the Shiina Ringo thread

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there is a sort of chaotic aspect to much of her music that i think was missing a bit from Karuki, so it's nice to see it come back with TJ

― ryan (ryan), Friday, 18 March 2005 00:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

TJ definitely brings the rock side of things back. The whole album is sleazy and sloppy and it's the most overcompressed CD I've ever heard in my life, purposefully brittle and shallow. Very commercial by jpop standards.

'Sounan' is one of the best things she's ever done, and 'Laugh At Facts' is cool. Overall TJ leaves me a little cold but in context as a followup to her weirdest record it's an interesting move.

The things I like about her:
- amazing integration of traditional asian instruments in a rock context (something most jpop almost never does; it's against the rules, in pursuit of perfect emulative form)
- awareness of the japanese underground, her records are studio polished but unlike other jpop actually seem to have absorbed things like melt banana, otomo, merzbow (the very end of KSK sounds like Ground Zero's 'Consume Red')
- demented, extremely aggressive lyrics. no submission & brutal honesty that's completely absent in most other jpop

the first two have gone missing in TJ but the lyrics I've seen translated indicate that she's still raving.

― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 18 March 2005 01:15 (8 years ago) Permalink

stiff writing in parts but solidly reasoned academic white paper:

http://www.dyske.com/index.php?view_id=848

― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 18 March 2005 01:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

id be careful posing an antagonistic thing between her to Jpop, she's too anomalous. in this case that often does mean more interesting but its an entirely different set of terms despite the major label cash. and w/ plus tech squeeze box being reviewed by the wire, a lot of similarly-bananas (+mainstream) jpop could ostensibly get a blurb beside otomo yoshihide in terms of "underground edge" or whathaveyou.

― xcixxorx, Friday, 18 March 2005 01:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

You're right; although I just listed three oppositional qualities, the reason why she's so interesting is that she is so solidly Jpop, operating from within, she obviously identifies comfortably. An interview for TJ says she aspires to make the best in 'traditional japanese pop'; she _is_ traditional, she (and her bassist/producer Seiji Kameda) are just light years ahead.

Name more bananas mainstream Jpop! When I heard KSK I started looking for the recent good stuff...

― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 18 March 2005 01:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

cant say i like that article. seems to be just another plea for avant garde rock saviors except through the cultural looking glass. by bananas jpop i mean stuff gwen stefani was excited about, not noise solos. W's second album, uh, "second W" for instance.

― xcixxorx, Friday, 18 March 2005 01:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

One of the more bizarre JPOP things I ever heard was a collaboration between Chara and Yuki (the Yuki from Judy and Mary) called "Ai no Hi Mitu Oranji" ("Loves Fire Three Oranges"). Full of Chamberlain gingerbread, breakbeats, steel drums and orchestral sweetening and topped by chirpy, impassioned singing. Definitely further out than Chara's usual; I've not heard enough of Yuki's solo stuff to know where to rank it in her ouevre.

Speaking of which, has anyone heard the new Yuki album?

― jdconsidine, Friday, 18 March 2005 01:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've heard the new Yuki album, but it didn't strike me very much. I need to listen again.

Hm, if you say that Chara/Yuki album has steel drums then I need to check that out as soon as possible.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, not an album. "Ai no Hi.." is a single. A five-incher, mind, but a single nonetheless.

― jdconsidine, Friday, 18 March 2005 02:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

there's an mp3 of 'shuukyou' here (accompanied by some gushing prose and some early pictures of ringo in cute-mode, as well as a recent one in stabbed-mode

& posted 'ringo catalog' to the ilmxor blog (with multiple thanks to jody for hosting the file).

― milton parker (Jon L), Thursday, 24 March 2005 01:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

Fuck You

― mista faka, Friday, 23 September 2005 13:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

well then

Tokyo Incidents blog has translated list of every sample in 'Ringo Catalog'. I'm very impressed, and hadn't noticed that she mostly moves through the samples in chronological order.
http://www.thetokyoincidents.com/archives/2006/01/ringo_catalog_b.html#more

there's a new album out next week. the band's new logo uses romanji, they're now officially 'Tokyo Incidents', and this single's 98% sung in english. and from the few songs I've heard, they've carefully removed every last bit of strangeness from the music; this comes across as a very mannered attempt to be nothing more than a slicked out, classy but fun pop band. I don't know, but we'll see.

new PV for tokyo jihen's 'kenka joutou', perhaps not the most striking first video impression (that'd be 'ringo no uta').
http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=0jbiHVQpbYc

― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 22:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

really sad to hear that. hope it's good.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 23:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

me too

for anyone who didn't hear 'sounan (sickness)' from the first TJ album, here it is... the album itself may have been a slight letdown but this song is one of her best. serpentine melody, just when you're settling in to the 'normal' production, merzbow levels of distortion are _quietly_ added across the drums just to mess with your head. and the final drum & guitar showdown is pure fire.

http://s11.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2MUDULM6U0DOM1IAEG7I79MXEA

― milton parker (Jon L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 00:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

so I've listened to the new album Adult twice.

well it's definitely true I wouldn't be giving this album much of a chance if it wasn't coming from the same person who'd done Chlorine, Semen, Chestnut Flower. if you know that it did, this becomes a very strange album entirely because you know just how much she's restraining herself. It's like she's decidedly choosing to be Happy now, if only for to protect her own health. And this is pretty fun stuff, well crafted & the group is so tight, it's hard for this not to grow on me -- but only in context with CSC. Which is an album I still can't seem to stop listening to.

The production is even more reigned in this time, the brash distortion, compression & noise of their first record is gone, as are the screaming fuzzboxed vocals. Some weird soundscapes & transitions, but everything's under control.

'Kenka Joutou' is a catchy song, I'm into it. In english and everything, it could be a hit if the label pushed it in the states.

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 21:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

so that this isn't a one-person thread.....

i agree the album is mixed, too many "core ringo-fundamental" moments (which should be a paradox), laurel-resting and so on. the weird transitions are nice but then again CSC was like an entire body of continuous transition. you can stick a drum and bass coda on a complacent samba thing or whatever but it's ultimately just a mere trace.

that said, i like the increased use of jazz as a rhythmic element & i think the single is the best thing she's been involved w/ since her solo career. it's actually when the band members are on even grounding that things work for me (sorta what the shuraba video was implying). when the spotlight inevitably catches up, you get another ballad or lounge number that burns too slow too familiar.

― )alex(, Tuesday, 24 January 2006 22:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

hey xcixxorx

I definitely like how live they sound as a band, the sections where they just get to dig into their parts and cook sound great. They're such great musicians, the outros on a few of these songs are the parts where I get into it the most.

even if I'm mixed on it, I'm sad that I forgot to bring this to work today.

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 22:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

ok I didn't see this coming, but I'm listening to adult about every other night now. that never happened with their debut album.

I'm still a little taken aback that I like this record, I never would have given it a chance if it were from anyone else. I don't like impeccably slicked out cabaret pop jazz, and that's the only real way to describe this, but they nailed what they were going for so beautifully that I just kind of have to hand it to them, this is a great album.

I was planning on buying the regular edition but Amoeba had the deluxe, and I'm glad I got it, the art design on the packaging is perfect, the fake ads for cologne -- is this irony? No, it's accurate, this music hides on its own beautiful surface.

the shiina videos are all on youtube now. most of them low-resolution, but 'meisai', 'identity' & 'tsumiki asobi', 'gibbs' are worth seeing, and her best videos 'ringo no uta' versions 1 & 2 are both hi-resolution.

― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 17 February 2006 06:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana is killin' it hard right now. I'm also loving the live version of SDP's 'Konya Ha Boogie Back' she does with the crew and Utada.

― BARMS, Friday, 17 February 2006 10:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

ok I love Adult. can't stop listening to it. it's as good as Shoso Strip, it just takes longer to open up. initial complaints about the 'traditional' production and the lack of noise or asian instruments have evaporated.

a friend of mine who's obsessed with hollywood musicals, bob fosse productions etc. got this record the first time -- the idea of someone making a modern record in this style that isn't a museum piece completely blew her away.

KZK remains the most overwhelming, but a major reason why she hasn't caught on here yet is that she's moving too fast for critics to get a bead on.

in the pantheon of uncompromising, eccentric songwriters that really oversee their own production, 70's = joni mitchell, 80's = kate bush, 90's = bjork perhaps, 00's = shiina ringo, she's that huge

― milton parker (Jon L), Sunday, 12 March 2006 00:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

translations:

http://freckle.tenkeimedia.com/nl/ringo/souretsu.html

― milton parker (Jon L), Sunday, 12 March 2006 00:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

Adult is my favorite album of the year so far. Somehow, though, I never got into Shiina's solo albums. I'll check them out again, since I'm so taken with this one.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 12 March 2006 02:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

on her current stadium tour she's opening with Souretsu (final track on KZK) with a chorus of 100 children

The Feb.19th, 2006 [DOMESTIC! Virgin Line] concert was recorded and will be broadcast on SkyPerfectTV channel 721 (FujiTV 721) on March 25, from 11:00PM - 12:40AM. Don't forget to set your DVRs!

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 13 March 2006 01:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

4 weeks pass...

Preliminary investigation suggests she is the major pop music figure of this decade, but I've only been listening to her for--what?--a week, and then only to online files. But I'll be buying some CDs soon enough.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 01:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

love her. i really need to get off my ass and get Adult.

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 02:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

'Yattsuke Shigoto' took me over a few weeks back. It's the most fitting song for travelling to work. 'Benkai Debussy' is ROCK.

Interestingly, she comes across as more of a female Cornelius than Takako Minekawa did.

― BARMS, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

>the major pop music figure of this decade

it's reassuring to hear anyone else say this, I think she's peerless.

if you've got the albums and want to start in on the DVDs, I'd recommend Baishou Ecstasy -- a 60 minute concert film where her performance in one auditorium is broadcast live by satelite to five other completely full theatres. the songs from KZK are redone as acoustic jazz cabaret songs by a 30 piece big band orchestra, and the songs just work -- she opens with an Edith Piaf cover, and like most of her concert films there's an extremely unsettling narrative twist at the end

I'm not as into the Electric Mole, which is Tokyo Jihen live at Budokan playing slicked out TJ versions of the KZK songs, though the Lynchian short film interludes are _really_ bizarre this time and there's a version of "Stem" that starts like Black Sabbath, plateaus like the Carpenters and ends exactly the same way as Sachiko M's sinewave solo on Ground-zero's Last-Concert album.

The videos are compiled on the Seiteki Healing series, volume three has the KZK clips.

http://www.everlasting-dream.net/ringo/ is my favorite fan site.

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 19:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

it's reassuring to hear anyone else say this

Of course, I'm not sure how much comfort it should be coming from a not very popcentric* person like me, but it might even be true (or plausible, or whatever truth-like value you prefer).

I don't own anything yet, myself, but once I've moved into my new apartment, and maybe after I wait a month or two to deal with some other necessary purchases, then I will at least pick up Adult and Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana.

*though hopefully not anti-pop.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 19:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tokyo Jihen - Shuraba, live February 19, 2006:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af2IsGyE1Ns&search=tokyo%20jihen

― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 04:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

a female Cornelius

OK, now I am even more intrigued, although I also trust Milton's rave reviews. I was looking this stuff up on eBay the other day, seems that these CDs are reasonably available. I'll have to investigate.

― sleeve (sleeve), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 04:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

milton, that youtube video has me very intrigued.

so is it better to start with shiina ringo solo or with tokyo incident? or does it really matter?

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 08:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana" is arguably the masterpiece, dazzling arrangements, 4D sculpture production, possibly the peak of anything she's ever been involved w/. but...

I think Shiina made her name (in Japan) during the "Shouso Strip" period culminating w/ very popular nurse cosplay-parody video for 'Honnou'. I think there's the most tension there between charting rock star and widening weirdness palette.

It's also the period when most of her Cindy Shermanesque personas cropped up, sort of the dominant theme of her solo career. Before switching to T. Jihen there was 1) japanese ghost persona of 3rd & final album - death, 2) final song built entirely out of samples from her back catalog (link still above), & 3) a final video which chronologically travels through all her previous video roles.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DQBWmLfxwxs&search=shiina%20ringo%20uta

― )alex(, Wednesday, 12 April 2006 16:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

thanks for the tips. i'll check her out further.

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 17:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

I misposted upthread, that's 'Souretsu' live, not 'Shuraba'. it's a very different version of the final song on KZK.

imagine going to a stadium show and having that be the opening song.

what alex said. I like the Cindy Sherman reference, the song's lyrics are about an apple tree that longs to be human but settles for giving away her fruit at the end of each season -- sung by a person who keeps shifting through violently different personas, it's almost painful.

― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 21:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

This is incredible (live video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyf9M7mt_RY&search=tokyo%20jihen

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

She makes me want to rock again.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

My bank won't authorize payment to cdjapan, or they won't accept my card or something. This is very frustrating. I'll have to call my bank this week.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

I feel like there is a big gap in my CD collection where Shiina Ringo CDs should be. All I want to put on right now are the CDs that belong there, and I can't.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Do you think some of the shots in Yamini Furu Ame are supposed to be reminiscent of Hammershoi's paintings (or is there just a similar mood)?

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

I love the apple-headed cartoon audience in "Ringo no Uta."

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

ah great stuff. when i was in japan last summer i bought like 10 of her DVDs.

― ryan (ryan), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

She has ten DVDs? That's a bit scarey, financially.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also, I don't generally do celebrity crushes, but her skin always looks fantastic.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

it's way too easy to crush out on her.

http://www.everlasting-dream.net/ringo/video.htm

ryan, do you have "Hatsuiku Status" (green cover, cartoon drawing) and "Gekokujo Xtacy"? I know I want the latter, the former I'm on the fence about. The youtube excerpts from "Dynamite Out" (like the one RS linked to) make me wish I hadn't passed on it.

― milton parker (Jon L), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

(In one of the bios I read, it said that the only time she used to throw tantrums (or something like that) when she was a child was when she had nobody to play with. I immediately thought, sounds like a libra, which turned out to be the case, fwiw.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 22:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Wait, no it didn't. She's on the other side of October, a sag. apparently. Duh.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 22:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

(It's as if I am determined to completely humiliate myself on this thread.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 22:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Sounan" started to sound like an old familiar song after a couple listens ("Wait, haven't I been hearing this all over the place? No, that's not possible"), yet I don't think I'm being reminded of anything specific. I think the melodic "logic" is so perfect, that the song immediately seems like it's always been there.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

The live "Ringo no Uta" from Dynamite Out ("Dynamite Out" haha) is great! (Okay, I gather it's all great.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

sags are november and december!

I <3 Shoso Strip.

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 881 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

― an infusion of catharsis (_Rudipherous_), Friday, 24 August 2012 00:08 (9 months ago) Permalink

Well that's not going to work I guess. Was really just looking for a link, but maybe it has to be a playlist to do that. Found while searching for "Sheena Ringo" in Spotify.

― an infusion of catharsis (_Rudipherous_), Friday, 24 August 2012 00:08 (9 months ago) Permalink

From this album:

― an infusion of catharsis (_Rudipherous_), Friday, 24 August 2012 00:12 (9 months ago) Permalink

no i mean... some guy just decided to cover Ringo No Uta on violin?

― Nhex, Friday, 24 August 2012 00:33 (9 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

The melody for "Sounan" really is as great as I think it is.

― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 04:05 (8 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

WTF? Somehow I missed this Shiina-involved EP completely (not that she's performing but you will recognize the jazz band that comes in toward the end):

― redress control number (_Rudipherous_), Sunday, 9 December 2012 00:26 (5 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Sorry, "Tokyo Jihen - "Konya wa Karasawagi"" was deleted at 5:50:57 Thu Jan 24, 2013.
Vimeo has removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by Recording Industry Association of Japan claiming that this material is infringing: Tokyo Jihen - "Konya wa Karasawagi".

Keep shooting yourself in the foot, Recording Industry Association of Japan.

― _Rudipherous_, Friday, 25 January 2013 23:11 (4 months ago) Permalink

I'm still not going to buy your repackaged previously released albums with a little new material added all wrapped in a boxed set.

― _Rudipherous_, Friday, 25 January 2013 23:13 (4 months ago) Permalink

It's like some insane cartoon Japanese music villain is rubbing his hands together, saying: "Now nobody will ever find out about our music! Hahahahaha!"

― _Rudipherous_, Friday, 25 January 2013 23:15 (4 months ago) Permalink

Is this a new box set Rudipherous? Shiina or TJ? Sorry but I haven't the patience to wade through Electric Mole.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:08 (3 months ago) Permalink

There's some kind of box set collecting the TJ albums but it sounds like it's going to include a lot of unreleased songs. The way people were talking, it sounded like they are SR songs, but I lost patience with wading through the thread myself. However, yes, definitely some kind of box on the way.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:11 (3 months ago) Permalink

I think it's out in February. If I get details before anyone else posts them on this thread, I'll post them.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:11 (3 months ago) Permalink

Oh cool thanks! I only got the TJ B-Sides thing through yesterday and the TV appearances DVD which has really great artwork.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

Tokyo Jihen has revealed that they will simultaneously release a complete CD box “Hard Disk” and a video clip collection “Golden Time” on February 27th.
Tokyo Jihen disbanded after their concert at Nippon Budokan on February 29th of this year. These new releases will mark a year since their disbandment.
The complete CD box will include every album they’ve released as well as a bonus CD called “Recovery Disc“, which will include 9 unreleased tracks.
Meanwhile, the video clip collection will be released in both DVD and Blu-ray forms. In addition to their single tracks “Gunjou Biyori” and “Killer Tune“, it will contain videos for “Konya wa Karasawagi” and “Tadanaranu Kankei“, which have never been released in physical form, as well as a new version for “Senkou Shoujo“.

http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/12/tokyo-jihen-to-release-complete-cd-box-video-clip-collection/

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:20 (3 months ago) Permalink

There's something.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:21 (3 months ago) Permalink

Oh man.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:21 (3 months ago) Permalink

OSCA video is all-time, even if it is a rip from Blur.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:23 (3 months ago) Permalink

Sadistic Gossip blog has the artwork, it looks smart.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:25 (3 months ago) Permalink

Honestly, I just don't have the money for this sort of things these days. (Took a big financial hit after relocating for health reasons in 2008 and I'm just having to learn to live on a smaller income, though some key expenses are cheaper for me now. Just not so much that I still have discretionary cash for this sort of thing.)

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:30 (3 months ago) Permalink

Maybe I should have added a PayPal button to that post. Help me buy things I don't really need.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:32 (3 months ago) Permalink

I'm slowly working my way through Clammbon's back catalogue via CD Japan right now which is kinda costly, so I don't think I will be purchasing, maybe the DVD.

― MaresNest, Saturday, 26 January 2013 00:37 (3 months ago) Permalink

■Disc8特典ＣＤ「Recovery Disc」
01 天国へようこそ Tokyo Bay Ver.
02 ドーパミント！
03 put your camera down
04 秘密 FOR DJ
05 恋は幻 FOR MUSICIAN
06 黄昏泣き FOR MOTHER
07 修羅場（single）
08 車屋さん
09 BON VOYAGE

http://www.emimusic.jp/tokyojihen/disco/

Most of the songs of the 8th disc are the alt mixes from vinyl or the DVD only songs, so only new to CD. One of them is 'kuramayasan', at least, but for $230 you're getting one new track

― Milton Parker, Saturday, 26 January 2013 02:15 (3 months ago) Permalink

Is there anything definite about a solo Shiina Ringo album release this year, as far as you know?

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 26 January 2013 02:22 (3 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Recording Industry Association of Japan, you bunch of short-sighted morons.

― The Pistol Annie Sprinkles (_Rudipherous_), Monday, 1 April 2013 05:11 (1 month ago) Permalink

There's a new single coming out, I got a mail from CD Japsn

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 11:10 (1 month ago) Permalink

Cool. I haven't been checking EMF too much lately.

The 2:45 point in "Souretsu" still slays me most of the time. One of my favorite musical moments from he last decade or so.

― The Pistol Annie Sprinkles (_Rudipherous_), Monday, 1 April 2013 16:54 (1 month ago) Permalink

Ringo Shiina - Irohanihoheto / Kodoku no Akatsuki

c/p from CD JP and put through Google.

1 year and 2 months from the dissolution of Tokyo Incidents February 2012. 15th anniversary and debut full than Shiina Ringo, large tie-up has been determined for both the release! Single bullet first two songs solo career on May 27 memorable!

― Late night with Amazing Bo (MaresNest), Monday, 1 April 2013 17:02 (1 month ago) Permalink

Um.. yay!

― Nhex, Monday, 1 April 2013 20:10 (1 month ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTUwNDExNDQ0.html

It's okay.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 4 May 2013 05:11 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Preview of other song with lots of annoying radio announcer chatter (though it sounds pretty weak anyway):

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTUwNDExODk2.html

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 4 May 2013 05:25 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Irohanihoheto, the first one linked to in full above, sounds like the kind of thing she can probably knock off pretty easily at this point.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 4 May 2013 05:29 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

It has a real video, and it's pretty nice:

― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 9 May 2013 07:13 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Really diggin this.

― abcfsk, Saturday, 11 May 2013 02:15 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Makes me want to learn Japanese. I love her for doing this sort of thing, among other reasons, especially since she can do it and still write good music.

http://www.yam-mag.com/news/music-videos/shiina-ringo-irohanihoheto/

With Japan never uploading things I like from them, and the main culprit being Sony, I guess I had to come around and post Shiina Ringo’s latest single (just after the disbandment of Tokyo Jihen).
Titled Irohanihoheto (いろはにほへと) — the incomprehensible title for those with a less moderate use of the Japanese language and culture — refers to a pretty old Japanese poem that dates back a thousand years that uses every single letter of the Japanese alphabet just once, and still makes sense. It still makes sense- how is that possible?
The poem known as Iroha (いろは) talks about the concepts of Buddhism such as the unpredictability of life, and the ever-changing nature of things [1], with a first verse that gives Ringo her title. So could I translate the title to “Colors Will Fall” or maybe “Colors Will Fade“?
A flower in full bloom with beautiful colors will fall off some day.
We living in this world also cannot live forever.
Surmount this mutable and changeable deep mountain of waver now,
And reach the world of enlightenment.
You will be in a quiet state of mind without having an empty dream
Or being drunk with the illusory world of phenomena.
The music video was directed by Yuichi Kodama (児玉裕一) who had previously directed Ringo and Tokyo Jihen, as well as Perfume, Salyu, Polysics, Mr. Children and Namie Amuero. . . .
Irohanihoheto serves as the main theme for the FujiTV drama Bitter Sweet Home Kyoto (鴨、京都へ行く. -老舗旅館の女将日記-), and will be officially released as a single on May 27th (hopefully will show up on time on iTunes) alongside Dawn of Loneliness (孤独のあかつき, Kodoku no Akatsuki).

― _Rudipherous_, Friday, 24 May 2013 18:26 (Yesterday) Permalink

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