Kazuki Tomokawa - Sakura no kuni no chiru naka o (1980)

While I still can't quite figure out the title to Kazuki Tomokawa (友川かずき)'s fifth studio album, 'Sakura no kuni no chiru naka o' (桜の国の散る中を) must mean something like 'Within the Country of Falling Cherry Blossoms'. Wouldn't 桜の散る国の中を make more sense though? Just goes to show how hard it is (for me at least?) to get a good grip on this devilish language. So anyone with more insight, please help an otōto out.
Anyway, this album was released in October 1980 on Bellwood, and reissued in 1992 and again in 1995 on King. The studio album that preceded this one was 1978's 俺の裡で鳴り止まない詩 ('Ore no uchi de nariyamanai mono'), which was posted here earlier; but in the meantime Tomokawa had released his first live album, 犬～友川かずき秋田コンサートライブ ('Inu - Tomokawa Kazuki Akita Konsāto Raibu', or in translation: 'Dog - Tomokawa Kazuki Akita Concert Live'), which I may get around to some other time (it's essential if only for that exclusive song 寂滅 ('Jakumetsu', which means 'Nirvana')).

The tracklist on this one is as follows (Japanese / rōmaji / translation); the translations are the ones given on the official website.

1. 犬  /  Inu  /  A Dog
2. 闇  /  Yami  /  Darkness
3. 点  /  Ten  /  Point
4. 問うなれば  /  Tou nareba  /  Must Start Questioning
5. 赤子の限界  /  Akago no genkai  /  The Limits Within an Infant
6. おどの独白  /  Odo no dokuhaku  /  Odo's Soliloquy
7. 口から木綿  /  Kuchi kara momen  /  Cotton From the Mouth
8. 因われのうた  /  Toraware no uta  /  A Song of Captivity
9. 桜の国の散る中を  /  Sakura no kuni no chiru naka o  /  Within the Country of Falling Cherry Blossoms

The last one, the epic title track (dig that choir!), is subtitled （会田哲士君の霊に捧ぐ）in the booklet: 'Aida Tetsushi-kun no rei ni sasagu', 'Dedicated to the Soul of Mr. Tetsushi Aida'. I don't know who this is, but the 'kun'-suffix would seem to indicate that it's a younger friend of Tomokawa's.

There does not seem to be any link between the Odo in the spoken sixth track and the eponymous killer from Kan Mikami (三上寛)'s song on his first album, 三上寛の世界 ('Mikami Kan no sekai', 1971).

In the booklet (scans included), we find the following credits:

友川かずき (Kazuki Tomokawa): singing, guitar

ピップエレキバンド (Pippu Ereki Bando = Pip Electric Band; as far as I can recall the only other album this band is mentioned on is 'Inu'):

石塚俊明 (Toshiaki Ishizuka, yes, the guy from Vajra): drums, percussion

古家恭子 (Kyōko Furuya, who was already there from the first album): piano, keyboard

山脇クマ (Kuma Yamawaki): bass

菊池雅志 (Masashi Kikuchi): shakuhachi, yokobue (two types of Japanese flutes)

牧良介 (Ryōsuke Maki): narration on track 6

There are a bunch of other musicians in minor roles, but let's not go crazy.

By the way, last year's live DVD has been reuploaded here.

Just listen.

320kbps.

Kazuki Tomokawa - Ore no uchi de nariyamanai mono (1978)

The complete title is 俺の裡で鳴り止まない詩～中原中也作品集 (Ore no uchi de nariyamanai mono - Nakahara Chūya sakuhinshū). I only noticed the tiny furigana next to 詩 recently, I always read it as 'uta'. In any case, the title means 'Poems that won't stop crying inside of me - Collection of works by Chūya Nakahara', and this is the 4th studio album by bluesy folk hero Kazuki Tomokawa (友川かずき); if you've been following this blog, you should know him by now. This is one from the first 2 decades of Tomokawa's career, before he was picked up by P.S.F. Records, and these albums are to this day far less easy to obtain than the later ones. The songs, settings of poems by Nakahara (whom you can get to know better here) are quite lavishly orchestrated. Once you get to know them, you can treat yourself to a comparison with 中原中也作品集 (yes, that's basically the same title, with the first line omitted), a 2003 album (it was originally only to be found in the lavish P.S.F.-released 13-CD box) on which Tomokawa records all these songs again solo. I kind of like the almost bombastic arrangements on some of the versions here, though they may be an acquired taste for some.
Tracklist with transliterations and translations (the latter taken from Tomokawa's official site):

1. サーカス (Sākasu) - The Circus
2. 臨終 (Rinjū) - One's Dying Hour
3. 湖上 (Kojō) - Upon the Lake
4. 帰郷 (Kikyō) - Going Back Home
5. 桑名の駅 (Kuwana no eki) - Kuwana Station
6. 夏の日の歌 (Natsu no hi no uta) - Song of a Summer Day
7. 汚れっちまった悲しみに (Yogorechimatta kanashimi ni) - For the Tainted Sorrow
8. 春の日の夕暮 (Haru no hi no yūgure) - Dusk of a Spring Day
9. 六月の雨 (Rokugatsu no ame) - Rainfall in June
10. 坊や (Bōya) - Sonny Boy      

The album was released in 1978 on Bellwood and reissued in 1990 on King. The rip was made from this CD reissue. There is a later remastered reissue (from ca. 2003?) that I haven't heard, but this one sounds fine to me. Files are tagged in Japanese for your pleasure. Scans included, because you deserve it.
By the way: when is that documentary going to be released on DVD already??
320kbps.
Here.

Kazuki Tomokawa - Le Petit Papier Important & Detaramena Yoru (2010)

Kazuki Tomokawa (友川かずき, or in recent years more often with his first name in katakana: 友川カズキ) is a Japanese folk singer, songwriter and poet. He's also a painter, a bicycle race fanatic, occasional actor and, reportedly, quite the skilled drinker. Born in the same year as Kan Mikami (三上寛), 1950, he too debuted in the first half of the 1970s, and over the years created a highly personal, very passionate style, accumulating a vast œuvre and eventually being picked up by PSF Records (originally a psych rock label, as the name - Psychedelic Speed Freaks - indicates). They have recorded together, too: a shared live album entitled 御縁 ('Goen', meaning 'Fate', but with a play on the word for '5 yen coin') was released in 1994; there was also a video cassette of the event. More video material was released in 2004: a live DVD entitled ピストル：渋谷アピア・ライブ ２００３ ('Pistol: Shibuya Apia Live 2003'); a great concert, unfortunately not the greatest sound.

With Vincent Moon's documentary on Tomokawa ('La Faute des Fleurs', referring to the 1993 album 花々の過失, 'Hanabana no Kashitsu' aka 'Fault of Flowers') doing the rounds at film festivals and in art theatres, Tomokawa's profile is finally on the rise. To tie in with this, a lavish book containing all (well, most of, I noticed some omissions) his lyrics from 1974 to 2010 has been published along with his new album 青いアイスピック ('Aoi Aisupikku', 'Blue Ice Pick'). It is entitled 'ユメは日々元気に死んでゆく ('Yume wa hibi genki ni shinde yuku'), which was already the title of a 1998 album (except there the kanji for the word 'yume' was used, rather than the katakana characters: 夢) and was translated there as 'Dreams Die Blithefully Day by Day'.

The book, released by Million Shuppan (ミリオン出版) is housed in a cardboard slipcase that also contains an extra folder with a DVD inside: 大事な小さい紙／出鱈目な夜 ('Daiji na chiisai kami / Detarame na yoru', or as it is also labeled on the cover: 'Le Petit Papier Important & Detaramena Yoru'). The first part refers to 61 minutes of live recordings made in 'Kingdom of Belgium', France and Switzerland in 2006; the second part to a 47 minute concert recorded 7 August 2010 at a place called Cafe Gati. On top of this, there's an interview (in Japanese, no subtitles) of about 20 minutes.

The whole package can still be obtained through various Japanese sources, but will cost you 69$ outside Japan. For us gaijin, this is perhaps a bit steep, considering that the book is entirely in Japanese. Since the DVD is not available separately, you can have a look here.


Tracklists: below you'll find the Japanese titles, followed in the case of the European recordings with date and location of recording; a transliteration of each title followed by the translation as given on Tomokawa's site; and the album on which each track was first featured.


大事な小さい紙 (Le Petit Papier Important) 27 Oct - 9 Nov 2006


1. サーカス (rec. 28 Oct, Ghent, Belgium) (Saakasu / The Circus)
from: 俺の裡で鳴り止まない詩~中原中也作品集~ / Ore no uchi ni de nariyamanai uta - Nakahara Chūya sakuhinshū / Poems That Won't Stop Crying From Within Me (1978)

2. ジャン・ジュネに訊け (rec. 31 Oct, Bourogne, France) (Jan June ni kike / Ask Jean Genet)
from: エリセの目 / Erise no me / The Eyes Of Elise (2001)

3. おじっちゃ (rec. 2 Nov, Marseille, France) (Ojitcha / Grandpa)
from: 肉声 / Nikusei / A Natural Voice (1976)

4. ぜい肉な朝 (rec. 3 Nov, Lyon, France) (Zeiniku na asa / Fat In The Morning Light)
from: ぜい肉な朝 / Zeiniku na asa / Fat In The Morning Light (1996)

5. 似合った青春 (rec. 4 Nov, Geneva, Switzerland) (Niatta seishun / A Fitting Adolescence)
from: 肉声 / Nikusei / A Natural Voice (1976)

6. ピストル (rec. 6 Nov, Metz, France) (Pisutoru / Pistol)
from: サトル / Satoru / Satoru (2003)

7. 訳のわからん気持 (rec. 7 Nov, Strasbourg, France) (Wake no wakaran kimochi / Can't Comprehend The Meaning Behind These Emotions)
from: サトル / Satoru / Satoru (2003)

8. カラブラン (rec. 9 Nov, Nantes, France) (Kara Buran / Kara Bran)
from: 青い水　赤い水 / Aoi mizu akai mizu / Blue Water, Red Water (2008)

9. グッドフェローズ (rec. 4 Nov, Geneva, Switzerland) (Guddo ferōzu / Good Fellows)
from: 一人盆踊り / Hitori bon-odori / Dance A Bonodori Alone (1995)



出鱈目な夜 (Detaramena Yoru) 7 Aug 2010
(the title is hard to translate, something like 'An Evening of Nonsense')
subtitled in the cardboard folder: 欧州ツアー秘録 (Ōshū tsuā hiroku / European Tour, Secret Notes)


1. 花あそび (Hana-asobi / Flower Trumps)
from: 青いアイスピック / Aoi aisupikku / Blue Ice Pick (2010)

2. 三種川 (Mitanegawa / Mitane River)
from: イナカ者のカラ元気 / Inakamono no karagenki / A Bumpkin's Empty Bravado (2009)

3. 海みたいな空だ (Umi-mitai na sora da / Look At The Sky, It's Like The Ocean)
from: 無惨の美 / Muzan no bi / Beauty Without Mercy (1986)

4. 顕信の一撃 (Kenshin no ichigeki / A Blow By Kenshin)
from: 顕信の一撃 / Kenshin no ichigeki / A Blow By Kenshin (2002)

5. シシャモ (Shishamo / A Smelt-Fish)
from: エリセの目 / Erise no me / The Eyes Of Elise (2001)

6. 先行一車 (Senkō Issha / Senkô Issha)
from: 青いアイスピック / Aoi aisupikku / Blue Ice Pick (2010)

7. 青い水　赤い水 (Aoi mizu akai mizu / Blue Water, Red Water)
from: 青い水　赤い水 / Aoi mizu akai mizu / Blue Water, Red Water (2008)

8. 絵の具の空 (Enogu no sora / Pigment Sky)
from: イナカ者のカラ元気 / Inakamono no karagenki / A Bumpkin's Empty Bravado (2009)

9. 明るい耳 (Akarui mimi / Bright Ears)
from: 青いアイスピック / Aoi aisupikku / Blue Ice Pick (2010)

10. 赤いポリアン (Akai porian / A Red Polyanthus)
from: 赤いポリアン / Akai porian / A Red Polyanthus (2000)

11. 生きてるって言ってみろ (Ikiteru 'tte itte miro / Say With Conviction, I Am Alive)
from: 千羽鶴を口に咬えた日々 / Senbazuru o kuchi ni kuwaeta hibi / Clenching A Senbazuru In My Mouth Day After Day (1977)

12. ワルツ (Bonus Track) (Warutsu / Waltz)
from: 無惨の美 / Muzan no bi / Beauty Without Mercy (1986)

*NOTE*
Newly uploaded files, November 2011. The original zipped folder has been freshly cut up into 5 new chunks, so don't combine these with any original parts you may have - will not work!

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Le Masque - s/t (1995)

This is a follow-up post to the Cellerino album, and a special request. Enjoy, Claudette! (And everyone else of course). Not sure what happened to my cover scan, btw. It's not supposed to be that wavy. Oh well.
320kbps.
Here.

Edgardo Moia Cellerino - L'Amore Che Gira Il Mondo (2009)

I got to know Le Masque some 10 or 12 years ago, when I picked up a second-hand copy of their greatest-hits-featuring-unreleased-bonus-tracks 'Dal Diario di un Soffiatore di Vetro' (released in October 1998, subtitled 1984-1998) in a small Metal store for some reason. I can't for the life of me remember why; I had no idea what to expect, there were no indications whatsoever that I would like this, and the cover art is gruesome. Maybe the fact that it was on an Eibon Records sublabel (Fuoco), plus the fact that the shopkeeper, desperate to unload what was no doubt in his eyes an awful piece of crap, had put a ridiculously low price on it, was enough to win me over. Maybe it was merely because I was taking some Italian classes in those years, and wanted to practice a bit. Either way, as it turned out, this music was labeled 'Wave' (to this day I'm not sure what that means, exactly), but what I heard was a great singer-songwriter (also guitarist) with a beautiful, melancholy voice and very good lyrics, backed by some very able musicians on piano, synth, clarinet, sax, bass and percussion. Sure, some of it was quite schmaltzy, and it took a while to get used to the one or two tracks with very simple drum computer beats, but somehow I returned to that album obsessively for months, and translated some of the lyrics. The best tracks (some of them were live recordings with between-song banter) had something of a late-night smoky vocal-jazz club feel to me.
Over the years, I have played Le Masque's compilation album (along with a couple of other records of theirs I managed to pick up here and there) to quite a number of people, but haven't been able to gain them many new fans, I'm afraid. Most people were turned off by their supposed cheesiness, so you have been warned.
Le Masque was formed in 1979, in Milan, by Edgardo Moia Cellerino (voice, guitar) and Tiberio Boncristiano (percussion). They took their name from a Baudelaire poem and were inspired by British post-punk bands (I can't hear any of that in their music). In the beginning, the lyrics were in English (going by 'The Happy Flock', featured on that compilation, however, it may take you a while to recognize it as English); pretty soon, they switched to Italian. They released a number of albums over the years: 'The Happy Flock' (1984) 'Colloquio' (1986), 'Il Signor Gustavo Coscenza' (1990, on EMI; these first 3 are all mini-LPs really), 'La Memoria di Venere' (1991) and 'Le Masque' (1995); two more singles, 'Dandies' (1997) and 'Sai' (1999, released only in Greece?), and the compilation album mentioned above the next year; and finally another full-lenght, 'Gli Anni di Globiana' (2003). Some of the material in later years suffered in comparison with their earlier works, unfortunately, being poppier and catchier and less 'atmospheric' (whatever that means).
There was no more to be heard from Le Masque for many years until in November 2009 this album credited only to Cellerino appeared out of nowhere on the young Italian label Oltrelanebbiailmare. I don't know why it's suddenly his album, as this is again a greatest hits compilation, mostly, with tracks taken from all over the Le Masque discography. Only the title track and the Brel-cover are previously unreleased. I'm not sure if this means that Le Masque is no more; I'll just quote this from the press release:
"Edgardo has just got back during November from the prestigious Tenco Festival, a showcase dedicated to the most valid Italian singer-songwriters, where he received the SIAE/Club Tenco Prize as the best emerging author/songwriter with the following mention: "His lyrics are illuminated by all-consuming landscapes. His language is made of an almost embarassing extreme and refined elegance, and reminds the greatest Italian writers of the Twentieth Century, from Pavese to Buzzati. Nonetheless he defines himself just like "a polka-dot illustrator on clowns costumes". At the Tenco Festival he presented some of his songs in concert, including the new album title-track. For all the Le Masque aficionados and for all the lovers of Italian songwriting... This is a must!"

Here is the tracklist with year of publication (+ original album) of each song, and my own translations:
1. Le Donne (from 'Le Masque', 1995) ('Women')
2. Marcel (from 'Le Masque', 1995)
3. Nostalghia (from 'Le Masque', 1995) ('Nostalgia')
4. La Notte del 31 Dicembre 1999' (from 'Le Masque', 1995) ('The Night of 31 December 1999')
5. La Ballerina Marta (from 'Le Masque', 1995) ('Marta the Ballerina') (I'm starting to wonder if these translations were really necessary)
6. La Lunga Notte di Gianni (was an exclusive track on the compilation 'Dal Diario di un Soffiatore di Vetro' ('From the Diary of a Glass Blower'), 1998) ('The Long Night of Gianni [Versace]')
7. Sai (from the 'Sai' single, 1999) ('You Know')
8. Quando una Parola (from 'Gli Anni di Globiana' ('The Years of Globiana'), 2003) ('When a Word')
9. 'Non Andare Via' (new; a cover of Jacques Brel's 'Ne me quitte pas') ('Don't Go Away')
10. L'Amabile Assenza (from 'Gli Anni di Globiana', 2003) ('Pleasant Absence')
11. Il Trionfo del Bikini (from 'La Memoria di Venere' ('The Memory of Venus'), 1991)
12. Elsadora il Profumiere (from 'La Memoria di Venere', 1991) ('Elsadora the Perfumer')
13. Amore Bello Amore Stanco (from 'Sai', 1999) ('Beautiful Love Tired Love')
14. I Tartari (from 'Le Masque', 1995) ('The Ta(r)tars')
15. L'Amore che Gira il Mondo (new) ('The Love that Makes the World Go Round')

Definitely not like much else you may have encountered on this blog, so buyer beware. The less cautious downloader may - you never know - have a similar sort of revelation to the one I had some 10 years ago. The rest can sit tight for some more blistering eai, coming up next ; ).
Enjoy?
320kbps