have been subjected to this test, ranging from Radiohead’s Kid A(!) to Tift Merritt’s Bramble Rose(?).

So, too, must Kazafumi Kodama’s U.S. debut, Stars, be subjected to this test. (The album was originally released in Japan in 2000.)

It’s pretty obvious from the first few listens that Kazafumi’s non-descript but still intricate instrumentals may not fare well upon close scrutiny.

In fact, there are all sorts of devils in the details that may leave choosier listeners choosing to switch the CD. I don’t know if Kazafumi realizes, but some synthesizers out there actually do a good job of sampling strings.

When played in the background with few other distractions, Stars reveals its beauty.

Although categorized as dub, the album feels closer to electronica. The only human instrument on the entire recording is Kazafumi’s distant trumpet (and UA’s resonant voice on one track.)

In fact, Kazafumi weaves himself into the texture of his music — don’t mistake Stars for jazz; Kazafumi isn’t the showcase.

And here’s where it’s best to relegate this album to the background — listen too closely, and the humanity of Kazafumi’s trumpet feels at odds with the heavy hand of his synthetic orchestra.

The homogenous nature of the album doesn’t particularly lend itself to citing any stand out tracks. “Gekkoo Waltz” is distinctive primarily because UA sings on it.

Stars is a fine album, but in terms of passing the Music for Airports test, it does too good a job.

UA releases new album in March

Source: Bounce.com

In addition to two other albums being released this spring, UA is set to release her latest work titled Sun on March 24. The album contains a version of her single “Lightning”, which was used in a Subaru commercial. UA also recorded with the band AlayaVijana, whose self-titled debut hits stores on Feb. 4. The artist is also releasing an album of her performances on the NHK children’s show Do Re Mi on Feb. 18.

Spitz releases ‘amateur period’ album in March

Source: Bounce.com

Spitz’s forthcoming album Iroirogoromo isn’t exactly “new”. The March 17 release includes a new single (“Stargazer”), some old hits (“Yumeoimushi”, “Memories”), some b-sides and an unreleased track (“Boku wa Jet”). All of the songs on the 14-track album focus on work recorded since 1999 and represent what the band calls its “amateur period”. Two of the tracks have been remixed, and the band hints the album may include some demos.

Heavy special

Did you know? The origins of dub can be traced to the 7-inch single.

Reggae artists would record a song for side A, then record an instrumental version for side B. The side B “dub” versions often employed psychedelic recording techniques. Eventually, this tricked-out form of reggae branched out on its own.

And here I was about to rag on Dry & Heavy for filling its 2000 album Full Contact with a lot of repeated tracks.

In fact, the dub versions of three tracks — “Dawn is Breaking”, “Love Explosion” and “Less Is More” — follow directly after the songs themselves. None of this stashing-remixes-at-the-end-of-track-listing business.

It also demonstrates just how closely Dry & Heavy relates to its roots — this band is serious about its reggae tradition.

Dry & Heavy would eventually record a more ambitious album with 2002’s From Creation, but on Full Contact, the Audio Active side project already had a full sense of what it could accomplish.

And its foremost strength is songwriting. The first few tracks of the album could have been rock, R&B, polka — it doesn’t matter.

“Dawn Is Breaking” has a melody well suited for Likkle Mai’s singular voice. The opening hook on “Knife” is unforgettable, while “Rumble” is just plain infectous.

But oddly enough, Dry & Heavy’s emulation of its influences made it distinct. This band doesn’t dilute reggae by mixing it up with other genres — it sticks to the low, low bass, the cracking drums, the cavernous reverb.

Although singers Mai and Inoue Ao leave a significant stamp on the album, the real star is producer Uchida Naoyuki.

Uchida plays the studio console as expertly as any member of the band plays an instrument. Instruments weave in and out on each track, echoing and thundering at precise moments.

In live shows, Dry & Heavy counts on the virtuosity of its instrumentalists. In the studio, it’s Uchida who creates the palette and paints with it.

Take “The Smoker’s Cough” — as an instrumental, it’s all right, but the real treat is how Uchida controls the elements of the track.

Full Contact is a good album on the strength of its writing alone, but the passioned performances and beautiful production bolsters it to a superlative status.

Ozaki Yutaka tribute features Utada Hikaru, Cocco

Source: Bounce.com

Thirteen years after the death of singer Ozaki Yutaka, a tribute album featuring his music sees a March 24 release. The two-disc set includes an impressive list of guests. Among the participants (with track contributions in parentheses) include 175R (“Juu-Nana-Sai no Chizu”), Utada Hikaru (“I Love You”), Okamura Yasuyuki (“Taiyoo no Hahen”), Cocco (“Dance Hall”), Mr.Children (“Boka ga Boku de Aru Tame ni”), plus other tracks by Saitoo Kazuyoshi and Makihara Noriyuki. The tribute also includes a cover of “Juu-Go no Yoru” by Crouching Boys, a band featuring Ozaki’s son Hiro Ozaki.

m-flo teams up with BoA on new single

Souce: Bounce.com

m-flo announced its next collaborative single will feature Korean singer BoA. Details of the release have not yet been determined, but March 17 has been set as the release date. Continuing in the pattern of previous releases, the single will be billed under the name “m-flo Loves BoA”, and in return, Verbal makes an appearance on “Someday One Day”, a track off of the singer’s latest single, “Love and Honesty”.

Getting better all the time

Although heralded at the time as a sign of a band coming into its own, Dry & Heavy’s 2000 album Full Contact was still considered the work of a spin-off group.

Likkle Mai and Inoue Ao occupied the album with their sizable, magnetic voices, but they weren’t even credited as full-time members of the band.

In 2002, Dry & Heavy released From Creation and with it, announced to the world the side project was an entity of its own.

First and foremost was the emphasis on songs. Previous Dry & Heavy albums consisted of a few songs with dub versions following straight after. From Creation, however, contains 11 tracks of original material (plus one cover).

The group has grown from a two-member unit to a seven-piece ensemble, with Mai and Inoue taking their rightful places front and center.

If a band can become more of itself as time progresses, From Creation finds Dry & Heavy edging closer to its ultimate.

After the rousing, instrumental opening of “Reverse Again”, Mai dominates the first half of the album. Her voice soars toward the end of “New Creation”, and it’s tough to resist her imperative to “Show a Fine Smile”.

When Dry & Heavy venture into its trademark dub, studio wizard Uchida Naoyuki flexes his muscle. “Strictly Baby” and “Kombu” shows the resident producer crafting some engaging psychedelic timbres.

Uchida and Inoue reach the crux of their abilities on a cover of the Doors’ “Riders on the Storm”. Inoue does nothing to evoke the ghost of Jim Morrison, making the song entirely his own.

And while reggae arrangements of hit songs are often risky propositions, Uchida highlights dub’s roots in psychedelia with his reverb-drenched production. It’s respectful while singular.

When Mai and Inoue get out of the way, the rest of the band can solo like nobody’s business. Guitarist The K gets a workout on “The Dog and Chicken”, while “Reverse Again” features a nice interplay between The K and keyboardist Toike Mitsuhiro.

Reggae music can get mired in its own limitations musically and thematically, but Dry & Heavy’s writing is catchy enough to rise above them. “Bright Shining Star” possesses reggae’s usual optimism, but regardless of its theme, the song has a damn fine melody.

Dry & Heavy deserve its reputation as an internationally reknowned reggae group, but From Creation is an album strong enough to transcend the genre. It’s a good album because it has good songs, and the band’s confidence shows.

Hajime Chitose marries

Source: Bounce.com

Singer Hajime Chitose announced her marriage through a diary she writes for her official web site. Hajime met her husband, a 27-year-old restaurant manager, last year. Hajime also wrote she’s expected to give birth this summer. As such, she is taking a break from her career to spend time with her new family.

Quruli embarks on one-man tour

Source: Bounce.com

Quruli announced the dates of its one-man tour starting in March on its official web site. The “Quruli One Man Tour 2004 — Anshinshiro, Hianna wa Hazushite Aru” begins with a performance in Kyoto on March 30 and ends with a concert at Budokan in June. The 31-date tour is the first Quruli has embarked since recruiting new drummer Christopher Maguire.

Quruli is also tenatively scheduled to perform at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas in March, and the band has booked a TV appearance on the music program Factory.

Quruli’s fifth studio album hits the stores on March 10.