the Shiina Ringo thread

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Oh my god, I think it's a danzon (not that I particularly like them, but still--cool, man!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrZzsALGkaU

― R_S (RSLaRue), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Actually maybe just a tango, but they are kind of related.

― R_S (RSLaRue), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:17 (seventeen years ago) link

She certainly writes a lot about prostitution.

― R_S (RSLaRue), Friday, 5 January 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link

so is tokyo jihen officially called tokyo incidents? like was it a real change or just something they did for adult?

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Saturday, 6 January 2007 03:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh yeah the CD does say Incidents doesn't it? I think everyone still says "Tokyo Jihen" too, including the band.

― R_S (RSLaRue), Saturday, 6 January 2007 04:00 (seventeen years ago) link

from the ringo jihen site:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
#What is the band actually called, Tokyo Jihen or Tokyo Incident?
The real name is Tokyo Jihen (actually the exact transliteration would be Toukyou Jihen), but in some Western sites, and sometimes in TJ's official site, they are called Tokyo Incident, which is none other that the translation of the original name.

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Saturday, 6 January 2007 21:44 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm glad that satisfies you.

― R_S (RSLaRue), Saturday, 6 January 2007 22:11 (seventeen years ago) link

So now we are waiting for the "solo" Shiina Ringo album Heisei Fuzoku, with the following tracks:

01 - Gamble (ƒMƒƒƒ“ƒuƒ‹)
02 - Kuki (Œs)
03 - Sakuran (TERRA ver.) (ö—)
04 - Hatsukoi Shoujo (ƒnƒcƒRƒC©—)
05 - Papaya Mango (ƒpƒpƒCƒ„ƒ}ƒ“ƒS[)
06 - Ishiki (ˆÓŽ¯)
07 - Yokushitsu (—Žº)
08 - Meisai (–ÀÊ)
09 - Poltergeist (ƒ|ƒ‹ƒ^[ƒKƒCƒXƒg)
10 - Karisome Otome (TAMEIKESANNOH ver.) (ƒJƒŠƒ\ƒ‰³—)
11 - Oiran (‰ÔŠ@)
12 - Yume no Ato (–²‚Ì‚ ‚Æ)
13 - Kono Yo no Kagiri (‚±‚Ì–é‚ÌŒÀ‚è)

Further updates (and a new PV) here:

http://ringoran.wordpress.com/

― R_S (RSLaRue), Saturday, 6 January 2007 22:16 (seventeen years ago) link

I've promised myself that I would take a break from hyping Shiina Ringo, at least until the new CD is out, but I thought it was worth mentioning that apparently Tokyo Jihen's drummer broke his hand, and some people are speculating that that's why SR is putting out this solo album, perhaps as a stopgap measure. (Of course, she was asked to do some songs for a movie, as well, so I guess there might have been some new solo tracks regardless, but perhaps not a whole album.)

― R_S (RSLaRue), Monday, 8 January 2007 15:58 (seventeen years ago) link

Milton, if you see this, there's some interesting new stuff available in the media section of the R. Jihen forum. (Downloading something now.)

― R_S (RSLaRue), Thursday, 11 January 2007 16:07 (seventeen years ago) link

(well, one interesting new stuff)

― R_S (RSLaRue), Thursday, 11 January 2007 16:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Cover of forthcoming solo album (apparently anyway):

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/pictures/s/16/34/TOCT-26210.jpg

― R_S (RSLaRue), Saturday, 13 January 2007 21:07 (seventeen years ago) link

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/7463/heiseimt2.jpg

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 14 January 2007 03:52 (seventeen years ago) link

OK I got KZK and it is living up to the hype. Now to find translations of the lyrics.

― sleeve (sleeve), Saturday, 27 January 2007 19:32 (seventeen years ago) link

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

― R_S (RSLaRue), Saturday, 27 January 2007 19:35 (seventeen years ago) link

thanks!

― sleeve (sleeve), Saturday, 27 January 2007 19:53 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.risingstuff.com/personal/sroricon.jpg

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 28 January 2007 13:47 (seventeen years ago) link

http://shiinaringo.se/pics/Magazines/Rockin%20on%20Japan%20vol%20308%20January%

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 28 January 2007 13:51 (seventeen years ago) link

(00ps!)

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 28 January 2007 13:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Anyway: http://shiinaringo.se/pics/index.php?sortby=name&dir=.%2FMagazines%2FRockin+on+Japan+vol+308+January+2007

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 28 January 2007 13:53 (seventeen years ago) link

'Sakuran' to premiere at Berlin Film has been building buzz in Japan
By MARK SCHILLINGTOKYO -- "Sakuran," the debut feature by photog Mika Ninagawa, has been selected in the Berlin Film Festival's Special section, distrib Asmik Ace has announced.
The Feb. 9 screening will be the pic's world premiere, preceding its Feb. 24 opening in Japan.
Based on a manga by Moyoco Anno, the pic stars Anna Tsuchiya ("Kamikaze Girls") as an oiran (high-class prostitute) in the feudal-era Tokyo red-light district of Yoshiwara.
The pic has been getting a huge amount of buzz in Japan for its splashy visuals, Tsuchiya's pull-out-the-stops perf and the eclectic jazz/pop score by pop diva Ringo Shina.
Both Ninagawa and Tsuchiya will travel to Berlin for the screening --and their first red-carpet appearances at a major international fest.
Ninagawa is the daughter of theater director Yukio Ninagawa, known for his experimental stagings of Shakespeare and Greek classics around the world.

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957980.html

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 28 January 2007 14:10 (seventeen years ago) link

God she is fucking brilliant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrZzsALGkaU

(This drastically reworks an earlier song, with typical aplomb. With a little help from Saito Neko, her George Martin, perhaps.)

― R_S (RSLaRue), Sunday, 28 January 2007 14:29 (seventeen years ago) link

finally found a copy of the new single at Amoeba this weekend. the cover image of Shiina & Saito folds out to a landscape of Tokyo, the packaging on her singles trump most artists' album packaging.

I'm still completely addicted to 'Konoyo Yo Kagiri'. Seemingly so happy but with some real poison in the lyrics and the harmonies. The other two songs are an alt arrangement & an instrumental of tracks from the new album -- the instrumental of 'Temporary Virgin' is on the soundtrack of what R_S just linked, sounds like an ultra-ornamented take on Astor Piazolla circa the late 80's Kip Hanrahan productions like Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night.

Apart from the first verse of 'Konoyo', all the lyrics are in English. And this is the first ever single of hers that's been available on iTunes UK. The five clips of songs from the new album are mostly in english. The push is coming. All those people too busy complaining about the lack of substance with Norah Jones, this album is looking right over your shoulder waiting for you to turn around.

Those five clips are something -- the whole album is arranged for 70 piece orchestra by Saito, but there's still some strange KZK-ish production on the third clip, 'Firstlove Prostitute'. I am counting the seconds until 2/21.

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 5 February 2007 21:16 (seventeen years ago) link

stripped down arrangement of 'Sakuran' from the NHK show 'Folk Master'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ej5t2vC7E&eurl=

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 5 February 2007 21:21 (seventeen years ago) link

such a long way from 1999's Tsumiki Asobi

You can’t get enough of abusing others
That is, you have to serve your opponent
I REALLY REALLY DO

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 5 February 2007 22:57 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm holding off on buying (or trying to buy) the EP--not that I haven't heard it (and no, it was not via milton--just one of many blogs that has it up)--but I am definitely looking forward to the full album. I saw a live video of a song with Engish lyrics, from this new album, but I didn't really like her singing on that one so much. I remain very confused about her singing style. Sometimes I really love it, but sometimes I don't, and the style varies wildly, without any really linear development. She has learned certain things she didn't do earlier, but she will some time fall back on approaches that I don't like so much. In general, I don't like her singing in English as much--but her singing on the English language 'Konoyo Yo Kagiri' seemed like a big step forward, so I'm confused when English seems to bring her singing down a bit on another recent song.

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:04 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm reluctant to bring some of this up on Ringo Jihen, not because they are averse to any critical comments about Shiina Ringo, but because they know so much more than I do, have copies of things I don't have, or have real copies of things I only have in mp3 form, etc. So I'd rather just wait until the album is out before I start making more general comments.

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Actually, yeah, that's the one you just linked too there: that's the kind of Shiina Ringo singing that leaves me ambivalent at best. I don't think her singing style, here, is really suited to the material. I'm not sure it's even her voice though, I think it's the singing style.

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:08 (seventeen years ago) link

I definitely will take "Tsumiki Asobi" over that "Sakuran," but that doesn't mean I wouldn't take some more recent material over "Tsumiki Asobi." (Though I have to say my appreciation for the older song seems to increase with each listen.)

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm a little hesitant about her English singing as well, actually. There are very few singers that can emote in a second language anywhere near as well as they can with their first (in fact, none are coming to mind).

I'm into this version of 'Sakuran'. She's playing it straight, so her style sticks out, not a smooth fit. I'd be scared if it were a smooth fit though, and I like the song (if it's not her best).

I don't listen to the first album much at all. 'Tsumiki Asobi' is grade A inexplicable pop though, playing it for my friend Keith & his comment when it got to the middle: "well I guess you could call that a guitar solo"

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:31 (seventeen years ago) link

She's playing it straight, so her style sticks out

Straight, huh? To me it just seems too mannered (though no doubt you could make that complaint about her singing in lots of songs by her that I like).

I sent a link for the "Konoyo Yo Kagiri" video to someone at work on whom I have historically inflicted a certain amount of unwelcome music sharting (we were kind of friends at one point) and I was relieved that she liked it. I was pretty sure she would though.

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:45 (seventeen years ago) link

It's actually pretty exciting that I only just found about her last Spring, and not only was there already a terrific back catalog to explore, but there is this new album coming out, and there are new live DVDs all the time (not that I've bought any, but I get to see clips and so on). It's nice to have discovered her while there's still a fair amount of activity. I wonder what will happen after this new album? Will it be a couple years before a Tokyo Jihen album (I do think there will at least be a third one)?

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Monday, 5 February 2007 23:57 (seventeen years ago) link

i only bought her first (solo) record when i was in tokyo recently. it's awesome though - a very assured, confident, and at times breathtaking debut.

if the other stuff measures up, or even tops this (as apparently it does), i'll be extremely impressed

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 08:24 (seventeen years ago) link

I'd recommend trying her second album next, Shouso Strip. As long as you started with the first, you might as well move chronologically (although I guess you could skip the covers EP or whatever it was, not that I've actually heard everything on it).

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link

sweet, i will try and get my mitts on that second one.

amazed at how prolific she is, still being under 30 and all.

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

(I don't know, Milton, SR's singing on the clips from this new album is kind of annoying me. Everything else about the tracks is okay. I wish she weren't singing so much in English.)

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:05 (seventeen years ago) link

((speaking of that "bonus" - that you once mentioned yourself, Roskist'O -- mm, Shiina Ringo's debut would make a great one:))

― tiit (tiit), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 18:35 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't own the debut, but anyway, the package was sent yesterday (believe it or not). (And I think I did throw in some SR/TJ stuff. I can't even remember what I added at this point though.)

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 18:49 (seventeen years ago) link

Thank you, Rockist'O.

― tiit (tiit), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 21:10 (seventeen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Digging the new record. The fact that so much old material is on there is kind of a drag, but the new arrangements are excellent for the most part. The singing in English … I dunno.

― Brakhage, Thursday, 22 February 2007 00:59 (seventeen years ago) link

I like parts of it a lot. Apparently the new versions of the four tracks from KZK are actually pretty much the same as the version on Baishou Ecstasy, but I'm only familiar with that from checking it out on youtube, and not that many times really. I think her English sounds good on "Kono Yo no Kagiri," and maybe "Oiran" (but that's because the words on that seem so vapid, I think--and I do like the song). "Gamble" is my favorite. Despite the hype (er, at least in Japan), this isn't really a "Shiina Ringo is Back!" album on a really grand scale. It's obviously more of a stop-gap measure.

― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 22 February 2007 01:12 (seventeen years ago) link

"Gamble" is fantastic, yeah.

― Brakhage, Thursday, 22 February 2007 01:24 (seventeen years ago) link

debuted at #1 on the j-charts today

it doesn't feel like album no. 4 in the same way that her double disc set of covers usually doesn't get counted as an album. and it's really not a solo album, it's her album with Saito Neko, who's doing all the conducting & arrangements for that 70 piece orchestra. since half the album is taken from her her old catalog, a lot of the work is his. and the version of 'yokoshitsu', it's literally a mashup -- not one new note recorded, just the techno version of 'yokoshitsu' spliced in with the orchestral version of 'la salle de bain'... pretty bizarre to include that as a full-on album track.

the Baishou Ecstasy DVD is a document of her first big concert before KZK came out, and it threw people anticipating a full-on rockstar comeback, coming out with Saito's chamber jazz band & opening with an Edith Piaf cover, but her vocals weren't as strong as they could have been that night -- so these feel like idealized studio versions of the arrangements from that one concert, they couldn't throw those away. and while there are some good new songs on here, I agree this really does not feel like a new album at all, either in sequence or content. the arrangements are impressively huge, but they're also kind of playing it safe, not many surprises. even the electronic moments seem really reigned in.

the english title is Japanese Manners though Frecklegirl's literal translation is more like Present-day Sex Industry, which is very Ringo. The whole album is worth it just for 'Konoyo No Kagiri', and I know that the rest is bound to grow on me.

― Milton Parker, Thursday, 22 February 2007 01:37 (seventeen years ago) link

There's a very interesting barely audible humming thing (like, at around 1:35) that Shiina Ringo is doing on "Gamble" that reminds me of some things Kate Bush does on Aerial.

― Rockist Scientist, Friday, 23 February 2007 03:04 (seventeen years ago) link

(Well, interesting to me partly because of the similarity, and partly because I haven't really noticed this before in a Shiina Ringo song, though I still am far from knowing her work inside out.)

― Rockist Scientist, Friday, 23 February 2007 03:05 (seventeen years ago) link

I LOVE "Oiran"

I haven't been too big of a fan of her English singing before this album, but it has grown on me here, even on Kuki, where it sounds pretty affected.

I actually like all the new versions of the old songs more than the originals (except for "Meisai." She shouldn't have fucked with that one).

That said, I'm still mixed about the giant orchestra. It sounds good, but it often doesn't sound quite...integrated? with the songs. I don't know if that's the word I'm looking for. Maybe it's just when it gets too big and loud or when it comes to the forefront, it starts to sound out of place. Maybe I just don't like the way it's mixed? Still digesting it all though.

― Lingbert, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 04:26 (seventeen years ago) link

I like the new "Meisai." This version has more swing (rather than alluding to jazz, while maybe sitting more on the rock side of the fence) and Saito Neko's extended violin solo at the end is great. Although I suppose I miss the bass in the original. I think it's hard to compare because the versions on KZK all hang together so well with one another, and the new album these new versions are coming from doesn't really fit together well as an album.

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:46 (seventeen years ago) link

(And no way is this new version of stem better than the Japanese KZK version.)

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:49 (seventeen years ago) link

(I don't know why I didn't capitalize that and put in quotation marks except it's early and I should be shaving.)

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Violin solo is indeed crazy and awesome

― Brakhage, Thursday, 1 March 2007 01:46 (seventeen years ago) link

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