japan
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My apologies to all those readers expecting a well-researched entry about Mélange’s Passion To Poison. It appears I might fail in myriad ways today. I say that because just like many of you, I too can get easily sidetracked when exploring certain rabbit holes. And in today’s case, it’s the way we or others feel…
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It’s not often you recognize “genius” straight away, yet it’s not often you get to hear such precocious brilliance of the likes seen in Yukiyo Nakamura. From her debut in 1989 to her latest work, what could have turned out as a different kind of musician, blossomed into their own kind by finding her true…
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Stand By Satie? It’s pretty hard not to, when a whole slew of musicians – in all styles and genres – have been inspired by the late, great French impressionist composer. But how does one take the next step and actually attempt to interpret the man? It’s a question, I imagine, that was cycling in…
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Fall is something else, isn’t it? As beautiful as the season is – simply one look outside can affirm this – there’s always something in our communal, lived-in experience that’s tinged with a certain longing and/or nostalgia. Perhaps, it’s a certain realization that nothing is permanent and everything pertinent has an end. With this thought…
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She didn’t have to do this, yet, nevertheless, she persisted. That’s the refrain bopping in my head as I go through Anna Banana’s past, looking to shed any more light behind the creation of this album: 大きな絵 (Big Picture). It’s about a hafu (and worse, a nisei), barely making any kind of ascent into stardom,…
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Six years. Has it really been that long? Yes, it has been nearly six years since I first wrote about the late, great Masahide Sakuma. It was back in 2016 when all we’ve ever experienced from Masahide came from a certain light. And now, I feel it’s time to share with you something just as…
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Forgive me if I’m repeating myself, but if I haven’t said it bears I’m saying it now: sometimes I (just like each of us) is just a vessel for the greater good. In this case, it’s facilitating keeping a bit of music history alive. So, a huge thank you to both Victor Hsu Jui-Ting (who’s…
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You know, sometimes as I choose to share a bit of music, what strikes me to do might be things that might not strike others quite the same. One of those things, I’ve got to say, is that I’m still a big fan of album covers and album titles that invite your mind to wander.…
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We’re still sailing along aren’t we? Hopefully, aiming towards more easy-going, yet surprisingly deep waters. It’s all to reveal sights and sounds, mostly, that reveal far more hidden at the surface. Listening to Shigeru Suzuki’s くじらの海 (Living Whales) I’m reminded of this sentiment.
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If there’s one thing I know about my sign…it’s that it’s (pardon my language) all bullshit. I know, spoken like a true Gemini. Yet, there are people out there who still believe in astrology and that our anthropomorphization of the heavens, somehow, provides a keen insight into who we all are as a person and…
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