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 (eighteen years ago) link
― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 23:09 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― BARMS, Friday, 17 February 2006 10:59 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
http://freckle.tenkeimedia.com/nl/ringo/souretsu.html
― milton parker (Jon L), Sunday, 12 March 2006 00:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 12 March 2006 02:24 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 01:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 02:42 (eighteen years ago) link
Interestingly, she comes across as more of a female Cornelius than Takako Minekawa did.
― BARMS, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:11 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 04:39 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 17:54 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyf9M7mt_RY&search=tokyo%20jihen
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 19:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― ryan (ryan), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 21:15 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 22:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 22:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 22 April 2006 22:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:33 (eighteen years ago) link
I <3 Shoso Strip.
― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:49 (eighteen years ago) link
Anyway, I could still go.
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 13:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 14:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 23 April 2006 14:25 (eighteen years ago) link
http://shiinaringo.se/pics/Tokyo%20Jihen/jihen1.jpg
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 24 April 2006 01:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 24 April 2006 02:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 24 April 2006 02:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 24 April 2006 02:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 24 April 2006 15:38 (eighteen years ago) link
ok im ordering Adult right now....
― ryan (ryan), Monday, 24 April 2006 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― BARMS, Monday, 24 April 2006 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75-c5h7obKohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L79JmTcdycc
― ufo, Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:13 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg8foBeQfcw
even her b-sides from early on are unreal
― ufo, Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:20 (three years ago) link
New TJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS45uTF_8P0
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 13 May 2021 23:16 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pG7zs-2vQY
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 7 March 2023 13:21 (one year ago) link
The new single is pretty great and has Hisako Tabuchi from Number Girl on guitar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_fGKFFq_Y
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 24 May 2023 13:16 (one year ago) link
omg tabuchi and ringo reunited
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 24 May 2023 14:55 (one year ago) link
New Ohzora Kimishima is extremely good Shiinacore if anyone's interested
― imago, Friday, 29 September 2023 22:35 (eleven months ago) link
oh wow that's great. shiina's an obvious influence but there's a whole lot more going on than just that
― ufo, Friday, 29 September 2023 23:52 (eleven months ago) link
It's great on initial listens, I've only just gotten my head around 縫層 and that was years ago
― MaresNest, Saturday, 30 September 2023 00:02 (eleven months ago) link
Will try that!
Does anyone know why in 2023 you can get her whole discography on Spotify/Apple Music but you still can't purchase them to own in the US
― Nhex, Saturday, 28 October 2023 13:18 (ten months ago) link
A friend recommended Tokyo Jihen as "the only modern Japanese band that can stand shoulder to shoulder with YMO." Checked a few songs he'd suggested, felt intrigued but skeptical (they're so J-rock!), but definitely intrigued. Checked here to see if there'd been any discussion... yes, a thousand posts...
After reading through the whole thread today I feel like over the course of a few hours, I've lived through a decade plus of passion, anticipation, confusion, and gradually building disappointment and disinterest. Surreal. And awesome. These forums are something else.
Am I right that the consensus is these are the must-investigate albums?
Muzai Moratorium (1999)Shōso Strip (2000)Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana (2003)Kyōiku (2004)Adult (2006)Variety (2007)
― TheNuNuNu, Friday, 17 May 2024 14:12 (four months ago) link
yes you should listen to all of those
― ivy., Friday, 17 May 2024 14:38 (four months ago) link
I would add Watashi to Hōden in there, as all early Shiina is good.
Imho, there are other bands that come close to greatness, but as good as they are, Tokyo Jihen ain't one of them.
― Maresn3st, Friday, 17 May 2024 15:03 (four months ago) link
Here are some other bands that perhaps you might like to check out, if you haven't already -
CRCK/LCKSDalljub Step ClubGesu No Kiwame OtomeClammbonSuiyōbi no Campanella
― Maresn3st, Friday, 17 May 2024 15:10 (four months ago) link
Oh and maybe Soil & "Pimp" Sessions also!
Thanks ivy & Mare.
Mare, Campanella is the only one I've crossed paths with!
― TheNuNuNu, Friday, 17 May 2024 15:21 (four months ago) link
yeah those albums pretty much cover the peak, IMO
― Nhex, Friday, 17 May 2024 15:24 (four months ago) link
i think tokyo jihen are a truly awesome band, at least for the first few records where ringo is doing most of the writing, but i would never compare them to ymo. i’d way sooner suggest like… most of the production/songwriting work of yasutaka nakata
― ivy., Friday, 17 May 2024 15:25 (four months ago) link
yeah there's not really anything in common beyond the nationality
i wouldn't include variety in the list of essential shiina ringo albums, but i would include ze-chyou syuu and heisei fuuzoku as worth checking out
― ufo, Friday, 17 May 2024 20:34 (four months ago) link
They did both begin spearheaded by a single songwriter, who then let the other members start writing more -- though with Tokyo Jihen it sounds like that's the point at which things become LESS interesting.
― TheNuNuNu, Friday, 17 May 2024 22:39 (four months ago) link
Soooo, this new record.
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 1 June 2024 11:27 (three months ago) link
it's just fine, not bad but largely by-the-numbers for her, but i didn't really expect anything more, though her last album was a bit better
― ufo, Tuesday, 4 June 2024 04:38 (three months ago) link
Got to go to a Tower Records in Tokyo and they had a huge display set up for her new album, including a little set that you could pose in and take pictures. It was beautiful.
― Zayniac (hourspass), Wednesday, 12 June 2024 18:40 (three months ago) link