Concert Review: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra “Skanking Tour” in Matsuyama

Posters at Matsuyama's w Studio Red.

(Click here for other posts about Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra)

Entering the venue.

I finally (finally!!!) got the chance to see Japan’s legendary Ska band Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra in Matsuyama, Japan, the last leg of their “Skanking Japan” livehouse tour.

I always prefer to see bands at their “home base” or home country if possible, so I was ecstatic to do so this time. But why Matsuyama? Well...by the time I found out about the tour, all the other locations were sold out! Plus, the date simply worked out better with my schedule. 

TSPO played at Matsuyama’s w Studio RED for two days (6/23 & 6/24); I attended the second show, the last show of the tour. Unfortunately for me, since I bought my ticket from overseas, I had to wait for quite awhile to get in. But the wait wasn’t long, and before I knew it I was inside, waiting for the guys to enter!

Album Review: Chara - Sympathy (2017)

Watabiki Miwa aka Chara
Source: chara-web.net

Watabiki Miwa—much better known as Chara—just celebrated over 25 years as an established artist. I have written extensively about her work here and will continue to chronicle and review her discography in future posts. However, I couldn't resist the opportunity to review her latest album Sympathy, released earlier this week. 

Although Chara will be 50 next year, and has spent almost half her life in the music industry, I believe Sympathy is indelible proof that her sound remains fresh and innovative. Sympathy includes some obvious weak links, but the star tracks shine through and demand several repeats, which makes this bittersweet album a whimsical summer gem. 

Sympathy (2017)
Source: musicman-net.com

While her sound has evolved and gone through many phases of experimentation through the years, one thing I love about Chara is that she's always unmistakably herself and never fails to be daring with her work. Sympathy is clearly a sensual album, a rare theme to spot in the work of a Japanese artist of Chara's generation. 

However, love and sensuality has been a running theme in Chara's work from her flirty, borderline exhibitionist early-90s days to her now more refined sultriness. Occasionally paired with her other common theme of innocences, this album serves romance on a wide, delectable gradient. To use an example from Chara's discography, this album is as if Madrigal (2001) had a baby with Chara's 2010s sound. There is a funky playfulness here that is hard to miss. 

Naturally, perfection is unattainable, so let's start with the weaker tracks in the album.

Album Review: Metafive - EP METAHALF (2016)

Takahashi Yukihiro & Metafive - Source: Natalie.mu

After releasing Meta (2016), which can arguably be deemed the best Japanese alternative/techno album of this year, Metafive have made their rounds this year performing a several Japanese music festivals including Summer Sonic and World Happiness. Behind the scenes, the band was also recording new music, and nearly two weeks ago, they dropped an EP or mini-album—Metahalf.

Metahalf (2016)

Source: hmv.co.jp

If you've heard Metafive—or any of the six member's solo works—it goes without saying that they're a group of highly skilled musicians. Nonetheless, Metahalf just does not deliver in the same way that Meta (2016) did. That's not to say that Metahalf isn't a quality EP, it just lacks some of the magic that it's predecessor had. That being said, Meta (2016) is a rare album in that all tracks contain something special, a feat that's quite difficult and somewhat rare for an artist to produce back-to-back. 

It's usually better to get the bad news out of the way first, so let's start with the last two tracks of Metahalf, the weak links: "Peach Pie" and "Submarine". 

Music Musings: Metafive (2014-Present)

Yukihiro Takahashi (third from left) & Metafive - Source: Natalie.mu

Originally posted on the now-defunct Japanistas.com.

With his penchant for classy hats and Thom Browne suits, friendly grin, and slightly raspy timbre, 64-year-old Yukihiro Takahashi hardly appears to be a techno composer or a drumming powerhouse — but appearances can be deceiving!

Beyond Takahashi’s stylish exterior lies a lifelong musical innovator with an impressive number of successful projects under his belt. An industry pioneer, Takahashi has helped mold electronica, j-pop, synthpop, new wave and even hip hop music as we know it today, and he continues to do so through his super group Metafive: recording artist and producer Keigo Oyamada aka Cornelius; Japanese-Swedish singer/songwriter Leo Imai; electric instrumentalist, Tomohiko Gondo; former Denki Grove member and DJ, Yoshinori Sunahara; and DJ and record producer, Towa Tei.

Takahashi’s formal introduction to the music industry came from his time as the drummer in the Japanese British glam rock-inspired group Sadistic Mika Band, known best for their acclaimed 1974 album Kurofune（黒船）, “Black Ships”.

As the first Japanese band to tour the United Kingdom, the Sadistic Mika Band’s unique sound drew attention, especially regarding their ability to create Western-style music in an undoubtedly Japanese manner. They went on to appear on both BBC Radio and BBC TV.

Nevertheless, The Sadistic Mika Band in its original form disbanded in the mid-70’s, yet there have been a number of revivals of the band under several names over the years, including a 2006 revival with Kaela Kimura in Mika Kato’s place.

After Sadistic Mika Band’s disbandment, Takahashi went on to begin a successful solo career. Simultaneously, he was a member of world-renowned group the Yellow Magic Orchestra along with bassist, producer, and songwriter Haruomi "Harry" Hosono, and composer, pianist, and two-time Golden Globe, Academy, and Grammy award-winner Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The Yellow Magic Orchestra in the early 80’s. – Source: Factmag.com

Created by Hosono, YMO was meant to be a temporary project, but after gaining international recognition, the band played spectacular lives and recorded esteemed albums together for several years.

Black Women Thrive: Interview with English Teacher Ayana Wyse

English teacher Ayana Wyse

Whether you're facing uncertainty or simply a little nervous, sometimes in life you have to just go for it like Ayana Wyse did when she made the decision to move to Osaka, Japan nearly five years ago after she started learning Japanese on her own while still living in Brooklyn, New York.

"I decided to live [in Japan] after months of studying because I wanted to try a new life, learn the language in the country and was inspired by my friend who lived in Japan for a few months."

Actually, before moving to Japan, Wyse had some experience being out of her element and changing her scenery stateside in New York. After growing up in a predominately White area in the county of Westchester, New York, she was happy to move White Plains, the more diverse area of the county. Nonetheless, her Black peers were well aware of her less divergent background. 

"I was excited to...experience a new [high school] with new people and more diversity. When I went there though, many of the Black people teased the way I talked...I still made an effort to befriend mostly Black people so I didn't have to stick out so much any more although now I'm back to being one of the few Black again [in Japan]."

Although Wyse's peers might've felt she was not in touch with Black culture, in reality, Wyse and her older brother—five years her senior—grew up being educated about her Caribbean and by extension African roots as her father is from Grenada.

Like other kids of the 90s, Wyse and her older brother also enjoyed Japanese pop culture in the form of anime. Rouroni Kenshin; Tenchi Muyo; Pokemon; Digimon; and Yu-Gi-Oh! were a few of their favorites.

"My brother was interested in anime first with Dragon Ball and I with Sailor Moon. At the time, I didn't know it was from Japan." 

Later, Wyse began to learn about other aspects of Japanese culture, and became particularly interested in geisha and samurai. Eventually, she studied at two colleges. However, she majored in Communications rather than Japanese. 

"First I went to Seton Hall...[which] had a good track and field team which [I] entered in...I transferred to University of North Carolina in Charlotte after two years for a better track team."

At UNC Charlotte, Wyse majored in Communications since there was no Japanese major. However, she changed her mind about working in media after she graduated. Two years after graduation, she took inspiration from her childhood best friend who worked as an ALT (assistant language teacher) in Japan for six months, and from her brother who was studying Brazilian Portuguese when she began to teach herself Japanese after college.

"It was the year 2010 in January [that] I made a New Year's resolution to study a new language because I saw my brother learn Brazilian Portuguese and I worked at a cafe in NYC where the owners spoke English and Hebrew, and the cooks were Spanish. Everyone being able to speak more than one language made me jealous, so...I tried to fix that by learning Japanese on my own."

Music Musings: Chara (1998-2005)

Strange Fruits (1999)
Source

Music Musings: Chara (1990-1997) can be found here.

7th Album: Strange Fruits ストレンジ・フルーツ (1999)

Produced completely by Chara, Strange Fruits is a noticeable about-face when compared with its predecessor Junior Sweet (1997).  It's a melancholic, moody album. Nevertheless, it is my favorite album of this time period.

"Atashi wa Koko yo (I'm Here)" and "Duca", the two high tempo tracks of the record, are deceivingly positive. Rather than the simple music box pop tune, I feel the creativity behind "Atashi wa Koko yo" lies in the irony of the lyrics against the positive-sounding music; the chorus goes "I am here [for you], I want to cry forever." Chara likens the inability to grab the sun and sky to the unreachability of a lost love.

Like several of Chara's tracks, "Duca" has a kiddish tone. To the beat of fun, bouncy music, a little girl (the role Chara takes for this song) talks about walking with her father, "new" (step?) mother, and pet (dog?) Duca. As most children wonder, the girl contemplates whether the happiness will fade in adulthood while she enjoys ice cream.

Of the remaining slow, somewhat gloomy songs, "70% Yuugure no Uta (70% Evening Song)"; "Hikari to Watashi (The Light and Me)"; and "Oburaato (Oblate)" are the winners. "70% Yuugure no Uta" was one of the first songs of Chara's that I heard years ago, and I still love how relaxing it is, as its title suggests. The image of contemplation under the rain is depressing, but it's a lovely listen.

"Hikari to Watashi" is a gorgeous, touching song that, like most of the songs on this album, relies heavily on Chara's voice, a musical representation of different forms of pain, losing the "magical" spark of life in this case. It's a difficult song to put into words as, more than music, it's lyrical emotion. I highly recommend giving the music video a watch if you can find it.

"Oburaato" is somewhat of an acquired taste for those unacquainted with Chara's occasional extreme vocals. Her voice winds up to a near whine and falls deep, close to her speaking voice, in a short time spans throughout this track with minimal music. The turbinate nature of the song is a beautiful match to the turbulent nature of the love she describes. 

Top picks: It's a beautiful album as a whole.

Chara Live 97-99 Mood
Source

1st Live Album: Live 97-99 Mood ライブ・９７−９９・ムゥド (2000)

With the birth of her son in late 1999, 2000 was a somewhat calm year for Chara, albeit not without releases. 

The tracks on this 2-disc album were taken from two concerts: Chara Junior Sweet Tour (1997) and Chara Concert Tour Duca & the Aurora Band (1998). Although I love all the songs on this one, the Junior Sweet tour was amazing; therefore, I'm quite partial to those songs.

Naturally, the songs take on a different flavor in concert form. Many of my favorites like "Happy Toy"; "Watashi wa Kawaii Hito to Iwaretai (I Wanna Be Called Cute)"; and "Time Machine" got a super soulful facelift.

Top picks: "Happy Toy"; "Watashi wa Kawaii Hito to Iwaretai (I Wanna Be Called Cute)"; "Time Machine"

Music Musings: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (1997-2003)

Moods for Ska ~We Don't Know
What Ska Is!~ (1997)
Source

Music Musings: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (1990-1996) can be found here.

4th Compilation Album: Moods for Ska ~We Don't Know What Ska Is!~ ムース・フォー・トーキョー・スカ 〜ウィ・ドント・ノウ・ワット・スカ・イズ！〜 (1997)

Nope, I did not review TSPO's first three compilation albums as they are rare and quite difficult to locate. I believe this one, although their fourth, is the first worth noting. This album is a hodgepodge of live and studio tracks, and contains many fan favorites like "Pedorazu" and "Monster Rock".

I see this album as a good intro to TSPO; although it's nearly two decades old, many of the songs on this record are played by the band at nearly every concert they play these days, like "Shot in the Dark", "Burning Scale", and "Skadon", all extremely lively songs. 

"Mr. Mystery Shuffle" is my favorite track with vocals on the album. It sticks to the traditional definition of a shuffle beat wise, yet is anything but mundane. Cleanhead Gimura is responsible for the vocals on this one, a posthumous release. If you read part one of this series, you already know I'm a sucker for his unique vocals, and he sounds borderline evil on this song, so it's particularly delicious to my ears! 

Top picks: There's not a track I don't like!

Arkestra (1998)
Source

8th Album: Arkestra アーケストラ(1998)

Arkestra was the first of two albums which included the late Cleanhead Gimura's younger brother Rui Sugimura on vocals. Sugimura was far from his older brother's convenient replacement; his singing and personal style are much different from the elder Sugimura's. Rui Sugimura has a lighter, more pop-oriented voice which also goes well with traditional jazz tunes. Nevertheless, I prefer Cleanhead.

Out of the instrumental tracks, "the PIRATES" is my hands-down favorite. It has a comical, sinisterly nature to it as it sounds like the theme song of a cartoon villain—in a good way, of course. Bassist Tsuyoshi Kawakami is the star on this number. While the bass line is simple, it's harmony with Tatsuyuki Aoki's surgical drumming is extremely catchy and addicting.

The majority of the songs on this record include vocals, a few of which are unfortunately on the generic side. However, Sugimura shines on the last three tracks: "Funade no Machi (Sailing Town)"; "Hikari (Light)"; and "Dear My Sister". The harmonica solo close to the beginning of "Funade no Machi", reminiscent of country music, might initially seem out of place. Nevertheless, one of my favorite aspects of this track is the arrangement; I especially like the radio-like filter over the bridge portions. On the foundation of a simple, slow beat, the musical style of the foreground instruments changes. For instance, when Sugimura sings of a "symphony in the sky" the music turns symphonic.

Generally, "Hikari" is driven by Sugimura's melancholic vocals. It's a slower track about saying goodbye, but I find it more soothing than sad. The music is minimalistic to an extent at the beginning, similar to the sound of midi music files, yet the saxophones pick up toward the end

"Dear My Sister" is a favorite of mine because of the lyrics; there's nothing too remarkable about it musically. It's a fun, inspirational song essentially about leaving loneliness behind, and the upbeat tempo makes it fit nicely on my workout playlist. Sugimura's fast, almost rapping vocals adds to the positive mood the song evokes. 

During the Arkestra tour, drummer Tatsuyuki Aoki died after an apparent suicide and was replaced by Kinichi Motegi. Naturally, this marked a significant change in TSPO's music in the drumming department. Motegi is skilled with amazing singing abilities to boot, but lacks the flair and precision Aoki had in my opinion.

Additionally, this was the first album including guitarist Takashi Kato, who I consider to be more talented than the previous Toru Terashi.

Top picks: "the PIRATES"; "Funade no Machi (Boating Town)"; "Hikari (Light)"; "Dear My Sister"

Music Musings: Chara (1990-1997)

Chara with her children Himi and Sumire
in the background, 2015
(Source)

Music Musings: Chara (1998-2005) can be found here.

My love for songstress and actress Miwa Watabiki—also known as Chara—began when I heard "Yasashii Kimochi" over a decade ago. As I've lightly recapped her history before, there's no need for me to gush too much about her here. 

After her school days, a time when she was a well-known chatterbox or charachara (ちゃらちゃら), Watabiki left for the big city. After working as a rollerskating waitress and backing musician in the 80's, she gave her first solo live performance in 1990 and released her debut album in 1991 as Chara, the shortened form of her old nickname "Charabiki". 

This post chronicles Chara's main releases between her debut and 1997, the undisputed peak of her career in terms of popularity.

1st Album: Sweet スウィート (1991)

Sweet (1991)
Source

Chara's debut album barely sold over 10,000 copies. Nevertheless, I personally consider this album to a be a diamond in the rough and rank it as one of her best. From the beginning of her career, Chara has played a major role in the formation of her songs, especially the lyrics. Similar to many of her future albums, Chara had a hand in writing the lyrics for all the songs on this record.

Although her early 20-something cheekiness peaks through, this album also marks the establishment of her trademark contemplative, heart-wrenching love songs.

"Rainbow Gossip" is a strong opener with a funky tune which talks about the power of love and female confidence (I used it for my Character Street video). Aside from "No Toy"—the weak link of this record—its fast-paced nature contrasts the majority of the tracks on this album. The rest are slower tempo songs or ballads.

"Sweet", the title track, has a distinctly 90's pop sound and funny lyrics about a girl who loves a guy even though he's ridiculously arrogant and obnoxious. I believe everyone can relate to puppy love; it's a cute, peppy song.

Although they're all wonderful, out of the ballads "Usotsuku no ni Narenaide (Don't Get Used to Lying)"; "X-Mas"; and "Break These Chain" (yes, the grammar of the title is incorrect) are my favorite. The title of "Usotsuku no ni Narenaide" is pretty clear. The song speaks of the pain of being lied to by a lover, but loving them anyway. Chara's childlike voice brings home the emotion and makes the song all the more painful. Similarly, "X-mas" is a saccharine balled which speaks of heartache in the form of unrequited love.

"Break These Chain", about a painful relationship, is a fan favorite and the star of the record for me. Chara's voice switches from babylike to raspy without transition on this track, so its an acquired taste. Nevertheless, I love the emotion in the song, which truly transcends language. 

Top picks: With the exception of "No Toy", I love all the tracks on this album. 

Soul Kiss (1992)
Source

2nd Album: Soul Kiss ソウルキス (1992)

Despite the innocent look of the album jacket, Chara ditched the innocent exterior she presented in Sweet for an edgier, almost risque vibe by the release of Soul Kiss. At this point, she was well-known for her skimpy outfits and onstage grinding.

This album was considerably more successful than Chara's debut, but I have less favorites from this record. Still, its a solid album with a good balance between soft rock songs and ballads.

"Are wa ne (Is that right)" and "Soul Kiss xxx" are my favorite ballads. To me, "Are wa ne" sounds like the voice of a girl who's been led on a number of times. It's a sombre song, but the music is lovely. Like many of Chara's songs, "Soul Kiss xxx" refers to uncertainty in regards to relationships, namely the difficulty of finding the right person.

"Ai no Jibaku Souchi (Love Suicide Bombing Gear)" is the crazy number of album (if not apparent by its title). The song features famous Japanese guitarist Rolly Teranishi (Suicide Club) who also lends his vocals on the track. Everyone wants to be in the sweet "strawberry land" of love, but sometimes we self destruct on the way there or soon after we arrive!

Top picks: "Are wa ne (Is that right)"; "Ai no Jibaku Souchi (Love Suicide Bombing Gear)"; "Soul Kiss xxx"

Music Musings: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (1990-1996)

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, 2015
Source

Music Musings: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (1997-2003) can be found here.

Since hearing their track "Lupin the 3rd '78" when I was in junior high, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra has became my favorite Japanese instrumental group, as I've expressed before. Now a nine-piece band, TSPO began as a collective of musicians in the mid-1980s, which essentially whittled itself down to 10 members by 1990. Over the years, there has been changes in the line up; as of now, six of the original members remain.

Like any band, TSPO's sound has also changed and evolved over the years. This post focuses on the years between their major debut in 1990 to the mid-90s, a time period marked by their progression from an unapologetically ska and jazz sound to a little more mainstream.

Skapara Tõjõ (1990)
Source

1st Album: Skapara Tõjõ スカパラ登場 (1990)
Debut albums are sometimes a dark point in the discography of even the most popular musicians as oftentimes they reflect an unrefined air—not the case with TSPO. While modestly named Skapara Tõjõ or Skapara's Introduction, TSPO's first album is explosive and uncompromisingly in-your-face. The unfiltered background noise of TSPO clapping, cheering, and enjoying their music as they play it, characteristic of this time period of their discography, gives an interesting live effect to tracks like "Vampire", "Kozo no Koshin", and "Uhan no Hito".

Although it isn't the best reflection of his singing ability, "Nigai Namida" is a great introduction to Cleanhead Gimura's vocals. "Getsumen Butou", "Inishie no Hana", and "Kimi to Boku", the more tranquil tracks on the album, give the listener a quietly sinister, relaxing seaside vacation, and lullaby feel respectively; although lower tempo, all three songs are as charming as the heavier numbers. "Tin Tin Deo", my favorite song on this album, is a great mixture of subtile and upbeat. A great cover of Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack" is also included on this album.

Top picks: "Getsumen Butou"; Inishie no Hana"; "Tin Tin Deo"

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (1990)
Source

2nd Album: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ (1990)

A prolific year for TSPO, the band's self-titled second album of 1990 is a short collection of six songs. "Skaravan" has become a fan favorite and the upbeat track marked by it's distinctive solos (my favorite being the piano solo) finds its way into most TSPO live concerts even now. "Pedorazu", a cover of the Tetris theme, makes for a great album opener and is an awesome rearrangement of the original. "Christmaska", a cover of "Joy to the World", is also a lovely homage to its predecessor. "Just a Little Bit of Your Soul" is a tune rooted in funk, and makes a reappearance on Grand Prix (1995).

Top picks: "Pedorazu", "Skaravan", "Just a Little Bit of Your Soul"

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Live (1991)
Source

1st Live Album: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Live 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラライブ (1991)

The garish cover of TSPO's first live album is an honest reflection of its sound. The band's ability to entertain through their sound is apparent in their constant freestyling and explosive harmonies. Vocalist Gimura shines in this live album with his authentic cover of Bobby Bland's "36-22-36". Although short, "Youkai Ningen" is definitely my favorite track on this album and shows off Gimura's unique vocal range beautifully.

Top picks: "Shot in the Dark", "36-22-36", "Youkai Ningen"

Concert Review: Chara (live at the Urban Simple Life Festival - Xinyi 信義)

Chara is known for her childish "whisper" voice.
At 47, she should also be known for her inability to age!
She plays the guitar and piano, and writes nearly all of her songs.
(Photo from her Facebook page).

Chara (real name: Watabiki Miwa 綿引美和), is hands-down my favorite female Japanese singer. I discovered her music as a junior high student when I was looking for new Japanese artists to listen to. Immediately, I was mesmerized by her soft, slightly raspy voice which occasionally takes on a husky, almost harsh tone. Chara's speaking voice is actually somewhat deep, yet it often transforms into a light, high-pitched tone when she sings.

I admire the personal nature of Chara's music and her willingness to share her deep inner feelings in her lyrics. Innocence (Sweet), intimacy (Junior Sweet, her performance of this song with TSPO on the left), and divorce (Breaking Hearts) have all been subjects of her songs. I admire Chara because no topic appears to be "off limits" for her when writing music. Chara's creativity transcends her sound; to add a sense of childlike innocence to her songs, she often uses the male personal pronoun boku (僕).

Chara's thoughtfulness in regards to her music hasn't changed since her major debut in 1990, yet her style has evolved through many phases: mainstream with a touch of black gospel in the early 90s; acoustic-heavy in the mid to late 90s; experimental indie in the early 2000s; mainstream pop in the mid 2000s; and mostly popish experimental indies style today. Nevertheless, she has always distinctly remained herself.

Chara peaked in popularity in the mid-90s after her lead role in the successful Shunji Iwai film, Swaillowtail Butterfly. In the film, she played Glico (yes, taken from the snack company), a Chinese immigrant turned lead singer of the fictional Yen Town Band; to accompany the movie, Chara and the Yen Town Band released a record which took first place on the Japanese Oricon music chart for quite some time. On the right is a clip of her gospel-like performance of Happy Toy from the 1997 Asasaka Blitz tour, not long after the movie was released. (A couple members of the Yen Town Band played support on the tour, and TSPO's founder ASA-CHANG was on percussion. He helped produce some of her songs as well). Despite her emergence as a well-known singer, actress, and fashion icon, after the 90s, Chara focused on motherhood and preferred a more indie existence as a musician.

Yasashii Kimochi (やさしい気持ち; Kind Feelings) - one of her most popular songs, second only to Swallowtail Butterfly - was the first song of her's that I heard all those years ago. Still, the dreamlike feeling of the song sounds fresh to me. To my delight, in 2013 Chara released Jewel, a self-cover album which includes Yasashii Kimochi, Swallowail Butterfly, and 10 other songs. I thought it would be amazing to watch her perform after Jewel was released because, naturally, she would be playing several songs from across her discography that she hadn't played in a few years. Little did I know I'd get an opportunity to see her without having to go to Japan!

Visiting Aoki Tatsuyuki at Tama Cemetery

TSPO in 1990.
Founder ASA-CHANG (yellow/black hat); TSPO's current leader
Atsushi Yanaka (top left); the late Aoki Tatsuyuki (bottom left);
and late Cleanhead Gimura (in black).

I'm a huge fan of all types of Japanese music, specifically kayokyoku, alternative, and instrumental. One of my favorite Japanese jazz bands is the internationally acclaimed Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - TSPO or Skapara for short. They have a more mainstream sound now which is enjoyable, but I love the blues, funk, and occasionally black gospel influences of their earlier music, all without performing in highly offensive blackface like Rats & Star...

Aoki featured on the July '95
issue of Rhythm & Drums
with Takahashi.

TSPO was formed in in 1985; this marks their 30th year. Their over-the-top, highly energized performances earned them a record deal in 1989. Although the group was founded by percussionist ASA-CHANG (real name: Asakura Hirokazu; 朝倉弘一), at the fore was Cleanhead Gimura (クリーンヘッド　ギムラ) whose real name was Sugimura Eiji (杉村英詩). His onstage presence was funny and flamboyant, and his talent was apparent as he was both the group's vocalist and occasional backing musician. Gimura brought TSPO's instrumentals alive in the 1980's until 1994. Unfortunately, he passed away in '95 after a short battle with brain cancer. The last album he actively participated in was FANTASIA (ファンタジア), one of my favorite TSPO records; worthy of its name, its a dreamlike album. I especially love Gimura's vocals on Akai Tori no Ballad (朱い鳥のバラード). The group commemorated him with GRAND PRIX (グランプリ), arguably their first album to target a wide audience due to its mainstream pop sound. Several actors and guest musicians like Takahashi Yukihiro (高橋幸宏), one of my all-time favorites, contributed to GRAND PRIX. I think TSPO made GRAND PRIX a lively album to reflect Gimura's electric personality. 

I was able to score copies of
FANTASIA and GRAND PRIX
from BookOff stores in Tokyo.

Sadly, Gimura was not the only TSPO member to pass away. Their original drummer, Aoki Tatsuyuki (青木達之) died in '99 in apparent Tokyo rail accident. However, as he was struck after walking onto the tracks, his death was widely publicized as a suicide. Nonetheless, there was no suicide note so authorities did not conclude he took his own life. Either way, I feel it was an extremely unfortunate event since Aoki was an incredibly innovative and sharp drummer, composer, and DJ. While TSPO did not release an album in his name, they expressed their sadness regarding his untimely death on their live album Ska Evangelists on the Run. I think Motegi Kinichi (茂木欣一) - Aoki's successor and TSPO's current drummer - is extremely talented as well (he has a great singing voice to boot), but I still prefer Aoki.

TSPO's European tour poster.
Six of the eleven original members
remain.

I have yet to see a TSPO show, but thanks to technology I have watched several of their performances, including ones from the early 90's. Below is a clip of TSPO performing a cover of the late Bobby Bland's 36-22-36 on a street in Shibuya, Tokyo on New Year's Day, 1990 (a little over a month before I was born!).

TSPO is going on a European tour next month, so if you have an opportunity to see them, make sure you do! I certainly wish I could.

It might sound strange, but I wanted to visit the graves of Cleanhead Gimura and Aoki Tatsuyuki when I knew I would be going to Tokyo. I searched extensively but couldn't find where Gimura was buried. On the other hand, I quickly located the exact location of Aoki's gravesite in the expansive Tama Cemetery or Tama Reien (多摩霊園) through this website. 

Concert Review: Clazziquai (live @ Legacy Taipei - Da'an 大安)

Due to a thing called life, I haven't gotten to see many concerts here in Taiwan.  A lot of my favorite bands and singers have come to Taiwan over the past few months, and but I had to pass up a lot of shows.  However, when I was told Clazziquai was coming, I had to make time to go!

Clazziquai are DJ Clazzi (programmer); Horan (vocals), and Alex (vocals)

I've known of Clazziquai for awhile, especially because of their collaborations with two other groups that I like, Epik High ("Honjarado [Alone]") and m-flo ("Love Me After 12am"; "Love Mode").  Nonetheless, for some reason I didn't really start listening to them until last year.  I fell in love with them instantly.  Clazziquai's music is easy listening, and it's diffiult to resist Alex and Horan's vocals (which I think are some of the best in K-pop).  I think Clazziquai sounds like elevator music "done right".  In other words, it's soothing and other worldly, thanks in part to DJ Clazzi's expert mixing.

Concert Review: my little airport (live at The Wall - Gongguan 公館)

my little airport is nicole (vocals, piano) and
啊p (Ah P) (vocals, piano, guitar).
(Photo from their Facebook page)

Last summer, a friend of mine introduced me to an indie band from Hong Kong called my little airport. 

I've liked Cantonese music for a while, so I was excited to listen to their songs and was pleasantly surprised by their sound. Their lyrics are a mix between quirky and serious, especially seen through some of their song titles like "gigi leung is dead", "I don't know how to download good av like iris does", "donald tsang please die".

(You can read more about Gigi Leung and Donald Tseng  here and here, respectively.)

Nope, this was not the concert ticket,
it was the flyer, adorably shaped
like a plane ticket!

The concert poster

They clearly put a lot of thought into their music no matter what the tone or language (Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French, or a mixture of two or three) is. So, when I moved to Taiwan and discovered they'd be playing in Taipei, I knew I had to see them!